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| Islands in Africa -
Development and Management Services |
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It is all well and good to
have the lodges, it is quite another to ensure that the standards you
require from your product are met. IIA Management is a ‘Lodge Operations
and Management Company’ offering a range of services to meet the needs
of the lodges. The company is based in offices in Johannesburg.
The Johannesburg office is a central point to |
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which each of the lodges
refers all queries related to lodge operation i.e. staffing, training,
lodge provisions and ordering, lodge operating equipment, overall
maintenance and refurbishments, lodge accounts etc. The Johannesburg
office also fulfils the Sales and Marketing functions as well as Central
Reservations for each of the lodges. |
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| Each of the above functions is described in detail
below: |
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| Planning of New
Operations |
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IIA Management provides a comprehensive planning and development services
for both potential investors in ecotourism projects and existing Landowners
or Operators wishing to develop suitable land for ecotourism purposes.
The following aspects are covered: |
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- Information relating to national economic circumstances, tourism
trends, geopolitical background information, details of National Parks,
relevant wildlife information in the applicable area, national
infrastructure and points and means of supply and any other information
relative to the project.
- Recommendations relating to the appropriate size, style and
infrastructural requirements of the ecotourism operation.
- Applicable investment incentives and tax concessions and information,
applicable to the country in which the operation is to be established.
- A detailed lodge inventory including fittings, equipment and
furnishings.
- Annual profitability projections relative to forecasted occupancy
levels offsetting the expenses of the operation, capital expenditure and
interest against anticipated income.
- Appropriate staffing levels and categories relevant to the size of the
operation with recommended remuneration levels.
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| IIA Management provides a project development co-ordination service, subject
to the requirements of the lodge owner in order to ensure that the end
product matches the expectations of the developer and the expectations of
the market segment identified as the lodge target market. |
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| Lodge Management Services |
| In keeping with company policies and procedures IIA
Management provides a comprehensive management service for lodge owners
encompassing the following: |
- Comprehensive policies and procedures covering such aspects as job
descriptions, industrial relations, administration, personnel policies,
reservations, accounting and safari procedures.
- Management of personnel relating to recruitment, training and career
path planning.
- The registration of each lodge with THETA. The provision of THETA
accredited trainers to ensure the lodge staff gets accredited training and
that this can be reimbursed to the relevant lodge.
- Active liaison on a continuous basis with the management structures in
the lodge in order to create a sustained quality and ethic with regard to
the management function.
- To ensure all supply chains are functioning and to ensure the lodges
have contracts with all major suppliers.
- Provision of comprehensive management reports highlighting areas
of concern, achievements, work in progress and completed and a complete
financial review.
- The initiation and monitoring of suitable local community programmes
in terms of available funding with local employment preference, in order
to engender good community relations.
- Comprehensive environmental policies encompassing responsible safari
procedures, waste disposal, road placement and habitat management, which
are essential in order to maintain and conserve the environment on a
sustainable basis.
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| Lodge Administration and Accounting
Services |
| One of the most vital components of Lodge
Operations is the administration and accounting for each lodge. IIA
Management to provide a comprehensive policies and procedures manual for all
aspects related to lodge administration. This includes: |
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Lodge Administration |
- Staffing: contracts, accounts, and personnel policies.
- Training: appropriate training, career path planning.
- Reception procedures for check in, lodge introduction, hosting, check
out.
- Internal accounts related to extra expenses i.e. Bar, Telephone,
Laundry, Tours and additional services.
- Stock control of the bar and the kitchen.
- Ordering of stock in all areas of the lodge i.e. Bar, Kitchen,
Maintenance, Petrol / Diesel.
- Procedures to ensure all maintenance requirements are addressed.
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| Lodge Accounting |
- Familiarity with Reservations and interpreting guest payments.
- Recording procedures for extras. Invoicing from the lodge for all
extras.
- Management of Petty cash procedures.
- Ordering and Stock control.
- Set-up of Pastel-based accounting procedures at the lodge. Recording
of all accounts related data on system at the lodge.
- Set-up and management of Pastel based accounting at Head Office.
Recording of all accounts related to the lodge on Head Office system.
Preparation of management Accounts by month for each lodge.
- Management Accounts and all documentation to be filed and kept for
Annual Audited by an accredited auditor.
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| Staff Training Services |
Lodge staff
training focuses on guest needs awareness and empathy and respect for
the environment within all facets of staff operations. Training for
lodge staff includes housekeeping, reception, food and beverage (waiters
& barmen) and safari functions.
Staff training is an essential function of the |
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lodges. A centralised as
well as a lodge based training function is in place to provide THETA
Accredited training for all lodges. This to cover all aspects related to
the functions of the lodges i.e. Reception, Food and Beverage, Guiding
and other activities related training, Housekeeping, Administration and
Accounting, Management etc. |
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| Habitat Management and Ecological Planning |
| IIA Management through an affiliate company
Enviroserve provides a habitat management and ecological planning service to
clients, utilising trained and experienced ecologists encompassing the
following: |
- Ecological surveys and recommendations regarding improvements and
programmes to ensure the land’s restoration and optimal sustainable use.
- Habitat management programmes encompassing the correct placement of
roads, erosion management, rehabilitation of incorrectly placed roads,
coppice control, alien species eradication, land rehabilitation programmes
and training for in-house habitat management staff.
- Development of on-going habitat management policies and programmes
with definite short, medium and long-term objectives, in order to achieve
the optimum sustainability and condition of the land.
- Investigation of the historical zoological status of the land, in
order to achieve the correct stocking variety and carrying capacity.
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| Relief Management |
| IIA Management provides a professional Lodge and
Safari Relief Management service. Human resources for this purpose are
provided by experienced people affiliated to IIA Management. |
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| Staff Recruitment |
| IIA Management (through various personnel
companies) recruits suitably qualified and experienced safari and management
staff for the ecotourism industry. It is our mission to recruit staff not
only suitably qualified, but who also subscribe to our ethical standards
relating to ecotourism. IIA Management has a portfolio of candidates for
placement in suitable positions as required. |
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| Property Brokerage Service |
| IIA Management assists individuals and/or
organisations to find suitable properties for ecotourism development
purposes. The Company has a portfolio of available properties. Both the
planning, development and management services provided can then be utilised. |