Terms of Reference for Finance Assistant

Position:                    Finance Assistant

Terms of duration:    3 years with extendable

Reporting line:           Finance Officer

Duty station:              Thimphu, Bhutan

I. Primary responsibility:

To assist in providing efficient and accurate financial data, accounting and record keeping of RSPN funds and property in accordance with prescribed regulation and generally acceptable accounting principles and to providing efficient financial /administrative services pertaining to RSPN programmers and activities.

II. Specific duties and responsibilities:

1. Enforce the Financial rules and regulations and guide his counterparts in the prompt and efficient performance of their task.
2. Establish that all receipts are accounted for and have been deposited in time.
3. Prepare and compile monthly financial statement of project fund status.
4. Verify and process requests for cash advances, reimbursements, and purchase orders.
5. Prepare financial reports to project managers, donors, RSPN, auditors, partners, etc.
6. Ensure efficient financial transactions and provide oversight of procurement processes.
7. Facilitate all necessary organizational financial audits.
8. Maintain the books of accounts, i.e. ledger, sub-ledger, cash book and all other records as required by the financial rules.
9. Prepare cheques, drafts and maintain proper records.
10. Close the cash book on a monthly basis and reconcile the accounts to ascertain the fund balance.
11. Safe custody of the financial documents and data.
12. Ensure that all the statutory deductions and other recoveries are effected and remitted to the concerned agencies/beneficiaries within the time frame required by the status in vogue.
13. Restrict ineligible and inadmissible claims and enforce the financial discipline rigorously.
14. Verify payments as to the completeness of the claims and in conformity to the rules.
15. Prepare organization’s payroll, including payment taxes, managing staff bank loans (processed through the office).
16. Assist to develop budgeting framework and support project development with special emphasis on budgeting.
17. Any other task assigned from time to time. 

ANNOUNCEMENT: Royal Society for Protection of Nature is pleased to announce following vacant post for immediate recruitment in its Head Quarters, Kawajangsa, Thimphu.

All interested candidates must submit your applications to the Adm/HRO on or before 14^th of June 2014 during office hours. The Terms of Reference will be provided during the time of submission of application or can be downloaded from our website www.rspnbhutan.org or call us at telephone number 326130.

Adm/HRO

A total of 39 selected farmers from Lumang and Kangpara Gewog embarked on a study tour to Tsirang Dzongkhag from 22-28^th April 2014. The study tour themed “Organic agriculture and slope management” was a part of exposure trip for the farmers who will be undergoing various trainings in terms of organic agriculture and slope management in the ongoing project on Sustainable agriculture in villages of Kangpara and Lumang Gewog in Tashigang funded by Norlha, a Swiss based NGO.

The farmers visited the Regional Seed Centre the agriculture research development centre at Bhur. The farmers toured the campus seeing and learning how seeds are propagated, grafting methods and seedling plantation methods. The visit enabled the farmers to understand how improved seeds and breeds of animals were selected and tested accordingly. Farmers also saw the bamboo propagation site, where they learned how to properly harvest bamboo and bamboo plantation methods.

At Tsirang farmers visited the local Dhajy village and interacted with the local farmers who practice organic agriculture.  Farmers also visited the land management site at Salamji, which is one of the best examples of land management practice site in Bhutan. Here farmers saw the different techniques and approaches used to conserve soil, land and its nutrient. Other activities included talks from the officials and local farmers of the study tour area, visits to demonstration plots and nurseries, poultry farms, green houses etc.

RSPN would like to thank the participating farmers both from Tsirang and Tashigang, officials from Tsirang District and the field guides.

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As a part of the CBST promotion package, a new website with domain name www.communitytourism.bt has been launched. The website provides information about the local tourism services, facilities, programs and the contact information of the local CBST coordinator.

Royal Society for Protection of Nature has been implementing a project on community-based sustainable tourism (CBST) in Phobjikha. The project was designed to bridge the gap of conservation efforts and sustainable livelihood opportunities of local communities through tourism. This project seeks to harness the tourism potential of Phobjikha’s natural and cultural richness for the benefit of local community. The benefits accrued to the local people through this initiative are expected to incentivize community ownership and responsibility for continued preservation of local natural resources of Phobjikha. Further, the growing preference of tourists in nature and community tourism has been encouraging this CBST initiative as a viable option.

The CBST project is being implemented in collaboration with the Japan Environmental Education Forum (JEEF) with fund from the NGO Partnership Program of the JICA Technical Cooperation for Grassroots Project.

A PDF version of the Homestay Operator Manual for Phobjikha is also available for download from the website.

For further information please contact Ms. Tshering Choki  at tchoki@rspnbhutan.org