Technical Assistance consultancy to improve quality of Audits for office of Federal Auditor General (OFAG)

Source: World Bank — Ethiopia PFM Project

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES– FIRMS SELECTION)

COUNTRY- ETHIOPIA

NAME OF PROJECT- Public Financial Management Project

Credit no. IDA-57660

Assignment Title: Technical Assistance on Quality Assurance for Auditor General

Reference No: - ET-MOFEC-COPCU-892-CS-QCBS

The Federal Democratic Republic Ethiopia has received financing from the World Bank toward the Public Financial Management Project /PFMP) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services of Technical Assistance on Quality Assurance for Auditor General.

The consulting services (“the Services”) include:

• Reviewing working documents and practices: This involve understanding the OFAG’s and ORAGs’ current strategies, plans, guidelines, procedures, working practices related to Audit and audit quality.
•  Drawing from best practices, lessons and in line with International standards; and identify gaps in propose future intervention in the areas of audit quality such as (Regularity Audit  Performance Audit, IT Audit and forensic Audit ) .
•  identify the gaps that will contribute to improving Audit quality;
• Strengthen or establish Quality Assurance framework for OFAG and ORAGs so that it complies with the relevant International Standard like ISSAIs: (i) Prepare/Develop or update/revise Quality Assurance (QA) strategy/framework; (ii) Prepare/Develop or update/revise audit methodologies, work practices, plans, guidelines, procedures, etc. related to Audit quality QA strategy/framework as appropriate with due regard to local context.; (iii) implement the above (strategy/framework, audit methodologies, work practices, plans, guidelines, procedures).
•  The implementation of recommended mechanism for improving Audit quality at OFAG/ORAGs bringing in the best practices in QA (that are recommended by SAI Communities INTOSAI /AFROSAI-E) as applied by advanced SAIs. This involves providing close hand-holding support to existing audit staff by embedding professional consultants with the staff of the audit offices.
• Furthermore, it also includes establishing or strengthening QA units/team in respective audit Offices; and (iv) work with QA unit /technical experts/staff to transfer knowledge and skill to existing staffs and bring in best practices:- This involves devising mechanisms or systems or arrangements of transferring the knowledge and practice of the quality assurance model from these TAs to the existing staffs;
• Perform a detailed review of the Audit Quality Assurance Directorate/where it is already established/and  assess the impact its significance to OFAG and ORAGs operations
• IT audit Competency:  strengthen the capacity of OFAG and ORAGs in the area of conducting IT audits where there are serious gaps in IT audits, including in the areas of system, capacity, personnel, and guidelines.  Support the preparation of IT strategy and guidelines in addressing gaps in these  areas, including the establishment of IT audit units;
• Fraud and Forensic audit: the establishment of a Fraud and Forensic unit, which will include reorganizing existing structures as well as supporting capacity-building interventions; piloting fraud and forensic Audit and caching staff during implementation.
• Capacity Building: Undertakes capacity building initiatives and provide training for QA staff and other auditors to enable them undertake quality audit works including report writing

The Ministry of Finance & Economic Cooperation now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria are:

• Knowledge and experience in (i) regularity audit; (ii) performance audit; (iii) compliance audit; (iv) IT audit; (v), Fraud and Forensic audit .
• Provide evidence on intensive and relevant experience from a well –established Supreme Audit or similar institute in the areas of public sector Auditing.
• Demonstrated evidence of professionally qualified, experienced and fully conversant Staff in the most up to date ISSAI.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers January 2011 and as revised July 2014 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. 

Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub consultancy to enhance their qualifications.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality & Cost Based Selection (QCBS) Method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours i.e. 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by 30 May 2017

Ministry of Finance & Economic Cooperation (MoFEC)

Channel One Programs Coordinating Directorate (COPCD)

Kifleketema - Arada, kebele11/12 6th Floor Room No. 621

Sidist kilo in front of Lion Cage Park, Phone: 0115570594/91

E-mail: copcuproc@gmail.com

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia