CFC2002: Financial Management for Donor Funded Projects (With MS Project and Advanced Excel).

Course Overview
This 10-day corporate training is designed to equip professionals involved in donor-funded projects with essential skills in financial management, budgeting, reporting, and compliance using MS Project and Advanced Excel tools. Participants will gain practical experience in managing project finances, tracking budgets, and ensuring financial accountability and transparency in line with donor requirements.

Day 1: Introduction to Donor-Funded Projects and Financial Management

Module 1: Overview of Donor-Funded Projects
Session 1: Characteristics of Donor-Funded Projects

• • Understanding the unique requirements and expectations of donor-funded projects.
  • Key stakeholders involved in donor-funded projects.
• Session 2: Financial Management in Donor-Funded Projects
  • Importance of effective financial management.
  • Key financial management principles and best practices.
• Session 3: Donor Compliance and Financial Accountability
  • Overview of donor guidelines and financial regulations.
  • Key compliance areas for donor-funded projects (fund allocation, reporting, audits).

Day 2: Budgeting and Financial Planning in Donor-Funded Projects

Module 2: Budgeting for Donor-Funded Projects
Session 1: Developing a Project Budget

• • Components of a comprehensive project budget (personnel, activities, overheads, contingencies).
  • Aligning the budget with project goals and donor expectations.
• Session 2: Cost Estimation and Budget Forecasting
  • Techniques for accurate cost estimation.
  • Forecasting project expenses and cash flow management.
• Session 3: Budget Flexibility and Revisions
  • Managing budget changes and justifications for reallocations.

Module 3: Advanced Excel for Budgeting
Session 4: Advanced Excel Functions for Budgeting

• • Using Excel formulas (SUMIFS, VLOOKUP, IFERROR) to manage and track project budgets.
• Session 5: Creating Budget Templates in Excel
  • Designing dynamic, reusable budget templates.
  • Automating financial calculations and reporting in Excel.

Day 3: Financial Controls and Risk Management

Module 4: Internal Controls for Donor-Funded Projects
Session 1: Establishing Internal Financial Controls

• • Key elements of an internal control system.
  • Safeguarding assets and ensuring proper financial documentation.
• Session 2: Risk Management in Donor-Funded Projects
  • Identifying financial risks (fraud, mismanagement, funding delays).
  • Developing risk mitigation strategies and contingency planning.

Module 5: MS Project for Financial Tracking
Session 3: Introduction to MS Project

• • Basic MS Project features for financial management.
  • Setting up a project schedule and resource allocation.
• Session 4: Tracking Financial Resources in MS Project
  • Using MS Project to monitor financial resource allocation.
  • Visualizing project finances with Gantt charts and resource views.

Day 4: Financial Reporting and Donor Compliance

Module 6: Preparing Financial Reports
Session 1: Donor Requirements for Financial Reporting

• • Understanding donor-specific financial reporting formats and timelines.
  • Best practices for preparing and presenting financial reports.
• Session 2: Reporting Actual vs. Budgeted Expenditures
  • Techniques for comparing actual spending against the budget.
  • Analyzing budget variances and providing justifications.

Module 7: Advanced Excel for Financial Reporting
Session 3: Using Pivot Tables for Financial Analysis

• • Creating pivot tables for summarizing financial data.
  • Generating automated financial reports using Excel.
• Session 4: Excel Dashboards for Financial Management
  • Designing interactive Excel dashboards for monitoring project financials.
  • Visualizing key financial metrics using charts and graphs.

Day 5: Cash Flow Management and Donor Funds Disbursement

Module 8: Cash Flow Planning and Management
Session 1: Managing Cash Flow in Donor-Funded Projects

• • Techniques for cash flow forecasting and ensuring liquidity.
  • Aligning project expenditures with donor disbursement schedules.
• Session 2: Tracking Fund Disbursements
  • Recording and monitoring donor disbursements and project income.
  • Ensuring timely fund utilization to meet project milestones.

Module 9: MS Project for Cash Flow Monitoring
Session 3: Tracking Cash Flow in MS Project

• • Setting up cash flow management in MS Project.
  • Integrating cash flow analysis with project scheduling.

Day 6: Procurement and Financial Management in Donor-Funded Projects

Module 10: Procurement Guidelines and Compliance
Session 1: Donor Procurement Policies

• • Overview of donor procurement guidelines.
  • Aligning procurement processes with donor requirements.
• Session 2: Financial Management in Procurement
  • Managing financial aspects of procurement (bids, contracts, payments).
  • Ensuring transparency and accountability in procurement processes.

Module 11: Advanced Excel for Procurement Tracking
Session 3: Using Excel to Track Procurement Costs

• • Creating procurement cost tracking sheets.
  • Automating procurement documentation and payments.
• Session 4: Procurement Reporting in Excel
  • Analyzing procurement data and creating reports for donors.

Day 7: Financial Monitoring, Evaluation, and Auditing

Module 12: Financial Monitoring and Evaluation
Session 1: Monitoring Financial Performance

• • Tools and techniques for financial monitoring.
  • Developing financial performance indicators (KPIs).
• Session 2: Financial Evaluation and Project Impact
  • Linking financial performance with project outcomes and impact.
  • Conducting mid-term and end-of-project financial evaluations.

Module 13: Preparing for Donor Audits
Session 3: Preparing for External Audits

• • Donor audit expectations and documentation requirements.
  • Conducting internal financial reviews and audits.
• Session 4: Audit Compliance and Reporting
  • Reporting audit findings to donors.
  • Implementing corrective actions and recommendations from audits.

Day 8: Financial Sustainability and Donor Relations

Module 14: Financial Sustainability in Donor-Funded Projects
Session 1: Ensuring Financial Sustainability

• • Long-term financial planning for sustainability beyond donor funding.
  • Diversifying funding sources and creating financial reserves.
• Session 2: Managing Financial Risks
  • Identifying and mitigating long-term financial risks.
  • Strategies for ensuring financial continuity and sustainability.

Module 15: Donor Relations and Stewardship
Session 3: Managing Donor Relations

• • Best practices for maintaining strong relationships with donors.
  • Engaging donors through financial reports and impact updates.
• Session 4: Donor Stewardship and Communication
  • Developing a donor stewardship plan.
  • Communicating financial results and project impact effectively to donors.

Day 9: Practical Workshop on MS Project and Advanced Excel

Module 16: Hands-On Workshop with MS Project
Session 1: Project Financial Management with MS Project

• • Creating and managing financial components of a project using MS Project.
  • Tracking and reporting financial progress using MS Project tools.
• Session 2: Integration of MS Project with Excel
  • Exporting data from MS Project to Excel for enhanced financial analysis.
  • Combining the strengths of both tools for better financial management.

Module 17: Practical Workshop with Advanced Excel
Session 3: Practical Financial Analysis with Excel

• • Real-time financial analysis using Advanced Excel tools.
• Creating financial dashboards, reports, and charts.
• Session 4: Group Work on Budgeting and Reporting
  • Hands-on exercises on developing budgets, tracking financials, and reporting using Excel.

Day 10: Wrap-Up and Action Planning

Module 18: Best Practices in Financial Management for Donor-Funded Projects
Session 1: Review of Key Learning Points

• • Recap of key financial management practices covered throughout the course.
  • Discussion on real-world challenges and solutions for financial management in donor-funded projects.
• Session 2: Developing Action Plans
  • Participants develop actionable financial management plans tailored to their projects.
  • Sharing and peer-review of action plans for feedback and improvements.

Closing Session: Course Evaluation and Certification
Session 3: Course Evaluation

• • Participants complete a course evaluation to provide feedback on the training.
• Session 4: Issuance of Certificates
  • Closing remarks and distribution of course completion certificates.

GENERAL NOTES
i.   The clients have many options on where they would wish to have the training
ii. The client should communicate their preferred training venue at least seven days before the training date failure to which the training shall take place in Nairobi.
iii. This course is delivered by our seasoned trainers who have vast experience as expert professionals in the respective fields of practice. The course is taught through a mix of practical activities, theory, group works and case studies.
iii. Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.
iv. Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued with a Chania finance consultancy certificate.
v.   The onsite training fee covers tuition fees, training materials, tea at 10am, lunch, tea at 4pm, training venue and a certificate on completion. Accommodation and travel may be arranged for our participants upon request.
vi.   The online training fee covers tuition fees, training materials, and a certificate on completion.