REQUEST FOR AUDIT FIRM PROPOSAL
Our organization is accepting proposals from audit firms to provide audit (and tax) services for our organization in the coming year. We invite your firm to submit a proposal to us by January 23rd, 2023, for consideration. A description of our organization, the services needed, and other pertinent information follows:
Background
Connected Development [CODE] is a non-government organization [NGO] whose mission is to empower marginalized communities in Africa.
We strengthen local communities by creating platforms for dialogue, enabling informed debate, and building capacities of citizens on how to hold their government accountable through Follow The Money. CODE provides marginalized and vulnerable communities with resources to amplify their voices with independence and integrity while providing the communities with information that ushers social and economic progress.
The organization has a January 1 fiscal year-end, with a requirement to file an audited financial statement by March 30 of each year.
Services to Be Performed
Your proposal is expected to cover the following services:
1. Annual audit to be completed in compliance with the above filing requirement and meetings with the audit committee and or board of directors, as necessary.
2. Tax filings for the organization and related foundation.
3. Quarterly reviews of internally prepared financial statements.
Your Response to This Request for Proposal
In responding to this request, we request the following information:
1. Detail your firm’s experience in providing auditing and tax services to companies in the not-for-profit sector, as well as associations of comparable size to Connected Development, including those with international memberships.
2. Provide information on whether you provide services to related industry associations or groups.
3. Discuss the firm’s independence with respect to Connected Development
4. Discuss your commitments to staff continuity, including your staff turnover experience in the last three years.
5. Identify the five largest clients your firm (or office) has lost in the past three years and the
reasons. Also discuss, in instances where loss of the client was due to an unresolved auditing or accounting matter, the process of attempting to resolve the issue(s).
6. Identify the partner, manager, and in-charge accountant who will be assigned to our job if you are successful in your bid, and provide biographies. Indicate any complaints against them that have been leveled by the state board of accountancy or other regulatory authority, if any. Indicate any corrective actions that have been taken by the firm with respect to these people.
7. Describe how your firm will approach the audit of the organization, including the use of any association or affiliate member firm personnel and the areas that will receive primary emphasis. Also, discuss the firm’s use of technology in the audit. And finally, discuss the communication process used by the firm to discuss issues with the management and audit committees of the board.
8. Set forth your fee proposal for the 2022 audit, with whatever guarantees can be given regarding increases in future years. Provide your proposed fee for the required quarterly review work and for tax preparation.
9. Provide the names and contact information for other, similarly sized clients of the partner and manager that will be assigned to our organization for reference purposes.
10. Describe how and why your firm is different from other firms being considered, and why our selection of your firm as our independent accountants is the best decision we could make.
11. Include a copy of your firm’s most recent peer review report, the related letter of comments, and the firm’s response to the letter of comments.
12. Among other things, also include evidence of registration with Auditors’ General Office, your Firm’s Tax Filing, as well as the most recent audited report.
Evaluation of Proposals
CODE will evaluate proposals on a qualitative basis. This includes our review of the firm’s
peer review report and related materials, interviews with senior engagement personnel to be assigned to our organization, results of discussions with other clients, and the firm’s completeness and timeliness in its response to us.
Please submit your response to this request for proposal to audit@connecteddevelopment.org by January 23, 2023.