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Management Profile
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Deputy President Gcobani Zonke at a community meeting in New Brighton Township. |
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Overview
Ubuntu Education Fund is a non-profit organisation founded on strong business principles of accountability. We are committed to high operational standards and compliance with fiscal transparency according to generally accepted accounting principles. Our financial systems are reviewed annually by external auditors Wiss & Co. in the Unites States and Wolmorans Krueger in South Africa and are available to the public in our 2004 Annual Report. Ubuntu’s budgets and financial systems are approved by and monitored by our Board of Directors. Latham & Watkins, LLP, an internationally recognized law firm, represents Ubuntu on a pro-bono basis.
All Ubuntu programmes and operations are overseen by our Board of Directors which meets quarterly. Each of the three Initiatives (Health, Literacy and Technology) is run by a skilled Director. Each Director has an advanced degree in their field, and years of experience on the ground. These Directors, along with the COO, Deputy President Gcobani Zonke and Co-Presidents Banks Gwaxula and Jacob Lief, comprise the Senior Leadership Team, which runs all day-to-day and strategic operations.
Strategic Planning
Ubuntu’s annual strategic planning process guides organizational development, programmes and evaluation. Attended by leaders throughout the organization, the process focuses on reviewing organizational and programmatic capacity while analyzing the external environment in which Ubuntu operates. Although conducted at the beginning of each year, the strategic planning session is a foundation from which organizational leaders continue to adapt and improve the quality and impact of our initiatives and increase efficiency in our administrative operations. Ongoing internal monitoring and evaluation is integrated into all of our programme activities to ensure effective programme operations and ascertain areas for improvement or adjustment.
Staff Development
Ubuntu Education Fund views staff training as an ongoing process that serves our vision on a fundamental level. We invest heavily in our staff through training, professional development, and attendance at relevant subject conferences to ensure that employees at all levels are both able and confident to deliver high quality services to our community. Ubuntu emphasizes programme specialization by encouraging all staff to pursue their interests and excel in their field of expertise.
Human Resources, Accounting and Administration
Ubuntu is committed to seeing that no less than 85% of our expenditure is dedicated to our programmes. To ensure that we were maximizing our resources, we created a centralized Human Resources, Accounting and Administration department. This allows us to funnel more funding to our programmes, ensure a high standard of operations across the organization, and allow our programme staff to focus on implementation and development. Strict adherence to organizational policies and procedures are essential to the day-to-day operations and management of Ubuntu. |
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Annual Report 2005