Mr. R. Mkwesi - Director Support Services

The Director of Business Support Service (DBS) who reports to the Director General is the overall incharge of the Tanzania Meteorological Agency's business support functions.

The Support Services Division is made up of the following four sections, namely Finance and Accounts, Administrations and Human Resources, Procurement and Supplies  and Marketing and Public Relations sections. The Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit  is under the Director General's Office but the section works very closely with the Support Services Division. All the sections are headed by managers:

• Finance and Accounts Section
• Administration and Human Resources Section
• Procurement and Supplies Section
• Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Section
• Marketing and Public Relations Section

Finance section is under the Director of Support Services. The Manager of Finance and Accounts is in charge of finance section. The Manager of Finance is supported by Expenditure Accountant, Revenue Accountant, three Assistant Accountants and a cashier.

An Internal Auditor for the Agency is responsible to the Director General. The Internal Auditor does not form part of the normal accounting personnel.

The objectives of the TMA's Finance section:

• To record assets, liabilities, revenue and expenditure of the Agency so as to meet statutory and other requirements
• To provide information to management to assist in running TMA's activities on a day to day basis.
• To provide financial information for reporting and accountability to stakeholders.
• To provide a financial framework for planning TMA's future activities by means of annual budgets and long term strategies

The section of Administration and Human Resources is under the Division of Support Services. The section is headed by a Administration and Human Resources Manager who is assisted by two Human Resources Officers.

Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) has a total of 431 employees all over the country.

Main duties and responsibilities of the section are:

• Advising the Director of Business Support on all matters pertaining to Human Resources.
• Supervising all Human Resources functions such as recruitment, promotions, scheme of service, performance appraisal, terminal benefits and the like.
• Reviewing and evaluating the TMA's Human Resources policies.
• Ensuring industrial harmony at work place and taking disciplinary action to employees contravening labour laws.
• Carrying out manpower planning in TMA.
• Interpreting laws, rules, regulations and government directives pertaining to Human Resources governing the public services to TMA

The section is headed by a Procurement and Supplies Manager. Under him are two assistants, one for purchasing and the other deals with stores and printing. The Procurement Manager is also the Secretary to TMA Tender Board

Procurement section deals with Purchasing, Stores and Transport Despite having these functions the section is divided into four main areas:

• Deals with procurement of Agency requirement both capital and recurrent in nature, which are obtained locally. These include supplies, furniture etc.
• Verification of invoices/cash sales and requisitions in relation to goods received.
• Oversees that requests from outstations are met
• Compiles monthly and quarterly returns
• Preparation of procurement contracts

• The sub-section deals with Agency requirements that cannot be obtained locally. Such include meteorological instruments, Communications equipment, consumables etc.
• Clearing and forwarding of the Agency consignments.

The section essentially is kept separate because of the importance of meteorological forms requirements to meet Agency's operations. Different forms and charts are printed

This section is concerned with managing motor vehicles of the Agency. It involves daily scheduling, maintenance etc.

The section is headed by a Manager. Under the Manager there are two assistants, one for Planning and the other Projects.

• Budgeting of Agency requirement, both recurrent and capital
• Mobilization and utilization of Aid resources
• Preparation of Strategic/ Business Plans
• Coordinate Budget/Action plans
• Ensure performance/financial targets are met
• Formulation of development projects/programs
• Soliciting sources of funds
• Preparation of reports for projects funded by donors

Main duties and responsibilities of the section are

• Facilitating both internal and external customers to freely provide their views on the service provided and ensure the views given are collected and analyzed, and used for service improvement
• Developing a client service charter that would guarantee customers of a minimum (satisfactory) level of service
• Promoting and marketing meteorological services and products
• Obtaining and comparing market rates for similar services offered by other countries
• Developing a commercial culture for meteorological services and products
• Maintaining customer relationship
• Coordinating advertisements and press releases
• Production and distribution of various documents for raising awareness on TMA services and activities such as brochures and pamphlets
• Coordinating press briefings
• Coordinating trade fairs, agricultural shows and other promotional activities
• Preparation of TMA papers for workshop, seminars and conferences
• Preparation and production of newspaper articles