Consultancy Expenditure Verification Tender, Lebanon - 25578816

Procurement Summary

Country : Lebanon

Summary : Consultancy Expenditure Verification

Deadline : 13 Aug 2018

Other Information

Notice Type : Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 25578816

Document Ref. No. :

Competition : ICB

Financier : Other Funding Agencies

Purchaser Ownership : -

Tender Value : Refer Document

Purchaser's Detail

Purchaser : TRÓCAIRE
Attn: Niall O-Keeffe
Lebanon
Email :niall.okeeffe@trocaire.org

Tender Details

Tenders are invited for Consultancy Expenditure Verification.

Request for Tender (RFT)

Trócaire invites tenders for the provision of an expenditure verification for a European Regional Development and Protection Programme[1] funded project entitled ‘Strengthening the protective environment and livelihood opportunities for refugees and vulnerable host communities, with a particular focus on women, youth and children in Bar Elias, Central Beqaa, Lebanon-.

Tenderers- must demonstrate that they have the resources and expertise to supply the service required.

Tender Release Date: (2ndAugust 2018)

Deadline for tender submission: (5pm, 13th August 2018)

1. Introduction

Tenders are invited from suppliers who wish to be considered for selection as the supplier of below services for Trócaire.

2. Confidentiality

Trócaire will treat the content of all tenders as strictly confidential and information provided in the tenders will be used solely for the purpose of deciding on the award of a contract as described in this document.

3. Profile of Trócaire

Established in 1973, Trócaire is one of Ireland-s leading NGOs and the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland. Trócaire works with partners and is a member of worldwide networks such as Caritas and CIDSE Trócaire works in over 20 countries on issues including livelihoods, human rights, gender equality, HIV, climate change and emergency relief. More information about Trócaire can be found on http://www.trocaire.org.

Since 2013, Trócaire has responded to the Syrian humanitarian crisis, working remotely from Ireland and supporting partners in Lebanon and Syria. Our work has focused on the provision of humanitarian relief, protection and psychosocial support, and in strengthening livelihoods. Working with local partners, and realising the values of partnership, continue to be an important approach for the organisation.

Since September 2017, Trócaire together with our partner Basmeh and Zeitooneh, have been implementing a 12-month European Union financed grant contract for an external action concerning ‘Strengthening the protective environment and livelihood opportunities for refugees and vulnerable host communities, with a particular focus on women, youth and children in Bar Elias, Central Bekaa, Lebanon- (the ‘Grant Contract-). The project-s overall budget is Danish krone (DKK) 5, 710, 620.91.

4. Scope of services required

Trócaire agrees to engage an audit firm to perform an expenditure verification and to report in connection with the above mentioned Grant Contract, covering the period 1st September 2017 to 31st August 2018.

The objective of this service contract is to verify expenditure and to submit to Trócaire a report of factual findings as per the regulations and requirements of the European Commission and its reporting model. The Auditor will examine whether the costs declared by Trócaire and its partner are real, accurately recorded and eligible under the Grant Contract. The Auditor will examine the factual information in the Financial Report of Trócaire and compare it with the terms and conditions of the Grant Contract. As this engagement is not an assurance engagement the Auditor does not provide an audit opinion.

The Auditor shall undertake this engagement in accordance with:

- the International Standard on Related Services (‘ISRS-) 4400 Engagements to perform Agreed-upon Procedures regarding Financial Information as promulgated by the IFAC;

- the IFAC Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, developed and issued by IFAC-s International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA).

Trócaire and its partner will provide full and free access to their staff and accounting and

book-keeping system and underlying accounts and records.

Detailed procedures, guidance, and model report will be shared with the successful candidate in support of completion of the expenditure verification.

A draft report will be provided by the Auditor to Trócaire by the 15th of October 2018 with a final report agreed by both parties by the 31st of October 2018.

The fee for this engagement shall be agreed between the Auditor and Trócaire upon review of submissions received. The final amount charged for the consultancy should include transport, food and accommodation costs, fees, taxes or any other deductions. Where travel is required, Trócaire regulations will apply to the reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses.

5. Content and Format of Tenders

Interested applicants are requested to send their Cover Letter and Curriculum Vitae(s), together with detailed quotations and a break-down of costs and expenses for the deliverables listed above.

6. General Terms and Conditions

· Trócaire does not bind itself to accept the lowest priced tender.

· Trócaire does not guarantee exclusivity and reserves the right to engage other companies for the same services (if required) during the term of the contract.

· Trócaire shall be free to

o To accept the whole, or part only, of any tender;

o To accept none of the proposals tendered;

o To republish this Request for Tenders.

· In the event of not accepting any of the tender submissions received on foot of this Request for Tender, Trócaire shall be free to make such arrangements as it considers necessary in relation to the provision of the services.

· Trócaire will not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred in the preparation of a tender.

· The Contract shall be considered as a contract made in Ireland, according to Irish law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts.

· The Standard Terms and Conditions to which Trócaire expects all of its supplier to respect can be found here: https://www.trocaire.org/sites/default/files/trocaire-tcs-procurement.pdf

· The Suppliers Code of Conduct to which Trócaire expects all of its suppliers to respect can be found here: https://www.trocaire.org/sites/default/files/trocaire-supplier-code-of-c...

7. Conflicts of interest

Any conflicts interest involving an applicant must be fully disclosed to Trócaire. Failure to disclose a conflict may disqualify an applicant or invalidate an award of the contract. Applicants are required to declare any current or past work which might reasonably be considered to represent a conflict of interest. It will be for Trócaire to decide if a material conflict of interest exists and applicants in doubt in this regard should seek the advice of Trócaire.

8. Contract Type and Period

This will be a service contract. The proposed dates for the consultancy are between the 1st of September 2018 and the 31st October 2018.

9. Intellectual Property

Any concept, guidelines or other material developed during the contract will be considered the property of Trócaire and may be used by Trócaire at any time.

10. Termination of Contract

10.1 Trócaire reserves the right to terminate the contract at any stage on payment of reasonable and agreed costs accrued to the date of termination. The contract may be terminated by either party on giving appropriate written notice.

10.2 If at any stage during the contract, the goods / services delivered by the tenderer is found to be unsatisfactory, the contract may be terminated by Trócaire. In the event of such a termination, the tenderer will only be entitled to receive payment in relation to the acceptable goods / services rendered at that time.

11. Evaluation of Tenders

11.1 All suppliers should at least meet at least one of the following minimum criteria :

The Auditor and/or the firm is a member of a national accounting or auditing body or institution which in turn is member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).

The Auditor and/or the firm is a member of a national accounting or auditing body or institution. Although this organisation is not member of the IFAC, the Auditor commits him/herself to undertake this engagement in accordance with the IFAC standards and ethics set out in these ToR.

The Auditor and/or the firm is registered as a statutory auditor in the public register of a public oversight body in an EU member state in accordance with the principles of public oversight set out in Directive 2006/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (this applies to auditors and audit firms based in an EU Member State[2]).

The Auditor and/or the firm is registered as a statutory auditor in the public register of a public oversight body in a third country and this register is subject to principles of public oversight as set out in the legislation of the country concerned (this applies to auditors and audit firms based in a third country).

11.2 The successful tenderer will be the one who, in the opinion of Trócaire, submits the most economically advantageous proposal applying the following award criteria:

Selection criteria will include:

· Expertise and professional qualifications of Audit team

· The availability of Audit team/key team members

· Number of years- experience conducting expenditure verifications of similar sized programmes for international NGOs (minimum 5 years)

· Previous experience conducting expenditure verifications for programmes supported by the European Commission

· Proposed workplan, reputation and references

· Ability to communication in Arabic and English

· Value for money

11.3 During the evaluation period clarification may be sought in writing from tenderers. Responses to requests for clarification may not materially change any elements of the tenders submitted.

11.4 No unsolicited communications from tenderers will be accepted or entertained during the evaluation period.

11.5 A shortlist of those who have tendered may be drawn up and a certain number of those who have tendered may be invited to make a final presentation of the

Documents

 Tender Notice