Practical Action
Position Title: Project Expenditure Verification
About Us
Practical Action is an international development organization putting
ingenious ideas to work so that people in poverty can change their
world.
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems.
Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent
gender inequality. We work with communities to develop ingenious,
lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste
management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works
with others, so answers that start small can grow big.
Background
Practical Action is implementing a five-year grant from one of its
partners, carrying out activities aimed at promoting resilient
agriculture among young people in nine counties of Western Kenya. As
Year One draws to a close, Practical Action is keen to ensure that all
spending and activities are aligned to the approved workplans and budget
and the donor requirements.
To ensure comprehensive scrutiny and address any issues, we seek an
independent consultant to conduct an expenditure verification exercise
in accordance with the revised ISRS 4400. The expenditure areas include
staff costs, training payments, transport allowances, consultancy
payments, equipment purchases, operational support costs, and any other
costs incurred in this program.
Scope of Work
The Expenditure Verifier shall undertake this engagement in accordance with:
1. International Standard on Related Services (ISRS) 4400 (Revised) -
Engagements to Perform Agreed-upon Procedures regarding Financial
Information as issued by IFAC.
2. The IFAC Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, emphasizing
integrity, objectivity, independence, professional competence, due care,
confidentiality, professional behavior, and technical standards.
Objectives
The Expenditure Verifier is expected to:
1. Execute agreed-upon procedures for all expenses.
2. Issue reports supporting Practical Action's conclusions on expenditure eligibility and related follow-up.
The exercise will be conducted as a desktop review with travel when necessary.
Procedures
The Expenditure Verifier's procedures should include:
1. Understanding the engagement context, contractual conditions, and the donor’s rules.
2. Assessment of risk factors associated with expenditure and revenue.
3. Examination of financial and non-financial evidence.
4. Review of all the expenses within the period under review
5. Identification of findings, facts, and analysis to support conclusions
Reporting
The Expenditure Verification Report will:
1. Provide information about the assignment and a risk analysis overview.
2. Detail the outcome of substantive testing and findings identified through the agreed upon procedures.
3. Develop and share the Expenditure Verification Report template,
including factual findings, standard practice, impact of noncompliance
and recommendations, regardless of the amount involved.
Requirements for the Expenditure Verifier
The selected Expenditure Verifier should meet the following criteria:
1. Membership in ICPAK and in good standing.
2. Over 10 years of experience in similar assignments with reputable firms or entities.
3. Immediate availability for the assignment.
4. Full-time commitment for the agreed-upon period
Consultant Evaluation Criteria
Consultant bids will be evaluated based on the following criteria and scores:
1. Technical capacity (Qualifications, experience) - 70 points
2. Budget - 20 points
3. Workplan/Timelines - 10 points
Consultancy Duration
The consultancy will span a maximum of 30 days during November to early
December 2023, with the final report due on or before 10th December
2023.
A detailed TOR can be accessed here- https://practicalaction.org/careers/vacancies/project-expenditure-verification/
How to apply
Interested independent consultants that have the capacity to deliver this TOR are invited to submit a complete proposal to recruitment@practicalaction.or.ke with subject line “Project Expenditure Verification” to reach Practical Action on or before 10th November 2023. All information/data given will be in the strictest confidence and will only be used for recruitment purposes
Requirements for the Expenditure Verifier:
The selected Expenditure Verifier should meet the following criteria:
- Membership in ICPAK and in good standing.
- Over 10 years of experience in similar assignments with reputable firms or entities.
- Immediate availability for the assignment.
- Full-time commitment for the agreed-upon period
Practical Action is an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from under-represented groups. We stay committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse working environment and believe that people from different backgrounds or cultures give us different perspectives, and the more perspectives we have, the more successful we will be. By building a culture where everyone feels heard, respected, and valued we give everyone working with us the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
We are committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-contracting checks.
The successful applicant must have the pre-existing right to both live and work in Kenya.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.