Interview with Centre for Non-Profit Leadership (CNPL), 1 Sept 2011

The Charity Council, in partnership with MCYS, MOH, NCSS and SSC, initiated iServe, a shared services programme specially tailored for the Charities, the Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs), and the National Sports Associations (NSAs) [hereafter collectively referred to as Organisations].  iServe provides these Organisations with a comprehensive suite of professional functions such as finance and accounting services, payroll services and procurement services.  The objective of the programme is to relieve the Organisations of common administrative processes, to allow them to focus more on delivering their core functions and strategic missions.

We are very pleased to have Mrs Karen Brennan, the Administration Manager of CNPL to share on their iServe experience thus far.

iServe: What were some of the pain areas that CNPL encountered prior to engaging iServe's services?

CNPL: Prior to the engagement of iServe’s services, we had to employ a full time accountant.  For a small organisation with a limited budget, this was a major drain on our resources.  In addition, while the accountant may have a good knowledge of the Financial Reporting Standards (FRS), they need to be familiar with the Statement of Recommended Accounting Practice (RAP6) or the Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs) which are standards customised for the charity sector. A lot of time was spent by the accountant seeking clarification in these areas to ensure compliance.

iServe: Did the engagement of iServe's services eliminate/minimise these pain areas?

CNPL: Yes.  Engagement of iServe’s services is relatively cheaper compared to employing a full time accountant.  At the same time, as iServe’s accountants are specialised in the charity sector, they are very familiar with both the Code of Governance and the RAP6. This makes them an invaluable source of knowledge and we frequently ask them for advice.

The engagement of iServe’s services by CNPL coincided with the departure of our full time accountant.  With iServe on board we no longer required a full time accountant, allowing us to employ someone with broader skills that could devote more time to our programmes and mission.

iServe: Are you able to share some of the benefits that iServe had brought to CNPL?

CNPL: Other than the points mentioned above, I believe that iServe has brought improved governance and better controls to CNPL. They are like a third pair of eyes   looking after the accounts. If a mistake is made and the person checking doesn’t pick it up, then our account manager at iServe will do so.

To further reinforce on an earlier point mentioned, iServe gives us continuity in the processing of our accounts. For instance, if the staff member dealing with our accounts leaves the organisation, iServe will still be there to ensure stability in the way our accounts are managed.

Our current account manager also gives us a lot of flexibility. If something unexpected turns up, our account manager will go out of his way to help us. We have actually met on several occasions outside office hours to exchange documents for emergency cases.

iServe: Is there any other area/s that you feel iServe could do more in improving the services to CNPL, in terms of service provision, system etc?

CNPL: We do not have any issue with the services provided by iServe thus far. In fact, we are deeply appreciative of the convenience that iServe has brought to us. Of course, there are some months whereby we required the financial statements to be provided early so that they could be presented in our Board Meeting and iServe was unable to do so despite their best efforts. We do understand that timely provision of financial statements has to be a two way effort, i.e. the charity will need to provide complete documents timely to iServe for processing.  Perhaps this area could be further explored for an acceptable solution for both parties.

In summary, we will definitely recommend iServe’s services to other Charities. iServe’s services has allowed us to focus on our core activities and not spend excessive time on the financial administrative matters. We look forward to a continued partnership between CNPL and iServe.