Caritas Sibolga: Capacity building through accompaniment
When Dec 2004 the tsunami and then Mar 2005 the earthquake hit Nias Island, the Diocese of Sibolga decided to institute the Diocesan Caritas of Sibolga. Since the March 2005 earthquake Caritas Sibolga has provided emergency and reconstruction relief in communities throughout Nias, with the accompaniment of Caritas Italy and the support of Caritas Austria and CRS.
But Caritas Sibolga not only plans to operate on a short term basis but also hopes that it will permanently operate in the jurisdiction area of the Diocese of Sibolga. Therefore Caritas Sibolga develops its capacity through the provision of emergency and reconstruction aid to communities on one hand established its prominent organizational identity among the community, while, on the other hand, it put across a challenge to make a successful transition of its identity from a humanitarian agency to development one.
On the way to this target Caritas Sibolga finalized the creation of a new finance system, involving a strong internal control, such as strict budget monitoring. For that purpose Caritas Sibolga decided to use Tally as accounting software and organized trainings in financial management. Early 2007 Caritas Sibolga asked Caritas Sri Lanka to do capacity building in financial management and training in using Tally, that until that time not yet used optimally. Caritas Sri Lanka sent 3 persons: Uditha Nilanka (tally trainer), Ryle Perera (finance manager), and Syon Niyogi (finance consultant seconded by CRS to Caritas Srilanka). The management of Caritas Sibolga and the finance people joined the training from Feb 10 to March 10, 2007.
Through the accompaniment training Caritas Sibolga was assisted to design its own chart of accounts, write the financial manual, and setup tally system to be used. The initial training and then online assistance later on made it possible, that in a short periode of time the finance staff were able to implement a new way to enter data and transactions and to produce monthly and quarterly internal reports and quarterly external reports. All supporting documentation is safely kept in Gunung Sitoli office.
Besides capacity building through accompaniment in the financial management and accounting software Caritas Sibolga has benefited from other Caritas partners through training in project cycle management (PCM), office mangement, DRR, and housing reconstruction. Caritas Sibolga is willing to share this knowledge, as it is already happened in DRR and PCM. Unfortunately Caritas Indonesia uses different accounting software, that is not easy and simple like tally and promotes the using of the same software to the diocesan caritas. Caritas Sibolga has offered tally training to Caritas Cordia Medan but Cordia decided in the end to give up with tally. I strongly believe that our experience in financial management in Caritas Sibolga, especially after I learnt to know Caritas Indonesia financial system in Caritas joint emergency response 2009 in West Sumatera and Padang, can be useful for Caritas Indonesia too. The accompaniment model choosed by Caritas Sibolga in the beginning of its institutional building, to ask other Caritas to help to design new financial system done by Caritas Sri Lanka and CRS consultant, can be of great advantage.
Note: I'm involved in building up Caritas Sibolga since its birth as its programme manager and deputy director. And now I'm writing this article while I'm working as programme manager of Caritas joint response for Padang earthquake 2009. Based on my experience in this new place, I can see that the Caritas Sibolga experience could be inspiration for other new emerging diocesan Caritas too.
But Caritas Sibolga not only plans to operate on a short term basis but also hopes that it will permanently operate in the jurisdiction area of the Diocese of Sibolga. Therefore Caritas Sibolga develops its capacity through the provision of emergency and reconstruction aid to communities on one hand established its prominent organizational identity among the community, while, on the other hand, it put across a challenge to make a successful transition of its identity from a humanitarian agency to development one.
On the way to this target Caritas Sibolga finalized the creation of a new finance system, involving a strong internal control, such as strict budget monitoring. For that purpose Caritas Sibolga decided to use Tally as accounting software and organized trainings in financial management. Early 2007 Caritas Sibolga asked Caritas Sri Lanka to do capacity building in financial management and training in using Tally, that until that time not yet used optimally. Caritas Sri Lanka sent 3 persons: Uditha Nilanka (tally trainer), Ryle Perera (finance manager), and Syon Niyogi (finance consultant seconded by CRS to Caritas Srilanka). The management of Caritas Sibolga and the finance people joined the training from Feb 10 to March 10, 2007.
Through the accompaniment training Caritas Sibolga was assisted to design its own chart of accounts, write the financial manual, and setup tally system to be used. The initial training and then online assistance later on made it possible, that in a short periode of time the finance staff were able to implement a new way to enter data and transactions and to produce monthly and quarterly internal reports and quarterly external reports. All supporting documentation is safely kept in Gunung Sitoli office.
Besides capacity building through accompaniment in the financial management and accounting software Caritas Sibolga has benefited from other Caritas partners through training in project cycle management (PCM), office mangement, DRR, and housing reconstruction. Caritas Sibolga is willing to share this knowledge, as it is already happened in DRR and PCM. Unfortunately Caritas Indonesia uses different accounting software, that is not easy and simple like tally and promotes the using of the same software to the diocesan caritas. Caritas Sibolga has offered tally training to Caritas Cordia Medan but Cordia decided in the end to give up with tally. I strongly believe that our experience in financial management in Caritas Sibolga, especially after I learnt to know Caritas Indonesia financial system in Caritas joint emergency response 2009 in West Sumatera and Padang, can be useful for Caritas Indonesia too. The accompaniment model choosed by Caritas Sibolga in the beginning of its institutional building, to ask other Caritas to help to design new financial system done by Caritas Sri Lanka and CRS consultant, can be of great advantage.
Note: I'm involved in building up Caritas Sibolga since its birth as its programme manager and deputy director. And now I'm writing this article while I'm working as programme manager of Caritas joint response for Padang earthquake 2009. Based on my experience in this new place, I can see that the Caritas Sibolga experience could be inspiration for other new emerging diocesan Caritas too.