The Project
The Diocese of American Samoa operates five schools and several social welfare services including Legal Aid, youth support services, programs to combat violence against women, and Hope House, a respite care facility for the elderly.
The Diocese requires a finance manager to train local staff in transparent record keeping and financial management to support these programs.
Note: The monthly living allowance enables you to live a modest local lifestyle. Based on the cost of living in a particular country, it covers food, your daily commute, communication and other local costs. It is not set to enable you to meet financial commitments at home, such as a mortgage or a personal loan. It will not cover the costs of eating out and other entertainment. Read more about what is covered in our FAQ. All applicants will be required to complete a Working with Children and Police Check.
The Location
Pago Pago is the territorial capital of American Samoa, situated on the main island of American Samoa, Tutuila. As of 2010, Pago Pago has a population of 3,656. The finance manager will have their own office in the facilities of the Diocese of Samoa, Pago Pago.
The mountainous islands boast pristine waters and jungles that adventurous travellers will be able to explore in their free time. World War II sites will fascinate the history buffs. As a U.S territory, the islands use the US Dollar. The official languages are English and Samoan.
The Challenge
Effective financial management is critical to the ongoing operations of the Diocese’s programs. The Diocese needs to establish recordkeeping processes, transparent expense systems, and sustainable reporting procedures to ensure the organisations funding is appropriately spent in accordance with funding expectations. These procedures would facilitate growth across the existing programs and better enable the Diocese to request support from international donors.
With such a varied portfolio of programs operating under the organisation, there is little opportunity for existing staff to provide professional skill development. Therefore, the Diocese has requested an experienced finance manager to join the team in Pago Pago and provide professional development for local staff.
About You
The Diocese has requested a suitably qualified and experienced finance manager to provide professional skill development. The successful candidate must demonstrate:
- Formal qualifications in accounting or finance
- Experience in management and use of Peachtree accounting software
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Cultural sensitivity and openness to working within a different cultural context
- Willingness to work in a community abroad for a minimum of 12 months, with limited resources and facilities.
The program participant must also demonstrate a willingness to engage their Australian community in promoting the work of the host organisation and their role.
How You Will Help
First you must be willing to learn from the local community.
Over the first six months you are asked not to change anything or suggest a change to operations. During that six months you will take the time to learn language and cultural mores from a local counterpart willing to mentor you. You will also start a register of the strengths of the current personnel and the assets in the community/country that might be used to achieve the goals of the assignment.
So questions to enable your learning from your hosts, not suggestions in ignorance of how things can improve. You need to commit to clarifying why things are done the way they are rather than presuming from you own cultural lens to outline what is missing. Palms training will prepare you for this approach.
In the second six months you will be ready and better know which of your skills and what of your knowledge applies to:
- Improving transparency and accountability in financial procedures across the organisation
- Improving use of accounting software by admin staff
- Improving financial management structures for the organisation.
It is expected that at the conclusion of your assignment, the office will be appointing a local Finance Manager from the staff you have trained.