Olga Nevmerzhitckaia is from AEGEE-Sankt Peterburg which is one of the big and active locals in the North. She has done various things on the local level and after helping out as an audit job shadower she decided to present herself as canididate for the Audit Commission. In this interview you get more info about why exactly she is interested.
When and why did you join AEGEE?
This life-changing day was in April 2012. I was searching for an opportunity to spend my summer holidays in a funny and useful way. I got to know about the Summer University project and decided to take part in it.
Soon after that I’ve found out that AEGEE is much more than only travelling and I became utterly absorbed in its work.
Here is a question from our readers. – The Audit Commission is a very serious Commission which primary goal is not to provide a cool experience for the Commissioners but to supervise the Financial Director. We now have a very competent, experienced and hard-working Financial Director, so do you consider yourself to be capable of supervising such a Financial Director? And what are your qualifications for this task?
Yes, our Financial Director is really a very competent and hard-working person, it got obvious for us when we checked her bookkeeping in Brussels. Everything was very accurate and transparent, it made our work enjoyable.
But I would say that the primary goal of the Audit Commission is not only to supervise the Financial Director, but also to supervise the whole AEGEE by ensuring the reliability of financial reports both of Antennae and of Financial Director. It is really a very serious work.
I think this work should be entrusted to such person who has both theoretical and practical basis.
I’ve graduated as Economist with a major in Corporate Finance and Accounting. I worked as an economist and I have been treasurer of my Antenna and Job Shadower of the Audit Commission for one year, so I think my theoretical and practical background allows me to be a good auditor.
What have you learned as job shadower of the Audit Commission?
Job Shadowers are selected by the Audit Commission in order to assist them and to take part in all their work. They are like “AC-trainees”.
I took part in both main activities of the AC: in checking financial reports of Antennae and in checking bookkeeping of the Financial Director. So, I got an insight on most of their dealings, I could track their discussions and decision-making process. Now I can say I’m quite familiar with the Audit Commission’s work.
Which challenges have you overcome as a treasurer?
The main challenge was to systematize the cash flow, because previously there was no proper bookkeeping in my antenna. It was very difficult for me to draw up the annual financial report on basis of a scattered information I got in the beginning of my term.
I created an excel-file which allows me easily make the financial report and members list at any time I need. Thanks that the finances of antenna became more transparent and controllable.
How would you like to help treasurers across the Network as Audit Commission?
There is a booklet about how to prepare the annual financial report. It would be great to update this booklet and also to create another one: how to organize finances in antenna in general. And maybe to supplement it with a universal excel-file in order to facilitate a bookkeeping process.
And for sure the AC should be open for any questions concerning treasury. For example there was recently created a Facebook group for treasurers. It is a great tool for communication and knowledge exchange between the Audit Commission and treasurers. The next AC team should continue to lead and improve this group.
What do you mean by “proper check” of financial reports?
As I mentioned before, the main goal of the Audit Commission is to ensure the validity of financial reports. In order to achieve this goal the AC should check all financial reports properly: using as many sources for data-comparison as possible, paying special attention to the most important, sizable and valuable items and asking for clarifications for any inconsistencies found.
How do you suggest to improve the work of the Audit Commission?
I would suggest to enhance the communication between the AC and Antennae in order to improve both efficiency.
I would also make the checkup of antennae’s reports a bit more profound, using random check of primary documentation.
The file which is used to accumulate all reports can also be improved in order to make the process easier and faster. It can be supplemented with information about official exchange rates.
How do you plan to help all antennae submit financial reports which is an important antenna criteria that not all complete?
First of all the Audit Commission should provide a comprehensive assistance for treasurers being ready to answer any questions related to financial reports or treasury in general.
We could also try to implement an intermediate (trial) reporting which shouldn’t be compulsory or have an impact on Antenna criteria fulfilling, but which could help treasurers to prepare for a final report submission. In this way treasurers could check if their bookkeeping is suitable for drawing up a report, they could try the electronic system and finally it could discipline them to not postpone their tasks for the last day of a year.
Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Koebenhavn