In 1995, CSD employed 37 staff members of which 20
were professional and 17 were support staff. The high quality and
dedication of all its staff certainly made possible the results
achieved. Proper financial management and accurate recordkeeping
contributed to the Center's overall efficiency and control. In its
effort towards good governance and transparency, the Center
underwent its first external audit in 1992-1993. This audit was
sponsored and commissioned by the Center for International Private
Enterprise (CIPE) and carried out by Coopers & Lybrand.
The external audits for 1994 and 1995 were assigned
to Price Waterhouse; their independent opinion and CSD's financial
statements for 1995 follow.
The Center places particular emphasis on its
organizational structure and internal communications. Because of
its diverse activities and areas of research, CSD believes that
streamlined administrative and management procedures are an
important prerequisite for the efficient implementation of its
projects.
Senior staff and project coordinators meet on a
weekly basis. Monthly and weekly lists of regular and special
activities and highlights are prepared and distributed.
The financial and administrative regulations,
drafted in 1994, assist management and staff in their daily
operational tasks.
Some improvements to the premises that host the
Center were made during 1995 such as the renovation of the library
and book storage facilities, the acquisition of audio equipment for
simultaneous interpretation for the conference room, and the
refurbishing of the CEELI/ABA offices and the garden.
Management consultancy for capacity building,
sponsored by a USAID project grant, was carried out by Mr. Pasquale
Ferraro, Deputy Director and Head of Administration and Finance of
the International Development Law Institute (IDLI), Rome. Mr.
Ferraro, an expert on management of non-profit organizations,
implemented his consultancy during a series of four visits to the
Center, the latest one of which in May 1995, advising on structure
and governance, financial planning and accounting, control and
audit procedures and fund raising. Particular attention was devoted
to methodologies concerning internal communications in order to
enhance information sharing and staff motivation.
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