Global Health
Public Financial Management
Captiva Africa LLC helps implementing agencies in public health improve their efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and financial positions–allowing them to make better use of public funds.
Many countries have made commitments to strengthen their PFM systems and funding agencies are paying increasing attention to countries’ PFM performance when making decisions about funding commitments.
A key challenge for the funding agencies is to balance between fiduciary risk and assisting countries develop sustainable systems. In addition, there has been increased appreciation by funders of the importance of investing in assurance services. This, along with a focus on proactive grant management and preventative assurance interventions, mean that funding agencies are more intensively engaged with countries on fiduciary risk management issues.
One area of focus has been for the funders to support countries strengthen the financial management capabilities of the Ministries of Health (MOH) and finance teams or other teams in national and subnational departments of the Ministries of Health.
Increasing the intensity of engagement requires resources. And yet many funding agencies may not have the capacity to fill the resource gaps in country fiduciary oversight. One area of focus has been for the funders to support countries strengthen the financial management capabilities of the Ministries of Health (MOH) and finance teams or other teams in national and subnational departments of the Ministries of Health.
Captiva Africa LLC partners with funding agencies to help implementers strengthen financial management and risk assurance frameworks. Our teams comprise professionals with strong general and financial management capacities combined with frontline experience in implementation of programs or capacity strengthening at both national and subnational levels. In this regard Captiva Africa LLC provides the following services in public financial management:
Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
Captiva Africa LLC provides technical assistance and capacity building in financial management to enable more prudent and transparent management of resources by implementers as well as better compliance with grant management requirements. Some of the critical areas of support include the following:
- Assisted country Ministries of Health set up and operationalize program management units. This has included designing the organisation structures, supporting development, documentation and implementation of the systems and procedures needed for effective financial management;
- Worked with Program Management Units (MPUs) to strengthen the capacities of the health programs at both national and sub-national levels
- Developed financial and administrative procedures manuals- including job specifications and descriptions
- Supported funders conduct capacity assessments for financial management with a view to identifying capacity limitations and areas for assistance
- Helped implementing entities in budgeting for new grants to ensure that budget templates comply with the funders’ requirements;
- Assisted implementers in setting up and maintaining computerised accounting systems including fixed asset registers, and procedures in line with expected standards;
- Helped implementers in the preparation of periodic reports and financial statements in compliance with the funders’ requirements
- Supported the development of funds flow and disbursement procedures and control of cash advances to sub-national levels;
- Assisted funders in following up and implementers in addressing findings and recommendations from audits or capacity assessments;
Risk Assurance
Our risk assurance services comprise: Fiscal Agent Services and Monitoring Agent Services
Fiscal Agent Services
Our fiscal agent services are structured around the client’s needs and will normally include the following:
- Setting up risk management frameworks for implementers and ensuring effective controls are in place on the use of grants and that payments are eligible, justified and adequately supported.
- Supporting the funding agencies ensure that programmatic reporting to the funders are in accordance with the grant agreements and any applicable policies and guidelines of the funders.
- Mitigating the risk of fraud or misuse of grant funds and minimising ineligible expenditures on the use of grant funds;
- Ensuring the continuity of programme implementation in high risk environments by ensuring that safeguards are in place with respect to fundings;
- Ensuring that financial records are properly maintained;
Monitoring Agent Services
Like Fiscal agent services, our monitoring agent services depend on the context, risk profile and overall needs assessments. These would include:
- Conducting specific tasks aimed at providing funders with early evidence that programmes are being properly managed financially. This includes such services as:
- Attending relevant management meetings to discuss programmatic and financial progress.
- Reviewing budgets, financial and programmatic reports;
- Mapping and validating the operation of controls;
- Verifying actual activities and expenditures, assessing micro-processes;
- Specific reviews of such areas of concern as asset or inventory identification;
- Through real-time monitoring and verification, providing additional assurance that grants have been properly managed.
- Reviewing and documenting the planning processes through which program activities are developed, including work-plans, performance-based pay approaches, budgets and fiduciary arrangements, including funds flow to lowest levels;
- Monitoring and verifying conduct of the program activities through spot-checks and other procedures;
- Validating financial returns and supporting documents once activities have been carried out