Extramural Management Branch

In 2019, CDC Zimbabwe continued the transition of complex and critical portfolio from international organization to local indigenous organizations.   At the start of 2019, local partner funding was 6.4% and by the end of the year it was 27%. During the year Extramural Management Branch (EMB) focused on continuing to build and improve the capacity of local partners to successfully manage cooperative agreements  by providing guidance and resources for the implementation, administration, and oversight of the awards. In May 2019, the EMB collaborated with the Office of the Grants Services to conduct a Grants Management Refresher training aimed for the whole office and implementing partners to ensure compliance with law, regulation, and policy in the implementation of the cooperative agreements.

Additionally, during the year there were some firsts worth highlighting.  For the first time in CDC Zimbabwe history, CDC Zimbabwe received Value Added Tax (VAT) reimbursement from Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) totaling $97,108.42.  The Embassy Financial Management Office (FMO) team invited the ZIMRA team to present to Implementing Partners on the reimbursement standards and requirements to ensure reimbursement submissions were accepted by ZIMRA and reimbursed.  The EM Team worked diligently with each partner to go through each document to ensure accurancy and conformity.  In addition, the team went through the process of protocol development, clearance and lifting of funding restrictions such, that for the first time, CDC Zimbabwe cleared all cooperative agreement restrictions, becoming the only CDC country office with no restrictions!