Provision of Internal Audit Services to Spark Microgrants muri Spark MicroGrants : Deadline: 25-02-2022

Advancing Citizen Engagement Project    

Request for Proposal

Title: Provision of Internal audit services to Spark Microgrants

Reference No: RW – February 2022 – R001

Location: Musanze, Rwanda

Closing date: 25th February 2022 at 11:30 AM CAT (Late bids will be rejected)

About Spark Microgrants

Spark Microgrants believes in a world where everyone lives with dignity and determines their own positive future. Decades of prescriptive aid have sidelined the poor from the very programs meant to uplift them. We believe in local solutions and catalyzing rural villages facing poverty into action.

At the heart of Spark’s model, the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP), are ‘town-hall’ style weekly meetings, in which women, men, young, old, plan together for their community’s future. Each village elects a leadership committee, establishes a village savings account, and launches a project of their choice. Members receive training on financial management, transparency, leadership, village planning, and advocacy. Each village then receives US$8,000 in seed funds and additional management support to turn their project ideas into reality.

Spark trains partner organizations and works with governments to scale the FCAP as the model of choice to advance social and economic development, improve lives, and secure lasting change. Spark is now active in 500+ villages in 6 countries, improving the lives of over 230,000 people.

As a team, we share a set of common values that shape ‘how’ we work. These are:

• We don’t impose; we enable others to generate impact.
• Community-driven. We are motivated by what is best for the community.
• Process-centered. The how of what we do is just as important as the what.
• Our vision and values live in everything we do.
• We seek opportunities and are willing to take risks to serve our community partners better.

Spark microgrants is seeking a firm to provide Internal audit services which is under Advancing Citizen Engagement Project (ACE).

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the internal audit services is to enhance and protect organizational value by providing risk-based and objective assurance, advice, and insight by:

• Reviewing policies, procedures, and operations, people, processes, and systems, to assess adequacy, efficiency, and effectiveness of, and compliance with, related control structures, to determine whether risks are appropriately managed;
• Testing internal controls to provide reasonable assurance that resources are safeguarded against waste and abuse and assessing the cost-effectiveness of controls;
• Making recommendations for effectiveness, efficiency, economy of Spark Microgrants’ policies and procedures, and use of resources;
• Assessing compliance with World Bank Financial and procurement regulations and applicable accounting standards and standard operating procedures;
• Assessing the achievement of the strategic objectives and expected results set in the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB).

The Auditor shall undertake this engagement in accordance with these Terms of Reference and:

• In accordance with the International Standard on Audit (ISA) to perform Agreed-upon Procedures regarding Financial Information as promulgated by the IFAC;
• In compliance with the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants issued by the IFAC.

Scope of the assignment

Internal audit will perform detailed testing of transactions or processes to confirm that the proper procedures have been followed.

They may carry out site visits and may conduct interviews with various staff, Board, Management, or beneficiaries.

If they identify any problems, these ‘findings’ are usually classified according to how serious they are. This may be a simple ‘red orange yellow’ flag system, or a more formal split between ‘major non-conformity, minor non-conformity, and observation’.

The following types of engagements will be covered by the Internal Audit function:

• Operational Audit – An objective assessment of efficiency and effectiveness of governance, risk management, systems, and controls designed to ensure fulfilment of objectives, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.
• Performance Audit – An independent examination of a program, function, operation or the management systems and procedures to assess whether the entity is utilizing resources in an efficient, effective, and economic manner;
• Information Systems Audit – Assessment of controls that govern the development, operation, maintenance, and security of application systems;
• Compliance Audit – Assessment of adherence to regulations and rules, policies, and procedure.

The exercise shall be carried once within the year and limited to the transactions of the period from 01st June 2021 to 31st March 2022. The auditor shall furnish a yearly audit report and be completed within 2 weeks.

How to Apply

To be deemed eligible for the selection process, it is a requirement to submit all the below-listed documents within the Tender documents not later than 25th February 2022.

These documents shall be the criteria for inclusion and exclusion from the vendor list.

• A cover letter introducing the prospective service provider and a brief business profile, and include list of partners
• Certificate of Registration – RDB Certificate.
• At least a minimum of three (3) years’ experience of conducting internal or external audit assignments with public and International Non-Governmental institutions (INGOs).
• VAT registration certificate with RRA
• Latest RRA tax clearance certificate
• Letters of recommendation from at least three reputable public institutions /organizations, INGOs within the last two years.
• Company’s audited financial statements for the past two years (Applicable for Audit firm only)
• ICPAR Membership certificate
• CVs of the internal auditor Team leaders with copies of the diplomas and ACCA or CPA completion certificates. (Proposed staff must have experience in carrying out internal and external audits related to the industry).
• Technical and Financial Proposal

Request for Proposals must be clearly marked: “Request for Proposal – RW- FEBRUARY 2022 – R001’’.

And should be sent to the following email along with supporting documents: procurement@sparkmicrogrants.org on 25th February 2022 at 11h30 AM Rwandan Time. No Request for proposals will be received/entertained after the closing date and time.

For any inquiry, please use the same email above or phone numbers: 0788 853 585 / 0788 302 900.

For more information about Spark Microgrants, its values, and working principles, please visit website: www.sparkmicrogrants.org

The selection of the best service provider may include an interview with the applicants, inspection of applicants’ office premises, facilities, and any other items of interest to Spark Microgrants.

TIMELINE OF ACTIVITIES

Done at Musanze, 05th February 2022.