Finance Section Chief Checklist

As Finance Section Chief in an emergency management or incident command structure, your role is critical to maintaining financial stability and ensuring resource accountability. This checklist outlines key responsibilities and actions during each phase of the incident. Remember to adapt this checklist to the specific needs and scale of your incident.

Initial Setup & Assessment (First 24 Hours)

• Activate Finance/Administration Section: Establish your section team and reporting structure. Clearly define roles and responsibilities.
• Obtain Incident Briefing: Understand the incident objectives, operational period, and any specific financial constraints.
• Establish Cost Tracking System: Implement a system for tracking all incident-related costs. This could be a manual system or a software solution, depending on the incident’s complexity.
• Identify Funding Sources: Determine available funding sources (e.g., agency budget, emergency funds, federal assistance) and their approval processes.
• Contact Key Personnel: Establish communication with agency finance officers, purchasing agents, and legal counsel.
• Develop Initial Budget Estimate: Based on the incident briefing and projected needs, create an initial budget estimate for the first operational period.
• Establish Procurement Procedures: Define clear procedures for procurement of goods and services, ensuring compliance with regulations and audit requirements.
• Set Up Timekeeping Procedures: Implement a system for accurate timekeeping for all personnel assigned to the incident.

Ongoing Operations

• Monitor Expenditures: Continuously track and monitor expenditures against the budget, identifying any potential overruns or savings.
• Process Invoices and Payments: Ensure timely processing of invoices and payments to vendors and contractors.
• Maintain Financial Records: Maintain accurate and complete financial records, including invoices, contracts, purchase orders, and time sheets.
• Prepare Financial Reports: Prepare regular financial reports for incident command and agency leadership, providing updates on expenditures, budget status, and potential financial risks.
• Contract Management: Oversee contract management, ensuring compliance with contract terms and conditions.
• Liaison with Logistics: Work closely with the Logistics Section to track resource utilization and ensure accurate billing.
• Conduct Cost Analysis: Analyze incident costs to identify areas for potential cost savings and efficiency improvements.
• Anticipate Future Needs: Proactively anticipate future financial needs based on the evolving incident situation.
• Authorize Purchases: Ensure that all purchases are authorized in accordance with established procedures.
• Address Financial Concerns: Promptly address any financial concerns or questions from incident personnel or stakeholders.

Demobilization

• Reconcile Financial Records: Reconcile all financial records and ensure that all outstanding invoices and payments are processed.
• Prepare Final Financial Report: Prepare a comprehensive final financial report summarizing all incident-related costs.
• Close Out Contracts: Close out all contracts and ensure that all obligations have been met.
• Conduct Post-Incident Review: Participate in a post-incident review to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement in financial management.
• Return Unused Funds: Return any unused funds to the appropriate funding source.
• Archive Financial Records: Archive all financial records in accordance with agency policy.

This checklist is a guide; adapt it to your specific situation. Communication, collaboration, and meticulous record-keeping are key to successful financial management during an incident.