Organising and Staffing Programmes and Projects - Afforestation, Reforestation and Forest Restoration in Arid and Semi-arid Tropics - page 199

The director should not be burdened with technical details of the programme such
as approval of estimates and treatment plans. A broad framework can be approved
by him while designing the programme implementation strategy in collaboration
with all other executive staff. Further details should be worked out by the divisional
managers. No financial approvals or sanctions should be required from him, once
the overall contents of the programme—including the year wise and division wise
work plans and budgets—have been approved. He should be more concerned with
progress of the programme, and with devising ways of accelerating the pace and
improving the quality of the outputs and outcomes of the programme.

8.1.3 The Divisional Manager

The divisional manager in the example organisation is responsible for technical
design of each component of the programme in his geographical jurisdiction. He is
also responsible for managing and guiding each and every activity of the staff down
below. He should be a person with at least 3 years' experience as a unit manager,
have sound technical training in the whys and hows of afforestation, and possess
good communication and administrative skills.
The divisional manager should participate personally in the following phases of
the programme: plantation site selection, preparation of the treatment plan, and
monitoring of progress and quality of work at site. He approves plantation treatment
plans and estimates, releases funds to the unit managers for disbursement of wages
and procurement of materials, receives progress reports and expenditure accounts,
compiles and analyses them, and then puts up consolidated reports of his division to
the director. He also discharges all administrative work, including matters related to
placement and performance of personnel under him.
He should be provided with good means of mobility and communication. In his
office work, he will be assisted by an administrative officer, an accounts officer, a
stenographer, two clerks, two auditors, and one computer data entry operator. As
the plantation sites are likely to be numerous and at distant locations, he will spend
three-fourths of his time out in field inspecting works and guiding field staff. Only
one-fourth of his time should be spent in office.
The divisional manager should be delegated with all the powers relating to execu-
tion of work within the overall policy framework of the programme. He should not
be required to obtain sanctions or approvals from the director in respect of matters
except policy matters (for example, he cannot revise wage rates, or per hectare costs
of works, though he can make proposals in this regard).

8.1.4 The Unit Manager

The unit manager controls, guides, and supervises work in a unit. He is responsible
for supervision of work, including measurement and verification of work. He draws
funds against work, checks and attests the attendance or the wage claims of the
workers, and makes wage disbursement to them. Alternatively, he can obtain reports