It ensures that Sonke functions effectively and efficiently, with appropriate resources to carry out the organisation’s vision and mission.
The OOD team consists of three Units:
Finance Unit
The finance unit is responsible for the overall financial management of Sonke’s financial resources. The unit produces comprehensive monthly financial reports. It produces accurate and timely donor reports. It focuses on achieving clean audits and ensuring that Sonke is compliant with its own internal and donor requirements. The unit has developed strong financial policies and processes for the organisation. Budget holders receive regular support and training during the year.
Human Resources Unit
The HR Unit draws on employee’s expertise to meet clearly defined objectives that is aligned to Sonke’s vision and mission by strengthening systems, recruiting capable, flexible and committed individuals, as well as managing and rewarding performance and developing key competencies where required. Special emphasis is placed on recruiting individuals who have the skills, qualifications and experience to meet the needs of the organisation and meet the employment equity targets that have been set by the organisation. Sonke has developed a detailed orientation programme to ensure they fully understand Sonke’s way of working. The HR unit has strong HR policies in place to guide all HR processes. Sonke is committed to staff development which takes many forms including training and contributing to individual academic studies to equip staff with the knowledge and skills to perform their jobs effectively and efficiently. The Employee Wellness Programme focuses on improving the emotional and psychosocial wellbeing of staff through counselling, support and identified wellness interventions. Sonke is committed to being a learning organisation and employer of choice within the NGO sector.
Sub-Awards Unit
Sonke’s sub-award unit works closely with the programme staff on managing grants to partners mostly on the African continent. Partners are taken through pre-award assessments, followed by ongoing monitoring and support and ending in a close-out visit. Sonke provides partners with capacity building in the areas of HR management, financial management and resource mobilisation.
The sub-award unit has developed strong policies in support of its sub-award work. In addition to this it has developed a number of risk tracking tools to be able to establish improvements in specific areas of sub-awardees over a period. Sonke has managed over 35 sub-awards since its inception in Africa, North America, South America and Europe.
Sonke has an administrative team who ensures that the offices are run in an efficient manner.
Conscious of the challenges facing the planet due to climate change, Sonke strives to make use of the most advanced accounting and IT systems and takes measures to cut down on carbon emissions. Some of our strategies include: reducing travel by hosting virtual meetings; reducing printing; disseminating educational materials in electronic form, if possible; switching to an electronic finance system that will allow us to move away from paper-based financial requisitions and motivations; reducing the use of air-conditioning; and reducing and managing the use of electricity and water in the offices.
