Remuneration
Other Secondary Working Conditions
They are expressed in FCFA per month. The amounts must be validated according to the project budget, the NGO’s HR policy, the position level, the duty station, and the donor’s rules.
Schedule of Per Diems and Mission Expenses in Mali
| Type of mission | Indicative minimum | Indicative maximum | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mission without an overnight stay | 10,000/day | 30,000/day | Meal expenses and minor local transport costs. |
| Mission within the same cercle involving a long working day | 15,000/day | 40,000/day | For field officers, supervisors, and drivers. |
| Mission with an overnight stay — cercle capital | 25,000/day | 75,000/day | Basic accommodation and meals. |
| Mission with an overnight stay — regional capital | 40,000/day | 125,000/day | Depending on the city, hotel costs, and position level. |
| Mission to Bamako for personnel travelling from the regions | 50,000/day | 150,000/day | Higher accommodation costs. |
| High-level national or donor-related mission | 75,000/day | 200,000/day | Experts, coordinators, and institutional representatives. |
| International mission or mission in Mali based on the donor’s scale | According to the donor | Up to approximately 101,700/day or more | The EU rate for Mali is EUR 155 per day, equivalent to approximately FCFA 101,700. |
Proposed Allowances by Position Level
| Position level | Transport | Communication | Responsibility | Fieldwork / risk | Housing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support personnel: security guard, cleaner, messenger | 25,000–50,000 | 5,000–15,000 | — | 10,000–50,000 | — |
| Driver / field logistics officer | 40,000–100,000 | 10,000–40,000 | 25,000–75,000 | 30,000–150,000 | — |
| Administrative / accounting / HR assistant | 40,000–100,000 | 15,000–50,000 | 25,000–100,000 | 20,000–100,000 | 75,000–200,000 |
| Field officer / community facilitator | 40,000–120,000 | 20,000–60,000 | 25,000–100,000 | 50,000–250,000 | 75,000–250,000 |
| Supervisor / project officer | 75,000–150,000 | 40,000–100,000 | 100,000–250,000 | 75,000–350,000 | 150,000–400,000 |
| Coordinator / field office manager / finance and administration manager | 100,000–250,000 | 75,000–150,000 | 200,000–500,000 | 100,000–500,000 | 250,000–750,000 |
| Project director / senior expert | 150,000–300,000 | 100,000–250,000 | 300,000–1,000,000 | 150,000–750,000 | 400,000–1,500,000 |
Special Schedule for Hardship or Humanitarian Areas
| Risk / hardship level | Recommended allowance |
|---|---|
| Normal area | FCFA 0 to 50,000/month |
| Remote rural area | FCFA 50,000 to 150,000/month |
| Difficult-to-access area | FCFA 100,000 to 300,000/month |
| Sensitive humanitarian area | FCFA 200,000 to 500,000/month |
| High-risk area | FCFA 300,000 to 750,000/month |
| Temporary mission in a red zone | Special daily allowance of FCFA 25,000 to 100,000/day |
Recommended Eligibility Conditions
To prevent abuse or disputes, each allowance should be governed by an HR manual or internal memorandum setting out the following conditions:
| Bonus / allowance | Recommended eligibility condition |
|---|---|
| Transport | Granted when no service vehicle is provided. |
| Housing | Granted when the employee is assigned outside their usual place of residence or holds a senior management position. |
| Communication | Granted to positions requiring frequent calls, internet access, professional WhatsApp use, and reporting. |
| Fieldwork | Granted upon evidence of regular activities outside the office. |
| Risk | Granted following an official or internal classification of the area. |
| Per diem | Granted only for a mission approved through an official mission order. |
| Performance | Linked to a written appraisal and measurable indicators. |
| Responsibility | Linked to the hierarchical level and responsibility for managing a team, budget, or partners. |
| Cash handling | Granted only to employees who regularly handle funds. |
| On-call duty | Granted to positions requiring availability outside normal working hours. |
Simple Method for Setting Allowance Amounts
The following method may be used:
| Category | Recommended percentage of basic salary |
|---|---|
| Standard allowances: transport, telephone, meals | 5% to 15% |
| Responsibility / position allowance | 10% to 30% |
| Fieldwork / remoteness allowance | 10% to 40% |
| Risk / security allowance | 15% to 60% |
| Annual performance bonus | 5% to 20% |
| Exceptional project completion bonus | 25% to 100% of one month’s salary |
Summary Schedule for Inclusion in an HR Manual
| Category | Support personnel | Field officers | Middle management | Senior management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | 25,000–50,000 | 40,000–120,000 | 75,000–150,000 | 150,000–300,000 |
| Communication | 5,000–20,000 | 20,000–60,000 | 50,000–100,000 | 100,000–250,000 |
| Meals / meal allowance | 20,000–40,000 | 30,000–75,000 | 50,000–100,000 | 75,000–150,000 |
| Fieldwork | 10,000–50,000 | 50,000–250,000 | 100,000–350,000 | 150,000–500,000 |
| Risk | 0–100,000 | 75,000–300,000 | 150,000–500,000 | 300,000–750,000 |
| Responsibility | — | 25,000–100,000 | 100,000–350,000 | 300,000–1,000,000 |
| Housing | — | 75,000–250,000 | 150,000–500,000 | 400,000–1,500,000 |
Model Clause for Inclusion in Employment Contracts or the HR Manual
Allowances and bonuses granted to personnel are supplementary benefits in addition to the basic salary. They are awarded according to the nature of the position, the duty station, the level of responsibility, working conditions, exposure to risk, the project’s budget availability, and the rules of the donor.
These allowances do not constitute an automatic and permanent entitlement. They may be revised, suspended, or withdrawn in the event of a change of position, a change of duty station, a change in working conditions, project closure, or insufficient budget, subject to compliance with the applicable legal and contractual provisions in Mali.
Any mission giving rise to a per diem or reimbursement of expenses must be authorised in advance through a mission order signed by the appropriate line manager. Expenses must be justified in accordance with the organisation’s internal procedures and the donor’s requirements.
For an NGO or project in Mali, it is advisable to avoid adopting an overly generous schedule from the outset. The most prudent approach is to classify benefits into three levels: (1) minimum, (2) standard project level, and (3) high-level international donor package.