4.6.2. Travel expense, per diem and reimbursement

APC follows its travel expense policy for overall travel and subsistence costs such as per diem, and reimbursement. It is the convening point of contact’s responsibility to be aware of the policy and liaise with the convenings lead should any other specific need arises based on budget limitations, risk assessment results or other criteria.

Travel expense procurement

APC procurement policy usually requires three or more quotes for overall expenditure exceeding USD 3,500** with the exception of:

• Flight tickets –Three quotations will be required for air travel expenses over USD 2,000. Please refer to APC’s travel expense policy.
• Cases where the procurement policy may not apply. For example, where work is already being implemented with trusted parties, a single quote rule can be applied.

Per diems

Per diems can be provided to all APC-invited participants (staff included) in meetings to usually cover the cost of lunch and dinner. A 15% increase is foreseen only for special cases where breakfast is not included in accommodation or daily transportation is required between accommodation and venue.

The convening lead is responsible for calculating the total per diem for all participants based on their flight arrival and departure and the agreed participation dates, and should share it with the convening point of contact.

For staff, the convening lead will coordinate with APC Finance team to request the inclusion of these amounts in the next salary payment.

Reimbursements

APC’s preferred practice for reason of safety is to not bring or disburse reimbursement or per diem on site in cash, unless circumstances deem it necessary. In that case, a maximum of USD 5,000 advance payment can be approved after agreement between the convening point of contact and the cost centre approver (in cases where former is not the cost centre approver), the convening lead, and the Finance team.

In order to organise the advance, it is advised that the Finance team receives two weeks’ notice. If the amount is higher than USD 2,000 it is best that it be split into smaller sums and be carried by more than one person as a safety measure.

Participants are eligible for reimbursement through bank transfer after submitting the APC reimbursement form.

Keep in mind that APC payments are made twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, and communicate the payment date to the interested party. We recommend to tell them payment process takes five to10 days.

Supporting documents

All payments must be supported by documents such us receipts, invoices or stubs, bank statements, and so on. It is important to note that some funders have stricter audit procedures than others and will only accept official receipts/stubs/invoices. It is good to confirm this with the convening point of contact at the budget forecast stage so the details can be communicated with accuracy to participants.

In cases where expenditures receipts or invoices are lost, we can allow participants to provide a note as declaration of the expenses incurred. This can be through an email to the convenings lead or through the travel reimbursement form with a proper explanation (loss of receipts and actual expenses). But this should only be limited to USD 150 and routed via the logistics advisory. For

small expenses, you may use the travel reimbursement form as documentation in lieu of missing receipts for amounts not exceeding USD 100.