Reporting to SFF
Communication with SFF is important. It will include:
- discussions with your SFF project adviser (SFF project advisers are available to assist you through phone calls, email or to meet with your group. SFF will assign one of its project advisers to your project);
- progress reporting and request for payments;
- requesting variations of contract;
- final reporting.
Four-monthly Progress Report
SFF requires a written report on progress against milestones and an update on the financial situation of your project every four months (or every second reporting period for SFF projects less than $20,000). The reporting dates are outlined below:
| Reporting Period | Reporting Due
(10 working days after period end) |
| Period 1 1 July - 31 October | Mid November |
| Period 2 1 November - 28 February | Mid March |
| Period 3 1 March - 30 June | Mid July |
You will also receive reminders of the date when your next progress report is due via an email or letter.
The required format for a Progress Report can be downloaded from the SFF website: www.maf.govt.nz/sff/forms/progress-report.htm (see also Appendix 21).
Progress Reports should be sent electronically to the SFF Fund Administrator and copy/cc. to your SFF Project Adviser by the due date. They should also be sent in hard opy form to both the SFF Fund Administrator and your Project Adviser (see SFF staff contact details). Please do not bind hard copy reports.
The progress report provides the opportunity to highlight progress to date, signal any areas of concern, and indicate changes sought in milestones.
Your progress reports need to include:
- project number, name and reporting period (i.e., July-Oct, No-Feb or March-June);
- milestones, activities and progress;
- activities and work planned for the next four months;
- a note on any variations to budget (which may be reflected in the request for payment);
- report on any events (for example, field days or workshops) and copies of any publications, media coverage, etc;
- web update material (see below); and
- request for payment (R4P) form (see below).
As part of your four-monthly progress reporting cycle, we require a brief update of your project for publishing on the SFF website. This is an important part of reporting, as it helps communicate SFF project knowledge to the widest possible audience (see tips on writing for the web). The web update should be appended to your Progress Report.
If no work was carried out for the period, please submit a brief report stating this, and outline your plans for the next period.
If you do not require a grant payment we still require a request for payment form so we can monitor how the project finances are tracking.
Request for Payment (R4P)
You must send in a completed request for payment (R4P) form with each four-monthly progress report (see Appendix 22). This form will be provided to you by your SFF Project Adviser upon contracting. Guidelines for using the forms are available from the SFF website under “SFF Forms” (http://www.maf.govt.nz/sff/forms/r4p.htm). The form will undertake most calculations automatically one you have entered the relevant expenditure, income and in-kind support data.
The project manager and financial manager must both acknowledge completing the R4P form. If one of these people is unavailable to acknowledge (for example they are overseas or ill) another person involved in the project may confirm the accuracy of the data on their behalf.
Please note:
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Please send your R4P form, together with your Progress Report (including the web update), in electronic form to the SFF Fund Administrator and copy/cc. to your SFF Project Adviser (see SFF staff contact details). Hard copies of the R4P form are not required.
Publications
Often the output of a project is a publication or multimedia kit. Once your work has been published, please send 10 copies to SFF:
- two copies will be sent to the National Library (this is a legal requirement);
- two copies will be given to the MAF library; and
- the remainder will be held by SFF for records and distribution to wider stakeholders.
Send the copies to:
- Post: Sustainable Farming Fund, MAF, PO Box 2526, Wellington
- Courier: Sustainable Farming Fund, MAF, 25 The Terrace, Pastoral House, Wellington
Final Report
Final reports are due within two months of the project completion date.
The Final Reporting Template (also see appendix 24) must be used when preparing your final report. A financial income and expenditure statement is also required as part of the final report. The Final Financial Template (also see appendix 25) can be used to prepare your income and expenditure statement, or you can use your own form.
Please email a copy of the final report to: amanda.hall@maf.govt.nz as a Word file. Please ensure any associated file attachments are provided in their native file format, not just embedded in the Word document. For example, if you produce a graph using Excel, please include the Excel file. All photographs should be provided as jpg files, not exceeding 300KB in size. Tables should be formatted properly in Word, using tabs to align figures, etc., with no extra spaces.
If the final report is on an existing website please provide a web address so that the SFF website can host a link to project information.
Note: Payment of the final SFF project expense instalment is dependent upon the receipt of a satisfactory final report. Please email a copy of the final report to: amanda.hall@maf.govt.nz as a Word file. Please ensure any associated file attachments are provided in their native file format, not just embedded in the Word document. For example, if you produce a graph using Excel, please include the Excel file. All photographs should be provided as jpg files. Tables should be formatted properly in Word, using tabs to align figures, etc., with no extra spaces.
If it is on a website please provide a web address so that the SFF website can host a link to project information.
Note: Payment of the final SFF project expense instalment is dependent upon the receipt of a satisfactory final report.
Contact for Enquiries
Fund Administrator
Sustainable Farming Fund
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
Tel: 0800 100 087
Fax: 04 894 0741
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