Publication Category:
56
Project Reports
Publication Type:
Contract
Publication Topic/Subject:
OTHER REPORTS
Publication Corporate Author:
RCRF
Release Date:
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
Independent Verification of RCRF Eligible Expenditure Program
Office of the Auditor General
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REOI)
(Independent Verification Agent Services)
COUNTRY: Federal Republic of Somalia (FGS)
NAME OF PROJECT: Somalia Recurrent Cost & Reform Financing (RCRF) Project - Phase III
PROJECT ID: P173731 Grant No.: IDA-D6580-SO
Assignment Title: Independent Verification of RCRF Eligible Expenditure Program for FY 2022/23
Reference No.: SO-MOF-290903-CS-LCS
Place of assignment: Mogadishu, Somalia
Closing Date: 25th May, 2022
The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has entered into agreements for grants and financing with the World Bank and is implementing the Recurrent Cost and Reform Financing, Phase II and Phase III Projects. The Projects are a central instrument in the World Bank Somalia Project portfolio and are an important source of financing and support to the FGS and Federal Member States (FMS).
Under RCRF II, up to USD 10 million of Project financing was planned to be made available should FGS perform satisfactorily and:
· demonstrate reform progress and results measured through Disbursement-Based-Indicators (DLIs) agreed between the FGS and the World Bank.
· incur sufficient eligible costs not otherwise funded under the Project, known as the Eligible Expenditure Program (EEP).
The RCRF III Project became effective in December, 2020. Similarly, the eligible expenditures and achievement of the Performance-Based Conditions (PBCs) will be independently verified by the Office of the Auditor General of Somalia (OAGS) with support of technical assistance in a collaborative manner involving the FMS-level OAGs.
The Ministry of Finance intends to apply part of the proceeds of the Grant to engage a registered and practicing audit firm with competency to provide support through technical assistance to the Office of the Auditor General of Somalia (OAGS) and the FMS-level OAGs to carry out the independent verification of the RCRF Eligible Expenditure Program and achievements of the PBCs.
The consulting services (“Services”) is to be carried out with the objective to enable the OAGS to effectively take responsibility for verification activities and deliver reports to the World Bank on: a) verification of FGS actions and performance on DLIs, and the sufficiency of the EEP, under RCRF II and; b) verification of FGS and FMS actions and performance on Performance Based Conditions (PBCs) and eligible expenditures under RCRF III.
For the scope of work, the Auditor General, as the head of the OAGS, will be responsible for approving and issuing reports. It is expected that the OAGS will take increasing responsibility for the DLIs/PBCs verification with support of the independent Technical Assistance (TA). In the interim, substantive DLI/PBC verification work will be performed by ‘the appointed TA in collaboration with and supervision of the OAGS. The verification of the eligible expenditures, DLIs and PBCs will be undertaken in strict adherence to the verification protocol as outlined in the Project Operations Manuals (POMs) for RCRF II and RCRF III.
The applicable standards, responsibilities, interfaces with the Auditor General, the FMS-level OAGs, methodology and approach are defined in the terms of reference (TOR). The TOR for the assignment can be found at the following website: https://oag.gov.so or it can be provided upon submission of application in person or by e-mail. The e-mail address is provided below.
The estimated level of effort for the assignment is 60 work-days and would be conducted in two cycles: one in 2022 and one in 2023 and reports delivered through to 31st March, 2023 from the commencement date.
The Ministry of Finance 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 short listing criteria are as follows:
a) Core business of the firm and years in business (not less than 10 years’ experience in accounting and auditing in the public and/or private sector).
b) Experience of similar assignments on public sector financial audits; independent verification of expenditure programs; and familiarity with the requirements of the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAIs).
c) Experience of having worked in an environment similar to that of Somalia; and
d) Technical and managerial capability of the firm. (Provide only the structure of the organization, general qualifications and number of key staff. Do not provide CV of staff). Key experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.
Attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraphs 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers: Procurement in Investment Financing - Goods, Works, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services dated July 2016 and the latest edition (“The Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Least Cost Selection (LCS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations. Interested Consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours from 8:30am to 3.30pm Mogadishu time (excluding public holidays).
Expressions of interest (EOI) should be delivered (in person or by e-mail) in a written form to the address below by 25th May 2022 at 12:00 Hours (Mogadishu Time).
RCRF Project Implementation Unit,
Ministry of Finance, Mogadishu
Federal Republic of Somalia
Email: procurement@oag.gov.so and copy and rcrfrecruitment@mof.gov.so
and oag@oag.gov.so