HALKANO DIIDA HALAKE

Leadership & Financial Management:

• Contributed to development of financial management policies ensuring compliance with organizational and donor requirements
• Oversee annual budget preparation, monitoring, and reviews, providing insights on allocations and variances to management
• Supervise finance team members, building capacity and managing performance to ensure operational efficiency
• Provide financial management guidance to senior management for strategic decision-making

Financial Transactions & Reporting:

• Facilitate accurate and timely payment processing, ensuring all documentation aligns with budget allocations before approval
• Prepare comprehensive monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports and statements for management and donors
• Monitor expenditures against approved budgets and advise management on budget utilization
• Oversee payroll processing for all staff ensuring accuracy and compliance

Cash Management & Banking:

• Conduct monthly cash and bank reconciliations, resolving outstanding issues promptly
• Monitor bank account activities to manage cash flow and liquidity effectively
• Track bank deposits and payments to maintain optimal cash positions

Compliance & Risk Management:

• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements and donor agreements
• Maintain accurate accounting records and implement secure filing systems for all financial records
• Review and implement financial policies to ensure best practices
• Ensure data integrity in all financial reporting and transactions

Leadership & Strategic Management:

• Managed the company's business portfolio ensuring value for money in every project undertaken
• Developed, implemented, and reviewed operational policies and procedures to enhance organizational effectiveness
• Oversaw budgeting, reporting, planning, and auditing functions across multiple client projects

Audit & Compliance:

• Served as Lead Auditor for 2017 and 2018 financial reports for client Community Initiative Facilitation and Assistance (CIFA Kenya)
• Coordinated project audits ensuring findings and recommendations were implemented promptly
• Ensured compliance with statutory filing requirements and maintained proper documentation for transparency

Financial Management & Administration:

• Developed Strategic Plans and Action Plans for County Government of Turkana
• Provided training on accounting using innovative and accessible methods to communities in Northern Kenya
• Prepared Expression of Interest documents on cross-cutting agendas for various clients
• Ensured effective financial management systems were in place across all client engagements

Procurement & Asset Management:

• Assisted in procurement processes and disposal of assets for client organizations
• Maintained inventory systems and conducted regular audits to ensure accountabilityManage the company business portfolio
• Ensure operational efficiency by ensuring value for money in every project undertaken
• Develop, implement and review operational policies and procedures
• Oversee budgeting, reporting, planning, and auditing
• Lead Auditor on the 2017 and 2018 financial reports for client Community Initiative Facilitation and Assistance (CIFA Kenya)
• Provided training on accounting using simple, innovative and accessible accounting methods to the select communities in Northern Kenya.
• Developed Strategic plans and action plans for County Government of Turkana
• Assisted in drawing up Expression of Interest on cross cutting agendas for clients

Financial Management:

• Support budget preparation and ensure actual expenditures remain within budgetary levels for select projects
• Review budget adjustments to reflect current market rates and operational realities
• Maintain comprehensive financial records addressing queries timely
• Significantly contributed to annual published financial statements ensuring accuracy and compliance

Leadership & Budget Management:

• Led the development of annual budgets for programmes and projects ensuring alignment with organizational priorities
• Ensured the region met all financial commitments to donors and served as primary contact for donor financial matters
• Supervised and developed programme accounting staff, building their capacities and managing performance
• Provided technical leadership in implementation and evaluation of annual budgets aimed at operationalizing programme activities

Cash Flow & Financial Planning:

• Regularly forecasted regional cash flows based on work plans, ensuring all parts of the region had adequate funding for activities
• Coordinated financial logistics to ensure key activities were carried out within prescribed deadlines
• Successfully planned annual gala to fundraise for emergency preparedness in the Upper Eastern region

Reporting & Compliance:

• Ensured periodic financial reports were forwarded to management and donors within stipulated deadlines
• Ensured legal obligations were met including supporting annual audits and preparing donor returns
• Contributed to review and update of accounting policies and procedures through analysis of financial systems to increase efficiency and ensure compliance with accounting principles and statutory requirements

Financial Analysis & Control:

• Compiled and analyzed accounting reports and records to maintain expenditure controls
• Determined financial resources required to implement specific programmes through detailed analysis
• Coordinated and evaluated programme activities to prioritize budget requests, emergency funds, and resource allocations
• Examined budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations

Asset Management & Administration:

• Supported logistics team in maintenance of asset register and conducted periodic asset verification
• Supported branches in accounting for locally mobilized resources
• Reviewed Cash Transfer Requests from project officers before submission to Headquarters

Capacity Building:

• Led training and facilitation of finance staff in updating and implementing accounting policies
• Provided technical support to enhance financial management capabilities across the regione process of developing annual budgets for programmes/projects, meeting of financial commitments to donors and forecasted regional cash flows.
• Successful planning of annual gala to fund raise on emergency preparedness for the Upper eastern region
• Lead in the implementation and evaluation of the annual budgets and plans aimed at operationalizing programmes and projects activities
• Lead financial analyst for purposes of maintaining expenditure controls and determine key financial resource allocation.
• Coordinated financial logistics in order to ensure key activities were carried out within the prescribed deadlines.
• Lead the process of training and facilitation of all finance staff members in updating and implementing the accounting policies.
• Established in 1965, the society is the only National Red Cross Society which carries out its activities in the Kenyan territory and responds to humanitarian emergencies to alleviate human suffering.
• Duties include ensuring the region/unit meets all its financial commitments to the donors and is the contact person for the donors in all finance related matters.
• Support, develop and supervise the programme accounting staff to build their capacities and manage their performance.
• Regularly forecast cash flow based on the work plans by the regions, making sure that all parts of the region have enough cash to pay for their activities.
• Ensure that periodic financial reports are forwarded to management and donors within the stipulated deadlines.
• Ensure legal obligations are met (e.g. supporting the annual audit and preparing returns for donors).
• Provide technical leadership in the development, implementation and evaluation of the annual budgets and plans aimed at operationalizing programmes and projects activities.
• Contribute to the review and update of accounting policies and procedures through direct analysis of new and existing financial accounting systems and procedures to increase efficiency and to ensure compliance with standard accounting principles and procedures, regulations and statutory requirements.
• Compile and analyze accounting reports, records and other data to maintain expenditure controls and also determine the financial resources required to implement specific programmes.
• Coordinate and evaluate programme activities and processes in order to prioritize and recommend budget requests, emergency funds, reallocations and resource levels.
• Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations and also prepare of regular and special budget reports and make presentations to facilitate the interpretation of budget.
• Support branches in accounting for their locally resources.
• Support logistics team in maintenance of asset register of the organization and do periodic asset verification.
• Review Cash Transfer Request from the various project officer before submission to Headquarters.

Financial Transactions Processing:

• Prepared general supplier payments ensuring timely processing and compliance
• Reconciled general supplier accounts and major banking accounts monthly
• Assisted in goods matching ensuring GRN, supplier invoices, and purchase orders aligned
• Processed payment of utility bills including telephone, water, and electricity

Cash & Banking Management:

• Tracked funds in various ICRAF bank accounts ensuring optimal cash flow
• Conducted monthly bank reconciliations for all accounts
• Performed monthly petty cash counts and reconciliations across various units
• Enhanced transparency by systematizing cash flow processes ensuring invoices were sent and paid on time

Receivables & Donor Management:

• Issued receipts to donors and maintained accurate records
• Prepared monthly reports of outstanding invoices raised by the finance office
• Sent reminder letters to debtors for unsettled invoices
• Developed tracking processes ensuring dispatched funds were properly utilized and donors received transaction receipts

Administrative Support:

• Settled staff air travel expenses and performed reconciliations with travel agents
• Handled insurance matters for ICRAF assets at headquarters, branch offices, and staff assets
• Liaised with hosted institutions on expense and income matters related to their operations
• Maintained records of bank statements and customer advices ensuring proper documentationPreparation of general supplier payment
• Reconciliations of the general supplier accounts
• Assisted in goods matching- ensuring the goods received note (GRN) matches with the supplier invoice and the Purchase order
• Payment of ICRAF's Utility bills e.g telephone bills, water, electricity
• Tracking of funds in the various ICRAF bank accounts
• Issuance of receipts to donors
• Reminder letters to debtors who have not settled the invoices
• Monthly petty cash count in the various units
• Monthly petty cash reconciliations
• Settling the expenses of all the air travel from the staff in ICRAF and perform reconciliation with the travel agent
• Handling of the insurance matters of ICRAF assets both at headquarters and branch offices plus staff assets
• Monthly bank reconciliation of all the banks
• Monthly preparation of outstanding invoices raised by ICRAF finance office
• Liaise with the hosted institutions on matters concerning expenses or incomes that are related to their office
• Maintain records of the bank statements and customer advices
• The World Agroforestry Centre leverages the world's largest repository of agroforestry science and information to develop knowledge practices, from farmers' fields to the global sphere, to ensure food security and environmental sustainability.
• Enhanced transparency by systematizing the cash flow process. This ensured that invoices were sent and paid on time.
• Developed a tracking process that ensured that all funds dispatched were properly utilized and donors handed receipts of the relevant transactions.
• Handled all financial reconciliation of major accounts such as the banking accounts as well as the general suppliers' accounts.

• Developed digital mechanisms to update production schedules efficiently
• Prepared production cost reports and managed payroll processing