REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: AUDIT OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR JHPIEGO-RWANDA FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023

Submission Deadline

12:00 p.m. EDT,  February 15, 2024

Address all proposals to:

Simone Grant, Senior Compliance Manager, Jhpiego Corporation

Submit Proposals to Simone.Grant@jhpiego.org and Laurence.Mukanyindo@Jhpiego.org

Submissions of proposals compliant to all Jhpiego requirements on or before the submission deadline, above, will be accepted in electronic format only. Submissions must be in English and in Portable Document File (PDF) format. Partial, late or hard copy submissions may result in disqualification, at the sole discretion of Jhpiego.

No phone calls will be entertained. 

General Information & Summary of Auditee

Jhpiego – Rwanda Office

KG 563 St, Golf Rise View Building

Near Telecom House

Kigali, Rwanda 

Audit Beneficiary

Abhishek Bhasin, Chief Operating and Finance Officer

Jhpiego Corporation

1615 Thames Street

Baltimore, Maryland 21231 USA 

Purpose of the Request:

Jhpiego Corporation, is a not for profit organization affiliates of Johns Hopkins University located in Baltimore, Maryland and working to improve the lives of women and children in more than 40 countries worldwide. Jhpiego is soliciting an independent accounting firm to conduct a statutory financial statement audit of funds received and expended as part of its Rwanda operations (Jhpiego Rwanda). As per the statutory requirement of Government of Rwanda, Jhpiego is requesting that an audit of Jhpiego Rwanda financial statements including Statement of Profit and Loss and the Balance sheet for the period of January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.

The audit will be conducted in the Jhpiego Rwanda Office and in accordance with the International Standard on Auditing (ISA) and Rwandan Law No. 016/2018 of 13/04/2018 Establishing Taxes on Income. The audit will cover the project operations; including a series of audit test that cover departments and units which expended or otherwise administered the funds during the fiscal mentioned above. The auditor shall determine whether the financial statements are presented fairly in all material respects in conformity with Statement on Auditing Standard (SAS). The auditor shall also determine whether the schedule of expenditures reported in financial statements is presented fairly in all material respects in relation to the project financial statements taken as a whole.

Auditor will issue all applicable audit reports, and any findings, upon completion of the audit to the beneficiary listed above on or before March 25, 2024. All reports must be compliant to the requirements of the current law and standard, referenced above, in content and format agreed upon by the client.

Engagement Terms

The audit services required are for an initial term of one year covering the period from February 25, 2023 through February 24, 2024.  At Jhpiego’s sole discretion, the term may be extended to cover the period from February 25, 2024 through February 24, 2025.

Background information

Jhpiego (pronounced “ja-pie-go”), is an international non-profit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. For 40 years, Jhpiego has empowered front-line health workers by designing and implementing effective, low-cost, hands-on solutions to strengthen the delivery of health care services for women and their families. By putting evidence-based health innovations into everyday practice, Jhpiego works to break down barriers to high-quality health care for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Mission

Mission—Jhpiego enhances the health and saves the lives of women and families in limited-resource settings. For nearly four decades, we have put evidence-based health innovations into everyday practice to overcome barriers to high-quality health care services for the world’s most vulnerable populations. From our origins as technical experts in reproductive, maternal and child health, Jhpiego has grown to embrace new challenges, including HIV/AIDS, malaria and cervical cancer prevention—reflecting the increasing interconnectedness of global health. 

Jhpiego Rwanda Country Office Programs, Donors and Spending

The selected auditor will perform comprehensive and adequate audit procedures, as required by the International Standards on Auditing (ISA), to enable him/her to express an opinion on the financial statements of Jhpiego Rwanda as to whether the statements fairly present the Auditee’s financial position and the results of its operations. The audit procedures will also include any procedures and assurances required under Rwanda Law No. 016/2018 of 13/04/2018 Establishing Taxes on Income. Auditors will issue all applicable audit reports, and any findings, upon completion of the audit to the beneficiary listed above on or before March 15, 2024. All reports must be compliant to the requirements of the current law and standard, referenced above, in content and format agreed upon by the client 

The audit procedures will be designed to provide reasonable assurance of detecting errors and irregularities that are material to the financial statements. To achieve this objective, the Auditor will examine the Auditee’s accounting records and other supporting documents, and develop an audit plan and procedures to be performed. 

Evaluate Jhpiego Rwanda office's internal control related to the funded programs, to assess control risk, and identify significant deficiencies including material weaknesses. 

Perform tests to determine whether the office complied, in all material respects, with agreement terms and applicable laws and regulations related with funded programs. All material instances of noncompliance and all illegal acts that have occurred or are likely to have occurred should be identified. 

Determine if the office has taken adequate corrective action on prior audit report recommendations. 

In carrying out this engagement, the staff and representatives of the audit firm will exercise the utmost discretion regarding all matters of the Auditee representatives and its business and will not communicate to any person or entity any information known to them by reason of this audit engagement, except with the prior written approval of the Chief Financial Officer of Jhpiego. 

Eligibility

Responding firms must meet all three of the following requirements to be eligible for consideration.

• Responding firms must be registered pursuant to Rwandan requirements and recognized as licensed accounting and audit firm under Rwandan Law. Evidence of the same must be provided; and
• Responding firms must be a member, affiliate, or partner of a global and/or regional network of accounting and auditing service firms; and
• The firm, and individuals proposed, have to demonstrate the capability to perform the engagement in accordance with the International Audit Standards (ISA) and requirements of the Government of Rwanda. 

Technical Content

The audit firm will furnish satisfactory evidence of capability to provide in a professional and timely manner, the services stated in the Request for Proposal. To meet this requirement, the audit firm will: 

• Include a cover letter clearly stating the following: The firm name, responsible contact person, telephone and fax numbers and the mailing address of the firm.
• Include the e-mail addresses and telephone contact details for principal(s) that will be assigned to this engagement.
• Provide evidence of experience in performing the audit services to international non-governmental organizations in Rwanda.
• Provide a short summary of the firm and individual approach to achieving professional fluency with the new law, Rwandan Law No. 016/2018 of 13/04/2018 Establishing Taxes on Income.
• Provide references – list at least two (2) current and two (2) past clients along with the names and telephone numbers of contact persons and number of years of services
• Provide a list names of staff member(s) who will be assigned to the engagement and/or direct the overall Include the educational background and/or curriculum vitae of all staff members named, and professional licenses held.
• Provide a copy of the registration and licensure of the firm and individuals under the laws of Rwanda.
• Project Management Plan: Describe the engagement approach, number of hours anticipated, and how deadline requirements will be The project management plan must include a detailed scoping and timeline that yield production of a final draft on or before March 25, 2024, compliant to reporting format to Rwandan Law.
• Include a copy of the firm’s most recent peer review report, the related letter of comments, and the firm’s response to the letter of
• Provide the details of the proposed fee structure in terms of budgeted hours and costs, inclusive of applicable VAT, travel and other engagement expenses. All costs must be budgeted. 

Submission Procedure

Submissions of proposals compliant to all Jhpiego requirements on or before the submission deadline, above, will be accepted in electronic format only. Submissions must be in English and in Portable Document File (PDF) format. Partial, late or hard copy submissions may result in disqualification, at the sole discretion of Jhpiego.

No phone calls will be entertained. 

Proposals will be addressed to Simone Grant, Senior Compliance Manager, Jhpiego Corporation; and submitted via email on or before the deadline contained herein to Simone.Grant@jhpiego.org and Laurence.Mukanyindo@Jhpiego.org

Proposal Evaluation

Proposals will be reviewed on the basis of the criteria listed below. 

• International orientation - Knowledge of international accounting and auditing standards and practices, and local NGO requirements is required. Specific experience with Rwanda local law as applicable to not-for-profits is required.
• Personnel assigned to the team - Experience, professional reputation, training, and background of the proposed
• Industry expertise - The expertise of the firm and knowledge of international financial transactions in a domestic setting will be
• Project Management Plan – Quality of the project management plan work plan and timeline that is appropriate for, and in accordance with, the timeline and requirements of the scope of work.
• Overall proposal cost - The proposed fees and out of pocket costs for the services outlined, including standard billing rates for all personnel that will be assigned to the Although proposed fees will be considered, Jhpiego reserves the right to negotiate a lower or different fee structure during the offer process.

Timeline

Audit firms are invited to submit their proposal no later than 12:00 PM EDT on February 15, 2024.

Respondents should plan to commence audit work within ten (10) days of a signed engagement letter.

Conditions for Submission of Proposal

Jhpiego is committed to selecting the most competitive offer and may not base its evaluation solely on price. Jhpiego reserves the right to award a contract to an audit firm who may not necessarily be the lowest bidder based upon cost comparisons. Therefore, the proposals should be clear, concise and complete with regard to both qualifications and technical contents. Jhpiego, reserves the right to reject all proposals received, and is not committed to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. Proposals received will become part of the official files on this Request for Proposal. All proposals in response to this request must meet the following conditions to be considered. 

Proposals that address only part of the requirements contained in this Request for Proposal will not be considered. The audit firm shall furnish such additional information that the Jhpiego may reasonably require. An oral (telephone) interview by phone may be required. Jhpiego will notify in writing, via e-mail, the selected audit firm who, based on evaluation of all responses; oral interviews and inquiry of references, is determined to be the best qualified to perform the engagement. 

Confidential information

The audit firm acknowledges that while executing the performance of the audit all the information verbal or written shall be treated as confidential for the purpose of the contract. The Audit firm agrees to hold the confidential information in strict confidence and shall use it only for the specific purpose necessary to perform the audit. The audit firm shall not release, divulge, publish, transfer, sell, disclose or otherwise make the confidential information known to any other entity or person. The audit firm agrees to implement physical, electronic or managerial safeguards to prevent the unauthorized access to confidential information. The audit firm agrees to promptly indemnify and hold harmless from, against and in respect of, and pay or reimbursed for, any and all claims, demands, liabilities, losses, damages, costs and expenses, the Auditee, its employees, arising from breach by the audit firm of its obligation under this clause. The obligation to the audit firm under this clause shall survive completing, cancelling or terminating the Agreement.

Participants in the Audit Process

During the audit engagement, the audit firm will work with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at Jhpiego headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland and Rwanda Country Office.

Abhishek Bhasin, Chief Operating and Finance Officer

Rajshree Haria, Senior Compliance Director, Jhpiego Corporation

Simone Grant, Senior Compliance Manager, Jhpiego Corporation

Marie Rose Kayirangwa, Jhpiego Rwanda Country Director

Laurence Mukanyindo, Jhpiego Rwanda Finance and Operating Director

Communications

To perform the above tasks, the audit firm must: 

• Communicate and effectively coordinate the audit work with the participants in the audit process so that the Auditor’s efficiency may be
• Obtain an understanding of the control environment surrounding financial systems so as to assess control
• Provide assurances as to the integrity of the Auditee’s financial statements.

Submission of Final Audit Reports 

The audit reports must be submitted to the client in 4 printed and signed hard copies and 1 electronic soft copy signed in Adobe acrobat PDF (Portable Document Format) file on email.

Method of Payment to Selected Audit Firm

Payment for services rendered in accordance with the Engagement Letter with the selected firm will be paid in two installments and with net thirty (30) day terms following receipt of an approved invoice. First installment of fifty percent (50%) of total audit costs may be invoiced when an Engagement Letter is executed between the Jhpiego and the selected firm. Final payment will be remitted upon completion of audit, delivery and acceptance of final audited statement and submission of final invoice by Auditor to Jhpiego. Each invoice shall contain an itemized, detailed description of all work performed during the billing period. Failure to provide sufficient specificity shall be cause for rejection of the invoice until all necessary details have been provided. Invoiced amounts may not exceed the budget provided without written approval from the Office of the Chief Financial Officer in advance.

Conclusion

This RFP is not an offer to enter into an agreement with any party, but rather a request to receive proposals from persons or firms interested in providing the described services. Such proposals shall be considered and treated by Jhpiego as offers to enter into an agreement. The sponsor and any of its representatives shall not be obligated for the payment of any sums whatsoever to any recipient of this RFP until and unless a written contract between the parties is executed. Consultation time spent in preparing a proposal to respond to this solicitation will not be compensated by Jhpiego or Jhpiego Rwanda.

Done at Kigali, January 27,2024

Laurence Mukanyindo

Finance and Operations Director