Aspire-annual-report2017-18-forwebsite

At Akshaya Patra, transparency and accountability
are considered paramount. A quarterly compliance
dashboard is prepared for statutes applicable under
Labour and Industrial Laws, FSSAI, and laws applicable
under finance statutes. The dashboard is presented to
the Audit Committee (AC). The internal auditors review
the critical requirements under various statutory
enactments and report to the AC independently.
We have an Independent Audit Committee, comprising
of eminent members from the field of finance. We
have engaged BSR & Co., LLP as our statutory auditors
and Ernst & Young as our internal auditors to ensure
systems and compliance, and to opine on our books
of account to the Board of Trustees. In addition to
arrangements for pre-audit, we are also prepared for
donor audits. This helps us to keep control of financial
activities at different locations, thus helping us reach
out to more children by adding to our efficiency.
We believe that adherence to good governance
practices ensures transparency and accountability in all
processes. We adhere to the strictest norms of financial
transparency and accountability, as we are of the firm
belief that it does not just add to the credibility of the
organisation, but also improves donor relations and
boosts public trust in the Foundation.
A strong Board of Trustees provides strategic directions
and safeguards uninterrupted and smooth conduct of
operations in all our kitchens throughout the year. As
an organisation, we ensure that we do not have any
borrowings or debts in our books as this entails cash
outflow towards interest payments. Donated funds are
utilised to ensure continuous and regular payment for
the supply of goods and services.
We comply with the International Financial Reporting
Standards (IFRS) and the Indian Accounting Standards
issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants
of India (ICAI). We won the ‘Gold Shield Award’
constituted by the ICAI for “Excellence in Financial
Reporting” for the FY 2016-17. Between 2008 and 2013,
we won the coveted award five times in a row and got
inducted into the ICAI’s Hall of Fame.
We have also set up a Programme Monitoring and
Evaluation wing to focus on research and advocacy
and analyse health, education, and skill development
of beneficiaries. Monitoring and evaluation of various
initiatives and research studies related to impact
evaluation for MDM, policy revisions, and social audits
will provide the baseline to plan interventions and
strengthen the existing programme policies.
In order to understand the impact of Akshaya Patra’s
school lunch programme, a third-party study on key
parameters was conducted by AC Nielsen, Hansa
Research, and CMS. Below are the key findings:
• More than 90 percent of children and their parents
approved of Akshaya Patra’s meals as they found it
nutritious and hygienic
• Two-thirds of the interviewed children said the
mid-day meal was their first meal of the day
• The programme serves as an incentive for 9 out of 10
children to come to school every day
• It has helped in bringing more children of the
underserved and minority communities to school
• Nutritious meals have improved children’s attention
span and students have performed better in their
academics
• Children from beneficiary schools have shown
significantly better BMI; 78 percent boys and 84 percent
girls were in normal BMI range
Akshaya Patra kitchens strictly adhere to food safety and
quality management norms. Every day, we ensure that
sufficient food is delivered to all the assigned schools.
The whole process of preparing a meal starts with the
selection of suitable suppliers to procure materials
by adhering to Supplier Quality Management (SQM)
procedures. Only FSSAI and AGMARK compliant raw
materials, and water meeting BIS 10500 standards
are used for cooking, to ensure safety. Food safety
is maintained by complying with Food Safety and
Management System (FSMS) and Good Manufacturing
Practice (GMP).
The quality of food is continuously monitored and
evaluated. Food safety training modules are developed
for optimal implementation of safety norms. Strict
adherence to standard quality practices is maintained
to ensure that quality criteria are met. Qualified
professionals are hired to monitor and assess the food
quality.
Our units across 16 locations have completed the
implementation of ISO 22000:2005 to establish food
safety policies and systematically improve and sustain
quality. We adhere to statutory and regulatory norms
such as the Minimum Wages Act, Factory Act, Boiler Act,
local pollution control norms, etc.
We believe that all children must be given an equal
opportunity to grow, learn, and achieve their dreams.
Our adherence to good governance, transparency, and
accountability, and attempts to follow the best practices
in our kitchens are directed at providing safe and
hygienic meals to children every school day.
When a child
smiles bright,
we are doing
something right
ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18 ASPIRE - 63