Deaf Women Aloud Initiative (DWAI) on Monday in Abuja organized a Capacity Building Training for Staff and Volunteers on financial policy and conflict of interest policy.
The training was supported by Disability Rights Funds and It was organized to enhance the knowledge of DWAI staff and Volunteers on financial policy and conflict of interest policy.
The Executive Secretary of DWAI, Hellen Beiyoku-Alase in her opening speech said that DWAI should be three years this year so it is wise that a better organizational structure is instituted in DWAI, it would be an indication that DWAI have gone a long way, DWAI have completed their first project on Sign Language glossary and now second project is ongoing thanks to Disability Rights Fund (DRF) who found DWAI worthy.
Speaking further, she said that it is time that the capacity of DWAI staff should be built and DWAI should also put some things in place to prepare itself for better things ahead. It was in this premise that this capacity training program is being organized.
She cited how DWAI missed out on a big grant because the organization had no financial policy as at then and that is why the financial policy is important and members of staff, volunteers and board members should understand it, make input and know what is expected of them in the implementation of the financial policy.
The facilitator Ijeoma Idika-Kalu in her presentation about financial policy explained that financial policy is important for any organization because it enhances the financial management of an organization. It helps an organization to become accountable, more organized financially and build the confidence of donors towards an organization because no donor will give you grant without a financial policy. It is a guideline at which the funds should be expended. She went ahead to recommend the best practice in implementing financial policy and the participants also looks into the draft financial policy of DWAI and make inputs and express the understanding their roles and responsibilities in the implementation of financial policy.
She emphasized that while drafting a financial policy, it should be noted that simple language should be used, every members of team and the board member should be consulted for inputs, review in order to elicit ownership of the policy by everyone, avoid length policy and the use of jargons. She also said that financial policy implementation entails carry along every member of the organization and it contains keeping records, financial reporting, procurement procedure, payment methods and so on.
The Program Officer, DRF, Theophilus Odaudu while conducting the review of conflict of interest policy of DWAI said that conflict of interest policy is very important in an organization because it keeps an organization off interests that could be detriment to the integrity and output of an organization. It is all about being committed to the highest level of integrity of members of staff and board members of an organization.
He further explained that Conflict of Interest is a situation where an interest or activity outside of organizational influences appears to influence the ability of staff, consultant, or board of member of an organization to objectively perform his or her duties and responsibilities in the best interest of the organization. It is a perceived conflict of interest when an independent party, looking at the circumstances of the case, may reasonably conclude that a conflict exists.
He cited some examples of conflict of interest such as having relations, wife, husbands, brother, sister at the decision taking level of an organization such as appointing into the board members, contracting the services of a relation for a fee in an organization and employment of a relation into an organization.
He also said that the consequences of an established case of Conflict of Interest in an organization are integrity question, loss of job on the part of staff, and limitation in the chances of getting grant.
He also said that the DRF is building the capacity of OPDs on these policies because they understood that OPDs have been lacking in their capacity and it is time that OPDs should take strong standing on these policies because it is international standard and OPDs in Nigeria especially those being funded by DRF must abide by it.
TQM learnt that the inputs made should be inculcated in the two policies and they would be shared among staff, volunteers and boards members.
DWAI was advised to look into their organizational structure and resolve the issue of Conflict of Interest if there is any before the policy should be fully adopted in the organization.
