FSN Network Commodity Management Task Force Meeting – November 6, 2012
Attendance: Tracy Allardice, CARE; Anthea Hazell, FFP; Brian Berryhill, Food for the Hungry; Christina Gagliardi, PCI; Yemane Kahssay, CRS; ASM Jahangir, OICI; Nicholas Kharabadze, Counterpart International; William Smith, Counterpart International; Mike McParland, USAID; John Soloman, Save the Children; Krishnanunny B, CRS; Kate Oberholzer, Amex; Mark Fritzler, TOPS; B. K. De, TOPS; Melissa Teuber, TOPS
· Goal and Objectives document
o The FSN Network Commodity Management Task Force (CM TF) adopted the goal and objectives document
· Core Competencies
§ The list of core competencies and the comments from the CM TF have been circulated to the listserv. This will allow projects to know what to look for when hiring new staff or identify skill gaps of current staff.
o The document originally had 8 headings with sub points, but this will now be expanded
§ Distribution Management will be added
Ø Will incorporate the suggestions for distribution management
Ø Will add the word verification to: Identification and registration process of recipient beneficiaries
Ø Can fit in: Distribution mechanism – centralized vs. scooping
o Changes under Section 1: Commodity Management Concepts
§ Add a point on understanding the need for periodical internal reviews
Ø Will not be prescriptive on how many reviews need to be done
Ø Perhaps a task for the CM TF would be to draft a Checklist for these reviews for projects to use as guidance
v Can post on fsnnetwork.org
§ Knowledge and skills such as SPHERE standards, the Humanitarian Charter and Code of Conduct for NGOs; Understanding of contractual obligations like contract with transporters, surveyors, C & F agents, etc.; Disposal procedures of empty bags and oil containers can be added, but all other comments in the additional comments section fall under common qualifications of candidates
o Additions to Section 3: System Setup
§ Can expand 3.1 to include the structure for the management process
§ Will add a line about reporting to HQ
§ Ability to prepare and analyze commodity pipeline, monitor burn rate and forecast commodity requirement is covered in systems setup
o Additions to Section 4: Warehouse operations
§ Knowledge of integrated pest management; preventive and corrective
§ Monitoring of food quality
o Can expand and make changes to Section 6: Inventory Management and Control
§ Can expand the current 6.2 to include knowledge of reports like the LAR, CSR and RSR
§ 6.4 can be expanded to include losses and capture the disposal of unfit commodities
§ Monthly inventory count and reporting procedures are covered
§ Prepare AER and call forward request is covered in Knowledge of USAID requirement on commodity accounting and reporting
o Ask to change Section 7: Staff capacity assessment, Coaching & Mentoring to Staff management…
§ Would like to change the work appraisal to review and coaching
o Can expand the language in the Section 8: Port operations, to include comments
§ Good knowledge of port operations and procedures especially related to handling of food commodities
§ Port assessment to determine the viability of using the port for bulk and break bulk shipment
§ Security measures at the port and commodity in transit – port to warehouse to satellite warehouse to end use centers
o Add a separate section to cover monetization
o Next steps
§ B. K. will revise and circulate the core competencies by Friday
§ The CM TF has until the following Friday (11/16/12) for comments
§ A ‘finalized’ version of the draft core competencies will be sent to members to send to the country offices for their review and comments
o Uses of the core competencies
§ Used by PVOs to see the kinds of skills CM staff need while hiring staff
§ Identify skill gaps of current staff
§ Used by the Mission and FFP to better understand the organizational structure of PVOs and see areas that need to be strengthened
· Sign-up work
o Review the Pocket book, for staff to use instead of bulky manuals to answer usual questions that might come up in the field
§ Will be ready for review in about 2 weeks
§ Yemane, John, Nicholas, Govindaraj
o Review ICB tools
§ John, Tracy, William
o Review life cycle process mapping
§ Greg, Yemane, John, tentatively Christina
o If you wish to be part of any of these reviews, please contact B. K.
· Fsnnetwork.org’s resource library
o The CM TF has put out a call for tools, materials and resources and have already posted some
o If your organization has any tool on commodity management that you can share, please send with a link to
· FSN Network Knowledge Sharing Meeting
o November 13-15th
o TOPS has done this type of meeting 3 times before, once in Baltimore, once in Maputo, and once in Addis Ababa
o The meeting discusses different topics of food security and nutrition
o The agenda is on the website
o There will be 2 sessions on commodity management on day 2
o November 9th is the deadline to sign-up
· Bringing in other resources
o The CM TF is meant for the implementation community
o Others, such as freight forwarders and producers can be brought in on an as needed basis
· CARE, CRS, Save the Children Joint Work
o Meeting took place about a month ago for 2 ½ days with the help of UPS funding
o Commodity tracking system using the platform created by AIDMatrix called Supply Chain Management for Good (SCM4Good™)
§ People attended from CRS, Save the Children, Children International, and IRC to help formalize a community of users
§ The platform is built by the community
o Worked on requirements for beneficiary tracking
o Will hopefully have another meeting before Thanksgiving
· Next FSN Network CM Task Force Meeting will be in January
o Will keep in touch via email until then