The Executive Secretary
Missions
a) as regards coordination:
b) As regards relations
with the partners:
c) As regards administrative
and financial management:
At its meeting in Lomé (16-19 April 1996)
, the SADAOC Management Board took all necessary steps to fully transfer the
Programme's management to Africa. A host for the network Secretariat was
agreed and an Executive Secretary was appointed.
The Executive Secretary
The Board approved the appointment of
Dr. Bernard Kouassi to the post of SADAOC Executive Secretary. A well-known
Ivorian economist, Kouassi has a doctorate in international business
administration from the University of Michigan. In addition, he has degrees
from Abidjan University (Economics), and the University of Cincinnati
(MBA). His background reflects a variety of interests. After working in
a bank, he took up positions with Texaco and Shell in Abidjan. Sensing
the need for further education, he studied by night while working by day.
Since 1979,Dr. Kouassi has been Associate Research Scientist at CIRES,
the Ivorian Centre for Economic and Social Research. He has researched the
role of multinational corporations and the promotion of indigenous private
enterprise. He has published on food marketing and he has advised on food
policies. Back in 1983, he was concerned for the dangers inherent in the
over-production of cocoa.
Consistent with his view that women are
the backbone of West African food production, Dr. Kouassi was Technical
Advisor to the Ivorian Minister for Women's Advancement(1988-1991). In this
position, he was involved in the management of a research and training
project jointly financed by UNFPA and USAID. He had close contact with many
other donor agencies, including the World Bank.
Between 1985 and 1995, he worked fort
he Pan African Institute for Development, first as Financial and Administrative
Coordinator (1985-1988) and then as Secretary General (1994-1995). At the
institute, he led fund raising efforts and re-vitalised collaboration with
African governments and international development agencies. Kouassi took up
this position on July 1, 1996.
Missions
The Executive Secretariat is the
executive body of the SADAOC Foundation. It is responsible for ensuring
consistent activity and the management of the SADAOC Foundation.
1. The Executive Secretary prepares
and writes the minutes of the meetings of the SADAOC Foundation Management
Board and of the Advisory Council.
2. He ensures the implementation of
the SADAOC Foundation's decisions.
3. The executive Secretary is in
charge of the continuation of the missions which were assigned with the
executive Secretariat by the Board of directors of the Foundation.
4. The executive Secretary acts and
represents the Foundation on mandate of the Council.
5. In dialogue with the President
of the Council, the executive Secretary names the In charge one of program
and the financial administrator, on opinion of the Council.
More precisely, the missions of the
executive Secretariat are composed as follows:
a) as regards coordination:
1. to provide the support necessary
to the national Networks and their institutions members in the execution
of their tasks, it within the limit of the resources available,
2. to coordinate the organization
of the whole of the work programme and the follow-up of their execution,
3. to set up effective means of communication
between all the members of Foundation SADAOC,
4.The Executive Secretary acts and
represents the Foundation upon the Board's mandate.
5.In consultation with the Chairman
of the Board, the Executive Secretary appoints the Programme Officer and the
Financial Administrator, upon the Board's advice.
More specifically, the missions of the Executive Secretariat consist of:
a) In matters of co-ordination:
1. give the necessary support to the
National Réseaux and their member institutions in the implementation of their
tasks, taking into account the limits of resources available,
2. co-ordinate the organisation of
the overall programme of activities and the follow-up of their implementation,
3. establish effective means of
communication between all the members of the SADAOC Foundation,
4. select and present the proposals
of new projects to the Advisory Council and the SADAOC Foundation Management
Board on the basis of the criteria established by the SADAOC Foundation,
5. prepare the submissions of projects to funding agencies,
6. follow-up the implementation of projects in progress for
the SADAOC Foundation Management Board,
7. prepare each time deemed necessary, a progress report
on the SADAOC Foundation activities in conformity to the guidelines of
the funding agencies and statutory bodies,
8. prepare an annual plan of action for the overall
SADAOC Foundation programme.
b) In matters of relations with the partners:
engage in regular dialogue with the
persons responsible for other initiatives in West Africa and the co-operating
institutions with the SADAOC Foundation, mainly, CILSS, Club du Sahel ,
UEMOA, ECOWAS, etc.,
establish a close collaboration with
international organisations, institutes and other networks, pursuing
objectives similar or complementary to those of the SADAOC Foundation,
working in the thematic domains developed by the SADAOC Foundation Management
Board; and assure a synergy of actions in matters of food security policies,
maintain the liaison with international
organisations, other Réseaux, and other institutes pursuing objectives
similar or complementary to those of the SADAOC Foundation, having a
relationship to the thematic domains developed by the SADAOC Foundation;
and consistently inform the member institutions of all relevant developments,
inform continually the SADAOC Foundation
members of all of the thematic domains developed by the
Management Board.
c) In matters of administrative and financial management:
design the administrative and financial
structures of the SADAOC Foundation and supervise their functioning,
prepare the contracts between the
SADAOC Foundation and the members of SADAOC National Réseaux,
keep the accounting books and ensure
the financial management of the SADAOC Foundation,
prepare each time deemed necessary,
a financial report of projects in conformity to the guidelines of the
funding agencies; and produce an annual financial report.
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