1.    Project Background

The Honduras Local Governance (HLG) Activity works to enhance basic service delivery provision through increased citizen influence and improved governance in 35 targeted municipalities in both urban and rural areas. The Activity ensures that health, education, and other critical services are expanded, deepened, and made sustainable as part of a holistic effort to promote local governance. 

HLG prioritizes and enhances strengths in each partner municipality and in the local system. In coordination with the municipality and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), HLG develops customized Municipal Action Plans. The key characteristics of HLG’s approach are citizen-centered, evidence-based, flexible, and localized. This is achieved through the capacity development of local government and service providers while continuing to strengthen the essential capacity of civil society groups, local governments, and service providers to provide citizens with improved services. In accordance with the USAID/Honduras Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2020–2025, the U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America, July 2021 (RCS), and the Collaborative Migration Management Strategy July 2021 (CMMS), the Activity focuses on high-outmigration municipalities. HLG’s overall approach, methodologies, and interventions will aim to build the “rootedness” of the population in target municipalities to reduce irregular migration. The Activity will also contribute to the reduction of irregular migration and reintegration of migrant returnees while adopting Positive Youth Development (PYD) approaches within the HLG context.

Objective

In FY2024, HLG faced some funding challenges and had to prioritize technical activities. However, with full funding obligations received for FY2025, both the operations and technical teams are now fully focused on ramping up activities to meet Year 9 targets. Consequently, the Closedown and Compliance Manager will handle the necessary closedown and compliance activities, keep track of Closedown Plan Activities and lead all Administrative and Finances teams to execute their roles according to this plan for the conclusion of this 9-year project.

The Closedown and Compliance Manager will lead all planning, preparation, development, and implementation of closedown activities for HLG, ensuring compliance with USAID rules and regulations and DAI’s closeout tasks. He/she will work closely with the Director of Finance and Operations, in consultation with HLG management and the Home Office team. He/she will identify any additional resources needed for the closedown process, providing task distribution and oversight as required. Additionally, he/she will review the status of current project operations, familiarize themselves with ongoing activities and priorities, and evaluate the time and resources needed for closedown.

2.     Duties

The Closedown and Compliance Manager will be responsible for the following tasks:

Contract Deliverables

·       Work with the HLG Project Lead and Admin and Finance Team to develop the Closedown Plan.

·       Develop the Closedown plan for submission to USAID which will include contractual obligations as well as comply with DAI procedures.

·       Work with the HLG Operations and Technical staff to develop a plan and timeline for disposition of the expendable inventory.

·       Develop the Disposition Plan for submission to USAID. Manage the non-expendable property disposition plan; prepare and submit disposition requests for USAID approval;

·       Monitor and update USAID-approved Close-Out Plan, as well as the detailed DAI home office closeout schedule.

·       Prepare periodic updates for Project leadership and USAID

·       Prepare all relevant requests to USAID for close-out related approvals, as necessary

·       Follow-up on contractual deliverables and ensure they are documented in Sharepoint.

·       Ensure that all relevant technical deliverables are uploaded to DEC

Compliance

·       Ensure all closedown activities adhere to USAID contractual and regulatory requirements, as well as DAI policies and procedures established in the Field Operations Manual (FOM)

·       Supervise and ensure all final audits to files take place, conduct  spot-checks of audits and ensure timely resolution of findings.

·       Conduct bimonthly meetings with financial and administrative teams to ensure compliance and necessary actions required for Closedown Plan activities.

·       Review with Operations team the inventory tracking system and recent inventory reports; conduct physical spot-check, as necessary. Upon USAID approval, prepare disposition documents,  supervise the delivery of the disposition plan items, ensuring accurate completion of disposition receipts and timely submission to DAI contracts and USAID.

·       Ensure the scan of all final disposition documents are uploaded to Sharepoint.

·       Oversee the liquidation of the warehouse and disposition of any warehouse inventory.

Financial

·       Supervise the conduction of file review of all financial vouchers and related reports, ensuring all documents are filed and backup in Sharepoint.

·       Support home office to clear all non-billable expenses.

·       Act on the findings of audits by implementing corrective actions and ensuring compliance before project closure.

·       Establish a procedure to review all vendor commitments have been met and that there are no outstanding debts.

·       Work closely with the Finance Manager to close bank accounts and ensure accurate completion of final Field Expense Reports, bank requisitions, and other financial reports required.

Legal

·       Consult with local lawyer on termination issues if needed.

·       Ensure the closing of the Municipalities permits for each HLG office.

·       Work on the closeout activities to close HLG RTN as well as all fringe benefits (RAP, INFOP, IHSS, SAR)

·       Review all contracts and agreements that entails a security deposit and inform the landlord or vendor of planned closedown.  

·       Provide notice to landlords, utility company and other service providers (such as insurance, internet), and work with them to cleanly exit properties.

·       Share lessons learned and best practices from the closedown process to improve future project management.

Procurement and Grants

·       Supervise the execution of  file review for all procurement and grants. Conduct spot checks to ensure all documents are complete and ensure timely resolution of findings.

·       Review all documents required to close grants and contracts according to DAI policies and procedures.

·       Lead the Grants and Technical Teams to prepare all relevant information needed for final report to USAID.

·       Share lessons learned and best practices from the closedown process to improve future project management.Review all TAMIS information for the procurement and grants, and close it out in the TAMIS system.

·       Support the HR Manager in the reviewing advances of the outplacement procedures which will include CCN staff with updating resumes, EBDs, and providing letters of recommendation if warranted.

·       Prepare a timeline of notifying staff contract terminations and supervise the preparation of severance and benefits calculations.

·       Work with the Director of Operations and HR Manager to prepare and distribute termination letters for CCN staff.

·       Supervise the review and audit CCN personnel files (LTTA and STTA) and coordinate the separation of project staff, including processing final payroll, benefits, and severance payments.

·       Once all CCN staff final payments have been completed, ensure all fringe benefits for HLG are closed in RAP, INFOP, IHSS, Seguros Atlántida and SAR.

·       Provide guidance and training to project staff on closedown procedures and compliance requirements.

·       Share lessons learned and best practices from the closedown process to improve future project management.

·       Work with HLG Operations and Procurement staff to establish and carry out a calendar of notifications, according contracts, to all landlords and vendors the cancellation of services/contracts.

·       Prepare office facilities for back handover to the landlord, including painting and other minor repairs per the lease agreement.

·       Arrange for final payment of all utility bills.

·       Arrange for return of office deposit.

Shipment

·       Create the final record map of all documents stored in all boxes as well as in Sharepoint

·       Audit, inventory, label, and number all boxes to store to DAI Honduras storage facility.

3.     Reporting 

The Closedown and Compliance Manager will report to the Chief of Party and support implementation of the project’s Closedown Plan.