Independent external financial audit services in DR Congo At Sign of Hope

Required languages

French English

Deadline for submitting applications

June 26, 2024

Start date

October 15, 2024

Audit period

From October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2024

Project title

SEWOH – Holistic Food Security for Communities in South Ubangi, DRC”.

Total project budget

1,669,762.00 EUR

Annual project budget

255,361.00 EUR

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope eV (SoH) announces an open tender for independent external financial audit services in DR Congo.

Context and organizational framework

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope eV is a Christian-motivated organization for human rights, humanitarian aid and development cooperation. Headquartered in Konstanz, Germany, Sign of Hope is dedicated to helping people in distress and exploited people around the world.

An audit is commissioned within the framework of the financing guidelines of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for development projects managed by German private implementing agencies.

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope eV will be the German private implementing agency and contracting party, while Humana People to People Congo (HPP-Congo) will be the local implementing agency.

HPP-Congo has been active in the DRC since 2006. HPP-Congo intervenes in the fields of agriculture and food security, environmental protection, education with an emphasis on teacher training and training professional, health with a focus on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and family planning, as well as holistic community development.

The objective of the project is to address the chronic food insecurity of 28,000 direct beneficiaries in South Ubangi through measures aimed at increasing productivity through training in sustainable management and climate-friendly agricultural methods, development breeding of small animals, supporting the creation of jobs outside traditional agriculture and training the local population in the management of natural resources such as water.

Audit Objectives

The aim of the in-depth audit is to provide SoH with a solid basis for its accountability, transparency and accuracy in financial reporting towards the financing agency BMZ. The recruitment tasks are as follows:

• An annual audit, with a thorough review of all supporting documents for the period January 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024
• A conclusive review of the total project duration (October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2024). Thus, the auditor can refer to the latest annual audit reports which have been made available to him.

This in-depth audit will check compliance with the standards of the BMZ financing agency, SoH, national regulations and international accounting standards (ISA).

The auditor will review the project financial documents, receipt lists, transaction records, all disbursed vouchers and receipts, and relevant project documents in order to form a professional and independent opinion on the financial accounting of the project “ SEWOH- Holistic food security for communities in South Ubangi, DRC ” for all funds received and spent by HPP-Congo from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2024.

In addition, the audit must provide recommendations on the strengths, weaknesses and improvements to the financial management and human resources management systems related to the HPP-Congo project.

The audit will support the project quality assurance measures implemented by Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope eV and will contribute to the decision-making process regarding project management and financial monitoring by Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope eV and HPP-Congo.

Expected results

The auditor is expected to produce an audit report, an audit certificate and a management letter, which will include the following:

1. Presentation of the scope and mandate of the audit, as well as the list of documents which constituted the audit evidence,
2. An opinion on whether the financial statements (statement of accounts) are published in accordance with the project’s financial reporting framework, the requirements of the BMZ and an internationally recognized accounting standard,
3. Recommendations on identified deficiencies and, where appropriate, comments on follow-up to audit observations and recommendations from previous years.
4. An approved (signed) list of all project revenues classified by budget line (list provided by HPP-Congo).
5. An approved inventory list (stamped and signed) (list provided by HPP-Congo).

Audit documents can be drawn up in English or German. In exceptional cases, the audit is accepted in French or Spanish. In this case, the main statements, including the identified deficiencies and recommendations, as well as the final audit opinion must be translated into English.

Audit scope

The audit must cover the following points:

• The accuracy and completeness of accounting documents,
• The financial report, which presents all revenue and expenditure linked to the project, structured by budget lines,
• Expenditure variances by budget line. Expenditures that exceed or fall below the budget appropriations by more than 30% are explained separately, if approval from the BMZ has not been obtained in advance,
• Receipts and relevant supporting documents are available for all project-related income and expenditure,
• The management of the funds made available, which includes the transfer of project funds, all interest generated by the project funds during the reference period and other income generated by the project,
• Review appropriate use of funds based on project objectives,
• Assessment of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the use of funds,
• Compliance with the budget by comparing budgeted costs and actual costs in the currency in which the expenses were incurred. The audit report will not convert the amounts examined into euros,
• Check whether personnel costs and social security contributions comply with the regulations in force in the project country and whether they are comparable at the local level,
• Economical use of project equipment and assets,
• The inventory and use of capital goods, their location and destination,
• Compliance with the legal framework of the project (project agreements and annexes, contracts, etc.) and the donor’s requirements,
• Compliance with the policies of the local implementing partner regarding procurement, financial administration, human resources management and travel.

Procedures and communication

The auditor will have access to all necessary documents in the project offices through the local implementing partner HPP-Congo, as well as to relevant donor documents through Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope

The auditor will be responsible for establishing a schedule in agreement with the local implementation partner HPP-Congo. All expenses related to field visits, postal and translation services and other expenses must be included in the budget proposed by the auditor. HPP-Congo will support the auditor with logistics and arrangements, but all contract payments will be made directly by Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope

Qualifications and experience

• Qualification necessary to serve as a recognized independent audit authority,
• At least five (5) years of experience in conducting independent external audits of projects funded by international institutional donors in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
• Experience in carrying out audits for BMZ-funded projects is desirable.