Financial management with a smile

Reliable accounting records

‘We ensure that accounting records are reliable, so that other departments and the missions can concentrate fully on their core tasks,’ explains Saskia Wiegman, Director of FSO. ‘We offer a full package of accounting, consultancy and procurement services and function as a controller for departments and missions that do not have their own controller. In October 2023 we undertook a reorganisation to make FSO future-proof. The department is staffed by 185 skilled, customer-oriented professionals. We take financial management seriously, although we always try to do our work with a smile.’ ‘I totally agree’, says Sarita Ramnarain, financial adviser at FSO. ‘Contrary to what colleagues often think, it’s not only about figures to us. It’s about the team, cooperation and, above all, enjoying the work. I joined FSO after two postings in Ghana and I was delighted to discover such a great team spirit.’

FSO 2.0

‘Recently FSO has undergone a reorganisation,’ explains Sarita. ‘The jobs haven’t been transformed fundamentally but there have been changes. In relation to operational management and programme management, we advise the missions and BZ departments on drawing up and developing policy proposals. We ensure that  programme funds are used in a regular and efficient manner by offering support in implementing the activity cycle. We also process invoices for missions and departments and handle financial reports. To do this we are now using new systems, such as IMPACT (the Information Management Platform for the ACTivity cycle). Policy officers enter financial data into this system themselves and we then verify it.’

Project assessment

Within FSO, Sarita plays a crucial role in dealing with projects. As group head and financial adviser for the Northern Africa and Southern Africa regions, she assesses reports that are submitted and advises on project proposals. It is not only her financial expertise that is relevant in this role, but also her familiarity and affinity with the region. Thanks to her 11 years of experience at the embassy in Accra, she is able to make an accurate assessment of the complexity of projects and has an awareness of local and regional legislation.

Construction of schools

‘The process for project approval and payments involves a number of different steps,’ explains Sarita. ‘Take for example a case in which a development organisation submits a proposal to the Dutch embassy, seeking assistance and a budget to build schools in remote villages. The policy officer considers the proposal then forwards it to me for assessment. It can be quite complex, for example if the whole team has to travel to the locations concerned. A project proposal must also be approved by the Head of Development Cooperation (HOS) before payments can be made. The first payment will be made on the basis of a contract signed by both parties and then the construction of the school can begin. During the course of the project, the embassy will monitor progress against the timetable. Organisations are obliged to submit interim reports to the embassy and to FSO. Once the project has been completed, a final report will be drawn up.'

Help desk in action

As service desk and account management coordinator at FSO, Angelique Laureij sees a wide range of questions come in every day. ‘Our dedicated team is always on hand to provide assistance. We help people to understand complex financial processes. The missions can contact our service desk with any questions they have concerning accounting processes. Whether the subject matter is simple or difficult, my team has it all covered. Through SSP we deal with more everyday queries such as “why has my expense claim not been paid yet?”, but we also have two account managers who are responsible for dealing with more complex questions. My work concerns financial processes, customers and budget holders, which keeps it interesting and varied.’

Diversity and innovation

'FSO is a truly diverse department and we have evolved to keep up with changing times,’ says Angelique. With the introduction of the platform BZelf, a ‘search engine’ for operational management, FSO has revised its service provision. ‘Mapping and streamlining our processes has made our services more efficient. We now offer the same services to everyone, regardless of who the customer is.’ Sarita is equally enthusiastic about FSO 2.0, which will incorporate more control functions. ‘This will make our work more interesting. And giving the missions a greater role in initiating payments will create a more balanced situation. FSO is on the verge of a transformation to FSO 2.0 and we’re all ready to go!’