Risk management - challenge and responsibility at the same time

66 participants from Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, Nepal and Sri Lanka took part in the workshop on "Financial Administration and Risk Management" with a special consideration of the requirements of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Volker Sowade, external auditor of the BMZ, Germany, Karin Wollgarten, Head of Finance and Administration of Kolping International, Germany, Dr. T.K. Nathan, Executive Director of the Karl Kübel Foundation for Child and Family, Mr. V.K. Shivakumar, renowned Indian chartered accountant and Ralf Tepel, board member of the Karl Kübel Stiftung, Germany, informed about the budgetary and contractual basis of billing in projects receiving funding by BMZ. In particular, the participants made intensive use of the opportunity to discuss concrete problems with a representative of the BMZ and developed joint solutions. Other topics such as the current financial law changes in India as well as many concrete examples from the everyday project life of the organizations were part of the three-day event.

The topic "risk management" aroused great interest. Although many organizations already have individual risk-early detection and prevention tools it has been shown that the systematic recording of risks and the structured development of interdependent risk management mechanisms - for example through a structured internal control system - are still largely absent. The group work on the topics of personnel, financial transfers and legal frameworks  developed risks and opportunities for early detection and prevention.

In addition, there were many questions and exchanges on risk management. Germany NGOs and the receiving countries have a responsibility to work transparent when it comes to the usage of German taxpayers money in order to reduce poverty.

The feedback from participants were such as: "The way the trainers kept the group interested in the learning was highly commendable" or "The human relationship between the trainers and the trainees were superb…".

There was a great interest in the future workshops and a demand was clearly expressed.