The Project
The Diocese of Daru-Kiunga has identified a need for an experienced financial administrator to provide professional skill development to local staff. This project will provide two years of professional development in financial management, record keeping, and administration for local office staff in remote Papua New Guinea.
At the conclusion of the project period, staff will be better able to manage the expenses of the Diocese and to create financial statements and annual budgets. This capacity will enable the Diocese to deliver improved services to the local community.
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.
The Location
The Diocese office is located in Kiunga, a town in the Western Provinces of Papua New Guinea. The volunteer will have access to internet (with a limited quota) and office equipment.
Kiunga has less developed infrastructure than major towns. Hot water and air conditioning are rare and few residents have cars. However, most homes will have fans and most places will be within walking distance. Power in remote regions of Papua New Guinea is developing rapidly. You can expect to have internet, though it may be slow and intermittent.
Kiunga is safer than Port Moresby but caution should be exercised, particularly at night. It is recommended that foreigners take time to build their relationship with colleagues and avoid walking alone.
The Challenge
There are few opportunities for formal training in financial management in remote Papua New Guinea. Many of those working in finance and business administration have received on-the-job training which is sufficient for basic record keeping but can be limited. Without a dedicated member of staff to provide financial management training, the extensive policies and procedures that have been developed cannot consistently be explained to new staff members.
By engaging a qualified and experienced financial administrator to conduct this training, who is able to establish a locally viable system for training new staff in the future, the Diocese will ensure even those without formal training are capable of providing quality record keeping and administration work.
About You
The Diocese of Daru-Kiunga has requested an experienced financial administrator to provide professional skill development for local staff. The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- qualifications in finance, record keeping, and/or business administration,
- familiarity with MYOB,
- experience training and mentoring staff in financial administration,
- cultural sensitivity and willingness to live and work in a remote community for up to two years,
- willingness to learn tok pisin (local language), and
- 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 will help the Diocese staff to have:
- Understanding of the connections between different account activities (Asset, liabilities, expenses, depreciation of fixed assets),
- Capacity to monitor cash flow in the parish and align these with the amounts reflected in MYOB,
- A comprehensive perception of how the accounts of the Diocese operate,
- Capacity to calculate depreciation of fixed assets,
- Ability to produce the Annual Financial Statement,
- Ability to prepare annual budgets, and
- Ability to apply Internal Financial Control stipulated in the existing Financial Procedures & Policies.
These new skills will enable the Diocese to better manage and monitor finances which are used to support community programs throughout the Diocese.