REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES– FIRMS SELECTION)

SUPPORT FOR CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION AND OTHER AFRICAN UNION ORGANS PROJECT (P126848)
Grant No. IDA H9390

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Reference No.: AUC/CDP/CQS/02-2015

The African Union Commission has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the "Support for Capacity Development of the African Union Commission and Other African Union Organs Project(P126848)", and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

Development Objective of the Project (P126848): Strengthen African Union Commission’s capacity to facilitate economic development results and transformation through enhanced institutional efficiency. This will be achieved by enhancing the AUC's internal human resources and management systems, and supporting result-oriented external partnerships and collective actions designed to enhance the implementation of regional economic development initiatives in priority areas (e.g. regional trade, energy, infrastructure, governance, natural resource management) for the benefit of African Union member states, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens.

Objective of the Assignment

The objective of the assignment is to develop the accounting policies and procedures manual, development of the standard operating procedures and development of the administrative Instructions.

The development of these regulatory frameworks will enable the Commission safeguard its assets, secure the accuracy and reliability of its accounting data and promote operational efficiency.

It is the Union’s policy to have in place adequate systems of internal control which will promote a high level of compliance with the Union’s policies and procedures; to have in place mechanisms to continuously mitigate risks and put in place controls to reduce its impact on operations of the union; to continuously review the internal control systems to be able to meet the challenges of growth and globalization; to implement and maintain this system of control to assist the union to carry out its activities in an efficient and orderly manner; ensure adherence to management policies; safeguard of the union assets, and secure the accuracy and reliability of its records.

Scope of the Assignment

The AUC seeks to engage the services of a consulting film to develop the accounting policies & procedures manual (APPM), standard operating procedures (SOPs) and administrative instructions (AIs). The development will focus on, but will not be limited to the following:

I. Accounting Policies and procedures Manual,
II. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and,
III. Administrative Instructions (AIs).

The manuals, SOPs and AIs so developed will incorporate the following interalia:

Regular Fixed assets and Inventory , Assets/inventory for Peace Support operations, Employee Benefits, Cash Management and Investment, Petty Cash, Payables and receivables management, Prepayments and accruals management, management of donations (Both cash and in kind), accounting for Intangible Assets, Disbursement and payment processes, Revenue Management, Travel, Preparation of Budgets and chart of accounts.

The key deliverable in this consultancy is the development of the comprehensive and all-encompassing manual incorporating all SOPs and all AIs for use by the African Union.

The African Union Commission 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:

1. Core business and years in business
2. Qualifications and Specific experience in the field of the assignment
3. Technical and managerial organization of the firm
4. General qualifications and number of key staff

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 dated January 2011,“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 Selection Based on the Consultants' Qualification (CQS) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines. However, consulting firms are kindly requested to send their financial proposal required to undertake the assignment together with their expression of interest based on the Terms of Reference (TORs) available on the commission website www.au.int/en/bids.

The consultant should send their EOI clearly marked “EOI” and financial proposal clearly marked “Financial Proposal” in separate sealed envelopes. The sealed envelopes containing the EOI and Financial Proposals shall be placed into one outer envelope and sealed. The outer envelope shall bear the submission address, REOI reference number, the name of the assignment, Consultant’s name and the address.

The consultants should confirm that their EOI and Financial proposal is valid for sixty (60) calendar days from the date of EOI opening date.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in person or through post office to the address below by 25th September 2015, 14:30hours Addis Ababa Time. The EOI shall shall be open on the same date at 15:00 at the addresses below.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 8:00-13:00hrs and 14:00-17:00 hours, 3hours GMT.

African Union Commission,
Attn: Head of Procurement Travel and Store Division
Building C, Room 327
P.O.Box 3243, Roosevelt Street
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251 (0) 11 551 7700 – Ext 4305
Fax: +251 (0) 11 551 0442; +251 11-551-0430
E-mail: tender@africa-union.org