Selection of an Accountant (Individual Consultant) for the Regional Coordination Unit (RCU)

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Date : 23 Jul 2019 - 03 Aug 2019
Venue : ECOWAS Commission,
Town : ABUJA
Country : Nigeria

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT SELECTION)

NIGERIA
ECOWAS-REGIONAL ELECTRICITY ACCESS PROJECT (ECOWAS -REAP) (Phase 1)

Selection of an Accountant (Individual Consultant) for the Regional Coordination Unit (RCU)

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EOI_IC_Accountant (EREAP)_(WB) Final 150719 (1)

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Reference No.: (Phase 1) – P164044

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has received a grant from the World Bank toward the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOWAS – REAP), and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the Selection of an Accountant (Individual Consultant ) for the Regional Coordination Unit.

The consulting services (“the Services”) include the followings as shown below and the duration of the contract shall be for an initial period of 3 years with a probation period of 1 year renewable subject to satisfactory performance. The total duration of the contract is expected to exceed the 3 year period depending on the project needs. The consultant is expected to be available in the ECOWAS’s office in Abuja full time. In order to carry out the assignment successfully, the specific responsibilities of the consultant include:

A. Planning and budget:
 Support the preparation of annual project work plans and budget and monitor their implementation
 Participate in annual work planning and progress reporting meetings with the RCU Coordinator and the PIUs Coordinator;
 Assist national PIUs Accountant during the first phase of the project.

B. Accounting/Reporting:
 Establish a robust project accounting system, including reporting and filing systems, in accordance with the project document and the PIM procedures as well as World Bank procedures;
 Maintain petty cash transactions, including writing receipts, preparing payment request forms, disbursement of cash and clearing of advances;
 Manage banking transactions related to the project, including preparing bank transfer requests, submitting them to the bank, monitoring transfers and preparing monthly bank reconciliation statements and reporting;
 Safeguard of all vouchers including supporting documents for review by both internal and external auditors
 Reconcile all balance sheet accounts and oversee to the preparation of bank reconciliation statements for the bank accounts of the Project
 Prepare Project financial reports for agreement by RCU Coordinator, and Clearance needed.

C. Control:
 Monitor and ensure expenditure of project funding is made in accordance with PIM and World Bank procedures;
 Check budget lines to ensure that all transactions are correctly booked to the correct budget lines;
 Ensure documentation relating to payments are duly approved by ECOWAS Director for Energy & Mines;
 Report any actual or potential financial issues to the World Bank Project Chief Accountant, the Project Manager or the ECOWAS Director of Energy as appropriate;
 Monitor expenditure of petty cash and ensure records on file are up to date;
 Continuously improve systems & procedures to enhance internal controls to satisfy audit requirements;
 Maintain an inventory file to support purchases of all equipment/assets;
 Undertake other relevant matters assigned by the RCU Coordinator and ECOWAS Director for Energy & Mines.

The ECOWAS Commission now invites eligible Individual Consultants (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria are as follow:
Educational Qualification and skills
 Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics or Business Administration
 A formal Professional Accountancy qualification (eg. CA, ACCA, CIMA etc.) would be an advantage
 Good knowledge of administrative and accounting regulation and procedures of donor funding project
 A solid knowledge of accounting software systems, budgeting and strategic financial planning
 Good Computer skills in common word processing (MS-Word), spreadsheet (MS Excel) and accounting software
 Ability to work independently with high degree of integrity, responsibility and with minimal supervision
 Excellent written, presentation and reporting skills
Experience
 Have at least three (3) years’ professional experience in financial and accounting work, solid experience budgeting, planning and reporting on international funded projects;
 At least one (1) working experience in similar tasks with world bank-funded projects within the last five (5) years
 Have a good knowledge of ECOWAS region;
 Have experience in preparing final Accounts, Statutory accounts and working with Internal and External auditors to finalize the audited accounts.
Language
Candidates must speak and write fluent French and English; and have excellent written, presentation and reporting skill; Knowledge of Portuguese will be a plus.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 3.16 and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers: Procurement in Investment Project Financing – Goods, Works, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services, July 2016, setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest in Consulting Services.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Selection of Individual Consultant set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours Monday to Friday from 9.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m (GMT + 1) Local Time,

ECOWAS Commission, Directorate of General Administration,
Mr Seydou BANGORA, Head of Procurement,
Procurement Division, Plot 101, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro District, Abuja, NIGERIA.
Tel: +234 706 409 0671

E-mail: sbangoura@ecowas.int; procurement@ecowas.int, with copy to deklu@ecowas.int; bdabire@ecowas.int;

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form (in person, by registered mail or by e – mail,) to the address below, latest by 3rd August. 2019 at 5.00 p.m (GMT + 1).

i) Electronically to the email addresses below:
 sbangoura@ecowas.int
 with copies to:
o deklu@ecowas.int
o procurement@ecowas.int
o bdabire@ecowas.int

ii) Delivered in a written form (one (1) signed original plus three (3) copies in (person, or by registered mail) to the physical address:

ECOWAS Commission , Procurement Division, First (1st) Floor of the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters, Plot 101, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro District, Abuja, NIGERIA.

Commissioner, General Administration & Conference