Desta Kasahun Degaga has over 9 years of experience in financial management, administration, and logistics support for NGOs. Their experience includes roles as a Financial and Grants Manager at Save the Children International, a Financial/Award Management Specialist at Save the Children International, a Finance and Admin Manager at MSF Spain, and a Finance and Admin Coordinator at Save the Children International. Degaga provides concise summaries of their career experience, responsibilities, and competencies for securing a new role in the NGO sector.

1. DESTA KASAHUN DEGAGA
Address: (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Gulelle Sub City Woreda 9, Kebele 10/11/12
H.No.413. Postal Code 28347
Telephone: (+251 911770242 OR +251 911703183)
Email: (degaga72@gmail.com)
Profile
An accomplished, versatile and results-driven professional with a proven track record in Financial,
Management (especially in Budget management and program Support), Logistics and Admin Support in
development and emergency response for 9 yrs.
Objective
Now looking to secure a challenging and rewarding new role within the NGO, where skills, knowledge
and expertise gained throughout previous experience in the same sector can be transferred across and
utilised to best effect for the benefit of your organisation.
Key Competencies
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Flexible, self-motivated and able to work independently with minimum supervision.
• High degree of professional responsibility and integrity and gives attention to details
• Able to communicate in English; both in written and spoken
• Computer literate and have excellent excel skills, Sun system and Agresso System
• Experience in handling financial management of different Donors such as ECHO, EU, DFID,
USAID and etc.
• Willing to work in a small structure, start-up-type, where tasks and responsibilities may change
• Ability to work under time pressure
• Fast learning and high reactivity
• Able to work in a cross-cultural environment with a multi-national staff
Career Summary One
Dates: From: From Nov 1,
2016 to date
Work Place: Addis Ababa
JOB TITLE, Financial and Grants Manager
Company Name: Save the Children International

2. with frequent travel to
remote areas.
JOB SUMMARY
Under the direction of the PAGES Project Director, I perform technical accounting, financial duties and internal
controls including ensuring accurate accounting; plans, organizes and controls the financial operation of the DFID
funded Pastoralist Afar Girls’ Education Support (PAGES) project. I also ensure that financial regulations and
controls are in place at all times such that the contract is administered according to donor regulations and
policies for both Save the Children and partners; ensures that financial reports meet the required standards;
develops and maintains timely and accurate reports; provides technical support to the finance personnel in Afar,
supports partners and collaborators and facilitates any project and organizational audit and close out.
Under the leadership of the PAGES Project Director I am responsible for ensuring that all partners meet the
donor requirements including ensuring budget planning, monitoring, and reporting are delivered in a timely
manner. This requires close liaison with and capacity building of the finance, budget and financial planning
departments of all partners and Save the Children staff. Liaison with SCUK as the grant holder is also required in
this post.
Collaborated closely with the Awards Unit (Country Office) SCUK portfolio Awards Manager, to ensure high
quality management through the award cycle, including AMS management and close out.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Financial System & Contract Management
• Proposed ideas for improving award financial and administrative procedures, guidelines and systems to meet
SCI, SCUK and donor requirements with good internal controls. - Finance
• Ensured adequate support documents, proper approval process and compliance to contract and other donor
requirements for all financial transactions. - Finance
• Conduct training to build capacity of the finance and non-finance staff working on the project, including
partners, in financial systems, policy, procedures and compliance requirements - Finance
• Prepare documents for audit and donor monitoring visits and maintain finance records and documents in an
orderly and secure manner – Finance and Awards
• Support the PAGES Budget Holder and CO Awards Unit in coordinating monthly grants meetings, and
complete allocated action points arising from the meeting - Awards
• Collaborate with the Awards Unit to ensure implementation of all donor compliance requirements in
coordination with other departments - Awards
• Collaborate with the PAGES Project Director to ensure that queries arising from Consortium member
agencies as well as project management team both at Addis and in the field are dealt with in an accurate and
timely manner. – Awards
• Ensure improvement of award management systems, consistent with global Save the Children procedures, for
the PAGES award, supported by Awards Coordinator (Country Office, SCUK portfolio) - Awards
• Work with the Awards Coordinator to ensure all award cycle processes (identification through to close out)
are followed through on the Award Management System (AMS) by the PAGES Project Director, and support
teams. Ensures all relevant documentation is maintained in hard copy and filed with the Awards Coordinator
in soft copy for AMS upload - Awards.
• Collaborat with the Awards Coordinator and SCUK GEC Finance Manager to ensure that Fund Summaries
are active/amended as required and escalates in a timely manner via the Project Director/Budget Holder and
Awards Unit if there are any issues or problems - Awards
Award Implementation, Budget, Income and Debt Management

3. • Work with Afar based Finance Officer to consolidate phased budgets and review programme expenditure -
Finance.
• Monitor budgets, sub-grants and sub-contracts to ensure that spending occurs as planned and that variances
are anticipated, noted and corrected. Ensure that key programme personnel are aware of their budgetary
resources, and are able to monitor their budgets respectively - Awards
• Maintain an adequate cash flow to ensure that there is sufficient cash to cover project activities and plans –
Finance
• Support the Budget Holder and partners to prepare the quarterly donor forecast in a timely manner -
Awards
• Work with the Budget Holder to prepare any budget revisions and projections and respond to any questions
–Awards
• Support the Budget Holder in confirming availability of funds for all requests for payment or charges to
awards -Awards
• Ensure that regular monitoring visits are conducted with partners, at least once per quarter and prior to
validation and release of funds – Awards and Finance
• Provide monthly management information on awards performance to the consortium member agencies as
well as PAGES project management team as required - Awards
• Support consortium member agencies as well as PAGES project management team in mapping and
(re-)phasing of budgets and consolidation of project costs. Provide support in relation to budget amendments
and modifications - Awards
• Provide support to ensure that all grants are complete and accurate from a financial perspective in advance of
grant closure. – Finance
• Actively support budget holders in the award closure process and activities and coordinate with the Awards
Unit to ensure complete documentation and systems accuracy incl. AMS and Agresso at final close out –
Awards & Finance
Award Reporting
• Work with Awards Coordinator to ensure an up to date reporting schedule to communicate to Budget
Holders and partners in a timely manner
• Prepare and review monthly financial reports and ensure that they are consolidated for monthly distribution
to the Project Director- Awards
• Review monthly financial reports from the provincial teams to ensure accuracy and to provide regular
feedback to project staff and partners - Awards
• Provide monthly internal financial reports to BH on actual v budget spend and analysis of grant financial
performance – Awards & Finance.
• Review and submit reports to Save the Children (UK) HO and PAGES Project Director ensuring that
necessary review and sign off processes are adhered to including Budget Holder, Award Manager and Finance
sign off- Awards
• Work with Awards Coordinator to follow up on any questions or issues raised by SCUK, ensuring input from
Program Director and other support functions as required – Awards.
• Prepare a consolidated annual financial report, including a cumulative life of project report – Awards and
Finance
Country Budget Management

4. • Support budget holders to ensure that project budget is regularly updated and accurately reflected within SCI
accounting systems
Audit Function
• Provide information and support to donor and annual external audits as required
Career Summary Two
Dates: From Sept, 2015 to
date
Work Place: Addis Ababa
with frequent travel to
remote areas.
JOB TITLE, Financial/Award Management Specialist
Company Name: Save the Children International
Main Responsibility: Ensure that the program financial operations are up to speed and in line with both
Save the Children International (SCI) and USG requirements. He will through continuous reviews and
troubleshooting ensure that SCI financial and compliance procedures are adhered to all times across
operational areas. Under the supervision of the Chief of Party, the position will be responsible for
ensuring that all operations and partners meet the SCI/donor requirements including ensuring budget
planning, monitoring, and reporting are delivered in a timely manner.
Dimensions: The program handles over 40 Million US$ per year and is spread over 3 regions of
Ethiopia
Summary of key duties:
Financial System & Award Management
• Implements a system that will allow the program to anticipate risks and ensure compliance with key
SCI and donor requirements.
• Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all lists and procedures as prescribed by both SCI and USG and
ensures all program teams have relevant documents in hand.
• Conducts training to build capacity of the finance and non-finance staff working on the project,
including partners, in financial systems, policy, procedures and compliance requirements
• Prepare documents for audit and donor monitoring visits and maintains key copies of finance records
and documents in an orderly and secure manner
• Review BvAs from Agresso during soft closing each month and alert Finance to wrong
charges/coding
• Works with Award Coordinator to review partner reports, conduct on-site visits and provide training
to partners; keeping budget holder informed through written trip reports

5. • Works with COP and Sub-Budget Holder and Awards Coordinator to ensure that monthly grants
meetings, and complete allocated action points arising from the meeting
• Collaborate with the Awards Unit to ensure implementation of all donor compliance requirements in
coordination with other departments - Awards
Program Delivery
• Work with regional managers to ensure solid fiscal planning of budget in line with program
implementation.
• Works with the COP/DCOP and Program Senior Program managers to anticipate delays and
variations in spending and initiate corrective actions.
• Maintain an adequate cash flow to ensure that there is sufficient cash to cover project activities and
plans.
• Support the Budget Holder and partners to prepare monthly cash forecast in a timely manner.
• Work with the Budget Holder to prepare any budget revisions and projections and respond to any
questions.
• Support the Budget Holder in confirming availability of funds for all requests for payment or charges
to awards -
• Ensure that regular monitoring visits are conducted with partner and field offices, at least once per
quarter focussed on troubles shooting and supportive on the job-training.
• Works with Awards team to ensure appropriate financial advances, reports are submitted to the
donors.
• Maintains an up-to date list of donor and SCI regulations that ensure compliance and disseminates
the same to all program teams as is relevant.
• Leads as the program contact in budgeting for PREPs and other amendments as required.
• Will support program close out from both financial and programmatic side.
Award Reporting
• Works with woreda staff to generate quality financial reports to the GoE offices
• Prepare and review monthly financial reports and ensure that they are consolidated for monthly
distribution to the Project Director
• Review monthly financial reports from the provincial teams to ensure accuracy and to provide regular
feedback to project staff and partners
• Provide monthly internal financial reports to BH on actual v budget spend and analysis of grant
financial performance – Awards & Finance.
• Supports the CoP in clearing and updating all Fund Summary issues and ensuring both SCUS and
Awards Unit have taken into account operations considerations in amendments and on-going
monitoring
• Work with Awards Coordinator to follow up on any questions or issues raised by SCUS/USAID/GoE,
ensuring input from CoP and other support functions as required.
• Prepare a consolidated annual financial report, including a cumulative life of project report – Awards
and Finance
Audit Function
Provide information and support to donor and annual external audits as required

6. Main Responsibility: Responsible for Financial and Admin management of the projects in Dollo area and
reports to the Project Coordinator and functionally to Ethiopian Mission Finance Coordinator for technical
guidance, follow up and reporting purpose.
Summary of key duties:
Finance and Award Management
 Assist Ethiopia Regional Office finance in donor report preparation and coordinate budget revision
 Produce budget vs expenditure variances at field office level monthly, highlighting potential under/over
spends and give feedback to concerned parties,
 Facilitate BVA meetings and follows up on the Action points drawn every month
 Represent Dollo Area office as Head of Finance,
 Ensuring all field level expenditures are in line with the Donor Budget, Donor Guidelines, and MSF’s
procurement and financial guidelines and procedures,
 Ensure high quality accounting including overseeing day to day accounting,
 Ensuring that MSF’s financial policies and procedures are adhered,
 Prepare monthly cash/budget forecast with the collaboration of field office program team and send to
Ethiopia Country Office,
 Oversee the existing financial systems including petty cash, expenditure records, payment processes and
monthly bank reconciliation,
 Ensure the adequacy of cash at field office for operational needs,
 Check budget vs expenditure variances at field office level monthly, highlighting potential under/over
spends and give feedback to concerned parties,
 Prepare periodic financial report for Field office management team and respective government organs as
required,
 Ensure timely payment of taxes to tax authorities,
 Work with Ethiopia Office finance team during year-end closing and audit processes,
 Ensure that bank reconciliation is made monthly and check its correctness,
Programmatic Support:
 Maintains an up-to date list of donor and organizational regulations that ensure compliance and
Career Summary Three
Dates: from January 2015
to date
Work Place: Dollo Area
Refugee Centres
JOB TITLE, Finance and Admin Manager
Company Name: MSF Spain

7. disseminates the same to all program teams as is relevant.
 Support the Budget Holder and partners to prepare monthly cash forecast in a timely manner.
 Work with the Budget Holder to prepare budget revisions and projections and respond to any questions.
 Support the Budget Holder in confirming availability of funds for all requests for payment or charges to
awards -
 Facilitate Travel and logistics arrangement. Prepares and handle project/program team meetings, minutes
and reports.
Admin
 General administrative support including preparing out going letters and documentation,
 Administer attendance sheet/time sheet of project staff, and ensure safe custody of same,
 Organise meetings for the staff team and also the Management Committee,
 Assist with project related administrative work as required,
 Maintaining records of staff matters including annual leave schedule and balance,
 Ensure the safety and properly management of organization property and office area
 Mange flight and travel arrangements
 Ensure compliance with internal policies, relevant local regulations and donors’ requirements
 Support filed office management in relation to recruitment processes and human resources matters
Career Summary Four
Dates: from Aug 2010 to
March 2014
Work Place: West Oromia
JOB TITLE, Finance and Admin Coordinator
Organization Name: SAVE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL
Main Responsibility: Plans, organizes, coordinates and monitors the activities of Finance
administration and logistics; ensures proper implementation of the organization’s policies and
procedures; ensures the availability of required cash for all operations; follows up the preparation
of regular reports to the project management, program sector heads, government and others as
needed.
 Preparing annual plan and budget of Administration and Finance and take part in total Field
Office budget preparation;

8.  Ensure the donor and the SCI requirements are adhered to; internal monitoring systems of awards are in
place.
 Generate budget vs actual reports for the Budget Holder; hold monthly award meetings with
Budget Holder and document minutes of the meeting on programmatic and financial topics, follow
up on action points.
 Provide coding training to Budget Holder and relevant staff.
 Provide monthly management information on grants to BHs and Award Manager.
 Review BvAs from Agresso during soft closing each month and alert Finance to wrong
charges/coding.
 Coordinating the activities of administration and Finance;
 Ensuring that both administration and financial policies are maintained;
 Controlling and follow up of cash flow including planning of cash requirement;
 Ensuring the availability of required cash for all operations;
 Approving payment and other requests, and ensure that resources are utilized properly and for
the intended purpose; Review all bank payment requests for completeness in control, policies
and procedures aspects and source of funding.
 Apply all regulations and laws and any statutory requirements in computation of payments.
 Responsible for completeness of all the process starting from the request until payment to the
payee, and until handing over the vouchers to the responsible next person.
 Prepares budget versus expense reports for all the grants and discusses with concerned parties
on future course of actions.
 Controls the proper charging of expenses to correct grants.
 Ensures the management of different grants is according to the donor requirements
 Ensure that office and property of the organization are safe guarded, and the security of the
organization is maintained;
 Checking that the staff of the organization are on their duty;
 Ensure that the various activities of the department are carried out as planned;
 promote team spirit and resolves any conflict among the staff of the department;
 Maintain both internal and external relationship smoothly for the achievement of organizational
objectives;
 Supervise and coach staff members under his supervision ensure that their contribution to the
organization is maximized;

9.  Review performance objectives and conduct performance appraisal of staff members under
his/her supervision;
 Prepare different periodic reports;
Career Summary Five
Dates: from Aug
2010 to March 2014
JOB TITLE, Administration Officer at Woliso Field
Office
Organization Name: SAVE THE CHILDREN USA
A. General Office Administration
 Provide administrative support for meetings, seminars, and workshops
 Prepare and follow up payment for Rental transporters;
 Prepare lease agreement letters and process accordingly;
 Prepare payments requests for purchase of fuel for rental vehicles and other payments;
 Prepare agreement renewal letters and notices;
 Maintain administrative files and records. Search and select information and record in specified
format or on the basis of general instructions for use by others in preparing reports,
correspondence, technical papers, project or program plans and general reference documents
B. Finance
 Prepares annual plan and budget of Administration and Finance;
 Ensures that both administration and financial policies are maintained;
 Controlling and follows up of cash flow including planning of cash requirement;
 Ensures the availability of required cash for Admin and Logistics operations;
 Approves payment and other requests, and ensures that resources are utilized properly and for
the intended purpose;
C. Logistic
 Responsible for management of the sub office vehicles and controlling the drivers.
 Responsible for attending vehicle service times
 Responsible for weekly vehicle plans
 Facilitate renting cars for staff and visitors for different purposes related to the work of the

10. organization;
 Prepare reviews and compile bid documents, and assist in setting selection criteria;
 Prepare bid analysis and recommend the best offer as per selection criterion set;
 Prepare bid announcements and follow-up posing of same;
D. Human Resource Management
 Be responsible for staff recruitment and selection process;
 Ensure that hiring managers are periodically updated on the status of staffing requests;
 Make arrangement of written tests, interview and other selection processes and documents the
process;
 Arrange systematic and proper orientation training plan for new employees, liaises with relevant
department for coordination;
 Study and recommend policy issues related to human resources management;
 Conduct performance appraisal of staff under my supervision;
 Career Summary Six
Dates: from Jan
2005 to Jan 2007
JOB TITLE, Administration Service Head at Afar-Tendaho Project
Office
Organization Name: Ethiopian Water Works Enterprise
• Preparing annual plan and budget of Administration and take part in total project budget
preparation;
• Give professional support to the project manager on budget monitoring and facilitate budget
management meetings and keep record of the action points and share to concerned personnel
for follow up.
• Ensure timely payment of utilities are made on time.
• Makes important documents ready for Audit purposes and follows up on audit comments.
• Making sure that documents and files are kept properly.
• Handling with insurance accidents of both vehicles and staff members.
• Planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, controlling, supervising all the administrative
Activates of the project.
• Giving professional Administrative support to the project manager.
• Actively participate in procurement committee as a member to ensure the organization’s

11. procurement policy is adhered to and help the organization get materials on time and least price.
• Participate in price, market and suppliers assessments done by procurement committees.
Professional Development
 USAID Rules and Regulations
Training.
 Financial Management training by
Save the Children
 Budget Management training by
Save the Children
 Safeguarding Children
 Human resource Management by
Save the Children
 Grant Management by Save the
Children
 Agresso (Financial Software) training
by Save the Children
Education
1. Currently student of CIMA
(Chartered Institute of
Management Accountants).
2. BA DEGREE IN BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT
Key I.T Skills
• Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Sun System and Aggresso, Field Finance Connection (FFC).
References
1. Tewodros Yeshiwork, Tell. +251 911 25 35 41
E-Mail: Tewodros.Yeshiwork@Savethe children.org
2. Desalegn Mulugeta. Tell. 251-911913242
E-Mail: Desalegn.mulugeta@savethechildren.org
3. Zerihun Gultie Tell.+ 251 - 912216363
E-mail: Zerihun.Gultie@savethechildren.org
4. Tsion Assefa Tell +251 922-565833
E- Mail: msfe-addis-finco-dep@barcelona.msf.org