IRD Vehicle Policy - International Relief & Development

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Title: Vehicle Policy Effective Date: 11/22/10 The driver is also responsible for driving in accordance with the normal driving regulations of the operating country regarding speed limits and should be fully aware that they are representing IRD at all times and perform and act accordingly, such as always being polite and courteous to other drivers and pedestrians, and parking the car in a safe place with the doors locked, windows closed and, where applicable, alarm activated. When parking overnight the vehicle is to be placed either in a guarded area or in an enclosed, locked area. Use of mobile phones when driving is actively discouraged, irrelevant of the country’s laws on the subject, only to be used when and if absolutely necessary. Key presses are to be situated in all field offices for staff to place vehicle keys when vehicles are not in use. Keys are not to be taken unless the relevant transport or Senior Manager has given approval. Project Vehicles Donors are sensitive to how vehicles are used in projects. If you are working on a USAID project, check with your contractual obligations and with the USAID Mission to see what the vehicle control and acquisition policies are for your project. If in doubt, check with the IRD HQ Contracts and Grants Department. USAID’s vehicle philosophy is that vehicles are to be used to further projects goals and outputs and not for the personal benefit of project staff or government counterparts. This restriction on use may also stretch to not allowing the vehicle to leave the country without USAID approval. If this is required for genuine project needs (e.g. working on a cross-border project), then ensure you have received written approval from USAID in advance of your travel and that you have all relevant documents for driving in a different country (e.g. insurance coverage). Personal Use of Project Vehicles. Some projects may allow personal use of vehicles and some projects may not. With the exception of emergency situations, all personal use of project vehicles must be paid for by the employee at a fixed rate per mile, this includes home to work and work to home transport. The fixed rate per mile will vary by year. For U.S. government funded projects, check with the local U.S. Embassy for guidance on appropriate rates. For all emergency cases, the instance must be documented in writing (including retroactive COP/CD approval) and retained in the relevant vehicle and individual’s personnel file. Where the donor allows, the COP only may approve personal use of vehicles as long as prior approval is provided, and the requested personal use will not negatively affect the official needs of the vehicle the project implementation. At some project sites, (such as in Iraq or Afghanistan) security concerns may permit use of project vehicles for other than project needs. This use must be documented in the vehicle logs (as must every trip made by the vehicle) and any personal use of the vehicle must be billed to the individual, preferably at the end of each month, based on the official USG per mile or per kilometer cost. Any authorized personal use of vehicles by consultants must also be billed to the consultant prior to his or her departure from country. The wording “Personal Use” must also be entered alongside the relevant vehicle log entries. For USAID projects, this is an absolute and can be flagged in an audit if the policy is violated. Records should be kept of personal mileage on project vehicles as well as records of the employee reimbursing the project. The same procedures for reimbursement must be followed as outlined above for all personal use of project vehicles, including the recording of the appropriate entries into logbook. If the COP and donor-approved personal use of a vehicle is more of a long-term arrangement, the driver is to periodically (not less than weekly) submit a report to the relevant finance manager/officer giving details of the vehicle number plate, dates used and kilometers/miles driven and attach photocopies of the appropriate pages of the vehicle book and reimburse the relevant amount of money owed based on Notice: A printed copy of this document may not be the latest version. Available online: https://portal.ird.org Updated: April 2012 6
Title: Vehicle Policy Effective Date: 11/22/10 current USAID regulations. If more than one vehicle was used, this system applies to each vehicle used. The original vehicle log must also be submitted to the finance office and be initialed by the finance staff to document that the personal use has been paid for. It is recognized that field offices, housing locations, and security considerations for staff vary greatly and there may be some circumstances where reasonable accommodations must be made for staff to have regular transportation to eating facilities, laundry services, and so forth. These cases should be brought to the Director of Contracts and Grants and a determination made as to how to equitably manage the transportation needs and costs associated with the personal use of vehicles. Privately Owned Vehicle Use. IRD expatriate and TCN staff may self-drive their own personal vehicles when not conducting IRD program/project business only with prior written approval from the Chief of Party or Country Director. The allowable costs associated with privately owned vehicles vary by donor. Check with the Director of Contracts and Grants to determine if POV’s are allowable under your project and permitted by IRD. If you are working under a USAID award, USAID stipulates that one vehicle per expatriate staff can be shipped to a post assignment and return shipment at the end of their posting. However, no other reimbursement is allowed such as maintenance, repair, gas, insurance, etc. If the vehicle was purchased in country, IRD will follow USAID’s policy and will not reimburse expenses relating to shipment from a post. Check with the local Mission to determine their policy regarding in country use of POVs. Generally, POVs cannot be rented by the project without approval by the Director of Contracts and Grants, whose decision will be based on the local situation and will be fully documented for audit purposes. Vehicle Insurance. Apply for vehicle insurance on all project vehicles, including personally owned vehicles, keeping in compliance with contract and country requirements. Determine country requirements for drivers’ licenses, including the need for an international drivers license and provide staff with any forms needed for local licenses. It goes without saying that comparison shopping should be undertaken looking at rates for full comprehensive and liability insurance. Insurance for POVs should be in accordance with IRD and USAID (or other donor) regulations. All vehicles must be insured without exception. Detailed information about each car such as the VIN, model, make, and year, etc. should be registered in the form. The project pays for liability and collision insurance for all project-owned vehicles. It is the responsibility of the Finance or Administrator Manager or person delegated to be in charge of transport to keep track of the insurance coverage and to sure it is renewed before expiration. (See form: Specific Vehicle Data) Safety in Vehicles 1 Traffic and vehicle-related accidents are among the top causes of injuries and fatalities among international aid personnel. Included below are guidelines for basic vehicle safety, convoys, and appropriate responses to dangerous situations that can arise while traveling by vehicle. Although not 1 This section from IRD Security Manual Iraq - 2003 Notice: A printed copy of this document may not be the latest version. Available online: https://portal.ird.org Updated: April 2012 7
Page 1 and 2: IRD Vehicle Policy November 2010
Page 3 and 4: Title: Vehicle Policy Effective Dat
Page 5: Title: Vehicle Policy Effective Dat

IRD Vehicle Policy - International Relief & Development

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?