Directors of all 10 departments of the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF) have testified of having a better understanding of budgeting and financial planning process. They were speaking at the end of a three day workshop on Budget Planning and Development that took place recently at the Conference Hall of the ERuDeF Department of Training and Professional Development in Buea.

Organised by the Finance Department in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Executive Officer, this workshop was aimed at making directors in ERuDeF understand the dynamics of budget development and management.

In his key note address during the workshop, the President/CEO of ERuDeF, Louis Nkembi urged directors to be visionaries. He implored them to always plan five years in advance to ensure the sustainability of their departments.

The ERuDeF boss also used the workshop session as an opportunity to call on directors to ensure that all programmes/projects within their departments are going on effectively. He implored the head of departments to harness individual and collective actions for the realisation of departmental goals.

After going through the three day workshop that saw the development of the organisation’s 2018 operational budget, most directors said the session came at an opportune moment.

“The development of the operational budget, is a very important process. Some of us have never known how to an operational budget like this. Think the knowledge acquired from here will help me better budgeting for my department and partners. I will also transmit the skills acquired to my colleagues within the department” said Allen Tabi, Senior Director of Programmes at ERuDeF.

Another very exciting aspect of this budget and reporting workshop, according to the Director of Strategic Initiative at ERuDeF, George Nkemka, was the structure of budgets at ERuDeF.

“I have particularly gained new lessons on the budgeting structure; that it starts with administrative cost, which constitutes 10% of the organisation’s budget; the programme cost, which constitutes 80%; overhead cost which should be up to 5% and contingency which represents 5% of the organisation’s entire budget,” Mr. Nkemka disclosed.

According to ERuDeF’s Director of Agroforestry and Agricultural Development, the workshop was an avenue for her to get enlightenment on budget forecasting. “It’s been such an educative exercise! I have always focussed on one project, one partner and a one year budget. Through this workshop, I have learnt to always budget for my department three years in advance,” she added.

Meanwhile the Chief Operations Officer, Ursula Nkeng underscored the fact that the budget of the organisation does not mean the amount of money is available to the bank. According to her, it is what is needed to make the organisation function and execute its activities.

Shancho Ndimuh