LEGAL STATUS & GOVERNANCE – ARS Bangladesh

LEGAL STATUS

ARS-Bangladesh has obtained legal authorization from relevant government departments, including the NGO Affairs Bureau and the Microcredit Regulatory Authority. The detail of the legal authentication of ARS-Bangladesh is presented as under_

Department of authorization

Registration Number

Date of issue

NGO Affairs Bureau, the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh

2426

7 April 2009

Microcredit Regulatory Authority, Bangladesh

02814-03211-00405

12 May 2009

Department of Social Services, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Dha-04165

28 June 1998

MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE

ARS Bangladesh places high priority on good governance, accountability, and transparency. The General Council, comprising qualified professionals and dignitaries, approves all activities of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee, formed of elected members, holds responsibilities for decision-making and oversight of organizational functions. The Secretariat operates under the command of the Executive Director and is accountable to the Executive Committee.

General council:

The General Council comprises a group of highly qualified and experienced professionals and dignitaries of the society. The General Committee consisting of 15 (fifteen) members that sits annually for Annual General Meeting (AGM). The General Committee approves all the activities of the Executive Committee.

Executive committee:

The Executive Committee is formed of 5 (five) elected members of the General Committee. It is the key functional body of the organization having responsibilities of decision-making, fund-raising, implementation, monitoring and follow-up evaluation etc.

Secretariat:

Secretariat is the main implementation division that operates under command of the Executive Director. The Executive Director, administrative head of the organization, is responsible for overall management and implementation of its different development programs/projects and related activities along with his professional staff. Secretariat staff, branch office staff, project staff and volunteers are subordinates to the Executive Director. Secretariat is accountable to the Executive Committee.

As a legal entity, ARS-Bangladesh bows down to its constitution to sail through its development endeavours. The constitutional articles and sub-articles are practised through the eight policies emerged ever by a collective developing and practising process. Four highest standardized bodies of the organization take all kind of responsibilities, within their defined jurisdiction, for the proper implementation and time-to-time reformation of the policies and practice thereby. Started with commitment, ARS-Bangladesh’s structural authority function has its good governance shaped through a way of learning by practice.

GENERAL COMMITTEE

General Committee is comprised of 21 members from highest portfolio of the society. In the light of the constitutional binding, this committee met once in 2017. This meeting approved all the activities of the Executive Committee (EC) of the organization. Mentionable functions of GC are: a) Approval of the yearly budget b) Produce effective suggestion to bring amendment in the policy of organization.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Governance structure of the organization also includes 15 member’s advisory committee, which is constituted by the discreet distinguished persons of the society. This committee provides effective functioning guideline so that any policy and intervention undertaken anew or amended comply with the constitutional binding of the organization.

ADMINISTRATION

The Administration department of ARS-Bangladesh provides administrative and technical support in the areas of human resources (HR), budgetary and strategic planning, legal affairs, and calls for tenders, accountancy, facilities and security. It is comprised of expert staff and sections such as, Performance management, Staff recruit and placement, Staff information system, Gender justice, Communication, Logistics management.

FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS

The main objective of the Finance and Accounts Division is to ensure prudent financial management in accordance with Financial Policy of the organization and where applicable the Government circulars. In general, the main function of the Division is to provide financial, account and procurement services to the organization effectively and efficiently. Each unit under the Finance and Accounts Division has separate functions.

Internal Audit Team

The organization has deployed an Internal Audit Team comprised of 7 members who have expert knowledge with the process of program and finance. Being accountable to the Founder and Executive Director, this team is responsible to conduct audit in each program and finance unit and head office at least once in a year. In addition, it also conduct need based audit to keep the branches or projects in closed watch. The findings and recommendations directly provided by the team to their authority assist the EC for appropriate remedial action. A total of 7 audits are conducted in 3 different branch and projects offices during 2023-24. The reports on findings received after audit is submitted to the management committee for corrective measure.

External auditors

The organization appoints External Audit Farm for auditing the Development Partners funded projects as per their requirement and as well as to audit General Fund to keep the financial transparency of the organization. External audits have been done in the 4 projects along with a General Audit for the year 2023-24 by ISLAM JAHID & CO, Dhaka. The reports duly signed by them have been submitted to the organization and NGO Affairs Bureau separately. The concerned donor and connecting stakeholders has accepted these reports.

PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The Program Monitoring and Evaluation team is another internal team reportable to Founder and Executive Director. The M&E team comprised of 15 members headed by an expert professional. The role of this team refers to monitor and evaluate programs and projects, and provides feedback on how resources are used in the implementation of these activities. The unit informs stakeholders on how these programs and projects are progressing, as well as indicate ways in which the implementation processes can be improved. Different projects are financed by international agencies, which require that in-depth and on-going monitoring be done at the local level. The unit also provides feedback that will allow for better management, more efficient utilization of resources and greater effectiveness.

PROCUREMENT

The Procurement department works under the supervision of ARS-Bangladesh Administration department that manage a systematic procurement process articulated in the procurement policy of the organization. In all aspect, it follows the ARS-Bangladesh Procurement Policy guideline, which is developed in accordance to international procurement standard.

INVESTIGATION

For any maladministration, abuse of discretion, oppression, nepotism, indecent behaviour, etc., is complained or assume to happened, ARS-Bangladesh conduct investigation by the Investigation Committee comprised of senior, experience and neutral managers formed in the Management Committee in a democratic way or by the Founder & Executive Director in case of emergency. Based on report after proper investigation appropriate decision is taken in the monthly meeting of Management Committee. This mechanism upholds the organizational ethics and values and ensures greater transparency and accountability of overall management and internal observation procedure.

LEGAL CELL

Legal Cell of ARS-Bangladesh plays an important role to establish the good governance in terms of transparency, accountability, participation and responsiveness of the organization. This cell is responsible to provide legal advice for taking any decisions of the organization or for making contract or agreement to initiate any activities. The Cell also deals with any issue in the judicial court either lodged against organization or lodged by the organization. Legal ARS-Bangladesh cell also conduct awareness program for the mass people to prevent child marriage, polygamy, and violence against women.