ACT Financial Controller

Post Context

ACT contributes to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading, at Strategic Command level, Warfare Development required to enhance NATO’s posture, military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines.

The Command Group provides general support, coordination, management, administrative service and specialist advice to SACT, DSACT and COS.

Chief of Staff (COS) is responsible to SACT and DSACT for the staff activity necessary to execute ACT’s mission. It is the focal point for the implementation of the Commander’s direction and guidance as well as the initiation and co-ordination of all ACT staff efforts.

The Staff Advisory Group (SAG) is comprised of different competencies grouped into several offices (Political Advisor, Legal Advisor, Gender Advisor, Financial Controller, Command Auditor, Communication Branch and Pentagon Liaison). It works under the direction and guidance of COS and provides general staff support, coordination, management, administrative service, and specialists’ advice to SACT.

As part of the Staff Advisory Group, the Office of the Financial Controller is the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation’s principal financial advisor, and is responsible to him/her for ensuring adherence to the principles of sound financial management, the management of all internationally appropriated and non-appropriated funds made available to the Command, and for the organization and administration of the financial internal control system in accordance with NATO financial regulations.

He is also the Chief of the Budget & Finance Office.

Executive agent and principal financial advisor to the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation in all matters of budget and finance. Per the NATO Financial Regulations, the Financial Controller and his/her staff shall be independent of other staff elements. The responsibility of the financial advisor includes:
Headquarters, SACT; JWC; JFTC; JALLC; and subordinate SACT elements. Also serves as Branch Head, Budget & Finance.

Has a Direct Line to the Commander, but reports to the COS for normal Day-to-Day business.

• Act as SACT’s, and the Commanders of JALLC, JFTC and JATEC principal financial advisor, personally responsible to them for ensuring the proper use of all internationally appropriated funds made available to the Command in accordance with NATO Financial Regulations.
• Provide representation and support to the Budget Committee (BC), Investment Committee (IC), Resource Policy and Planning Board (RPPB) on behalf of SACT on all matters with financial implications.
• Senior responsible executive for all financial management operations of the entirety of ACT (HQ SACT, Representative offices in Mons and Brussels and four sub-ordinate HQs), exercising technical supervision and control over the activities of subordinate Financial Controllers and Heads of Budget and Finance.
• Directs the activities of the ACT Office of BUDFIN which delivers the following functions:
  • Maintaining effective oversight and resource prioritization throughout the financial planning, programming, budgeting and evaluation cycle.
  • Development of financial, budgetary, accounting, treasury, and procurement policies and procedures (including Bi-SC policies).
  • Administration of the automated financial and budgetary control and accounting system for ACT.
  • Development and promulgation of ACT budgetary guidance and Implementation Directives.
  • Screening, coordinating, processing, and presenting of all ACT budget estimates, budget submissions and other requests for funds. Lead the justification and defense of ACT budgets before the Budget Committee and other NATO Committees.
  • Oversight of all ACT procurement activities, and provision of procurement support to ACT HQs and programmes (i.e. NSIP and Trust Funds).
• Ensure that comprehensive and interoperable accounting systems are established and maintained for all international funds and property.
• Represent SACT in MOU negotiation delegations.
• Supervise the execution of approved budgets and assigned infrastructure projects to include the receipt, disbursement and reporting of all international funds…