1. Operations
Basic Training on Conservation Trust Funds
Cape Town, South Africa March 31 – April 2, 2009
2. Standard Operational Procedures
• An operational manual defines financial and
administrative procedures for the day-to-day
operations of a CTF
• Based on the CTF’s by-laws and accounting and
labor laws in the host country
• Ensures consistent performance of a CTF.
3. Operational Manual
Full fledged document
Defines staff roles and responsibilities
Sets a uniform of standards for staff and project
selection
Should allow for modification as needed
4. CTF Staff Composition should have
An Executive Director with support staff
Clearly defined staff roles and expectations
6. Administrative Costs
For most CTFs, administrative costs range from
10-20% of their total annual budget
Donors often include a limit on administrative
costs as a condition in their grant agreement
Important to define what costs are considered
administrative costs
7. Accounting and Auditing
Most donors require an independent annual
audit by an internationally recognized
accounting firm
8. Case Study: Caucasus Protected
Areas Fund
Regional Fund (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia)
Area includes 80 protected areas
All operational duties handled by Fund
Director
Maintaining low administrative costs is a
priority
9. Case Study: The Brazilian
Biodiversity Fund
Country-specific Fund (Brazil)
Supports 60 protected areas
Operational duties are handled by a staff of 65
(77 with ARPA)
Administrative costs = 15 % (2007)
10. Questions
What happens when a CTF is not given a passing
grade by an independent auditor?
Why is it important for to maintain low
administrative costs?
