Number: 9689599
Country: Mali
Source: TED
Mali Country Programme Audit (2017-2022)
The Embassy of Denmark (EOD) in Bamako, Mali wishes to enter into a consultancy agreement covering audit services for the new Country Programme for Mali for the period 2017-2022.
The audit services cover pre-assessment audits, annual financial, compliance and performance audits, unannounced audits of implementing partners listed in the Terms of Reference (ToR).
Mali.
A cooperation agreement between the Governments of the Republic of Mali and Denmark was signed on 29.5.2017 for the period of 2017-2022. Denmark’s bilateral country programme for Mali comprise 3 thematic programmes and so far 11 subsumed development engagements. The 3 thematic programmes are:
— Peaceful Co-existence (TP1),
— Decentralisation (TP2), and
— Private sector development as from 2019 (TP3).
The indicative budget amounts to 755 000 000 Danish Kroner (DKK) (however, the budget includes amounts that is not part of this Consultancy Agreement).
The Embassy of Denmark (EOD), as the legal entity for the country programme 2017-2022, wishes to engage a consultant to perform the following audit services:
1) conduct the annual financial, compliance and performance audits in accordance with the internationally recognized audit principles (ISSAI, International Standards on Auditing, IFAC, INTOSAI) and DANIDA’s guidelines and these ToR for each implementing partner (as described in ToR, Section 7);
2) conduct 1 pre-assessment and organisational audit for each of the implementing partners that are to be audited. It should examine the administrative and financial management tools and procedures used by the partners. Subsequently, in addition to sharing the findings and recommendations with the stakeholder, the auditor may also suggest more suitable and effective tools for managing the programme;
3) carry out annual unannounced cash checks for each of the implementing partners to be audited. The auditor shall define the exact date. The unannounced cash checks should verify that the implementing partner ensures a:
a) good cash management;
b) regular and effective preparation of bank reconciliations;
c) clearance of advance accounts within the deadline given;
4) conduct final audits (only relevant for phase II);
5) produce an audit report, including a Management letter for each of the audits performed (as described in ToR, Section 8).
The contract covers the audit of the annual accounts of programme funds awarded to the implementing partners for the financial years 2017-2019 (Phase I). If the execution of the first contract phase is deemed satisfactory by the EOD, there is an option for the EOD for extending the contract period for the financial years 2020-2022 (Phase II).
The tender procedure is subject to Danish law. Any legal entity may only submit 1 application. Application for pre-qualification must be submitted electronically using the web-based tendering system “Digitale Udbud” provided by Kammeradvokaten. The tendering system is accessed using the link set out in section I.3. If not already a registered user of the system, an applicant must register to access the tender documents. All communication in connection with the tender procedure shall take place using the tendering system only. Questions and answers will be published through the tendering system. Questions must be submitted not later than 10.4.2018. Questions asked after this date will be answered if they are received in time for the Contracting Authority to provide the information required and communicate the answers not later than 6 days before expiry of the date for submission of applications. Questions received later than 6 days before expiry of the deadline cannot expect to be answered. Applications must be submitted by upload of the required documents. If an application contains more than 1 version of the same document the latest uploaded version, cf. the time-log in the system, will be regarded as the prevailing version. In the tendering system the applicant can sign up to receive notifications by email upon upload of new information. The applicants are however always encouraged to keep themselves updated in the system on an ongoing basis.
Applications should be submitted using the ESPD XML file available via the link set out in Section I.3. The ESPD is completed via: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/espd/filter?lang=da
Here the applicant is to upload the XML file, complete it and subsequently save it locally. The completed ESPD (XML file) preferably along with supporting documentation for the claims provided in the ESPD, unless it is publicly and electronically accessible free of charge, must be uploaded in the tendering system before the time limit stated in Section IV.2.2) (“Local time” refers to Danish time (i.e. currently Central European Time (CET), UTC +1)).
The Contracting Authority shall exclude an economic operator from participation in a procurement procedure where it has established that the applicant is covered by the exclusion grounds listed in the Danish Public Procurement Act, (Udbudsloven) §135 and §136 (EU Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, article 57(1)-(3), and article 57(4) (e),(f) and (h).) An applicant will furthermore be excluded from the procurement procedure if the applicant is in a situation covered by the Danish Public Procurement Act §137(1)(2). (EU Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of The Council, article 57 (4) (b).) Applicants should preferably include documentation with the ESPD for the claims given in the ESPD proving the absence of grounds for exclusion, as stipulated in the Danish Public Procurement Act § 135(1) and (3), and §137(1)(2). (EU Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, article 57(1), article 57(2), and article 57(4)(b)). For Danish applicants documentation can be presented in the form of a “serviceattest”. Entities from other EU member states may identify the relevant certificate(s) using the online platform e-Certis. Where the country in question does not issue such documents or certificates, or where these do not cover all the cases specified, they may be replaced by a declaration on oath or, in countries where there is no provision for declarations on oath, by a solemn declaration made by the person concerned before a competent judicial or administrative authority, a notary or a competent professional or trade body, in the country of origin or in the country where the economic operator is established.
Re. II.1.6): This contract has not been split into lots as the size and character of the services to be provided makes it unsuitable for distributing over several lots.
Pursuant to the Danish Act on the Complaints Board for Public Procurement, etc. (lov om Klagenævnet for Udbud m.v.) (the Act is available (in Danish) at www.retsinformation.dk), the following deadlines apply to the lodging of complaints:
Complaints for not having been selected must be submitted to the Danish Complaints Board for Public Procurement before the expiry of 20 calendar days, see Section 7(1) of the Act, from the day after submission of notification to the candidates concerned of the identity of the successful tenderer where the notification is accompanied by an explanation of the grounds for the decision in accordance with Section 2(1)(i) of the Act and Section 171(2) of the Danish Public Procurement Act.
In other situations, complaints of award procedures, see Section 7(2) of the Act, must be lodged with the Danish Complaints Board for Public Procurement before the expiry of:
1) 45 calendar days after the Contracting Authority has published a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union that the contracting authority has entered into a contract. The deadline is calculated from the day after the day when the notice was published;
2) 30 calendar days calculated from the day after the day when the Contracting Authority has notified the candidates concerned that a contract based on a Framework Agreement with reopening of competition or a dynamic purchasing system has been entered into where the notification has included an explanation of the relevant grounds for the decision;
3) 6 months after the Contracting Authority entered into a Framework Agreement calculated from the day after the day when the Contracting Authority notified the candidates and tenderers concerned, see Section 2(2) of the Act and Section 171(4) of the Danish Public Procurement Act;
4) 20 calendar days calculated from the day after the Contracting Authority has submitted notification of its decision; see Section 185(2) of the Danish Public Procurement Act.
Not later than at the time of lodging a complaint with the Danish Complaints Board for Public Procurement, the complainant must notify the Contracting Authority in writing that a complaint has been lodged with the Danish Complaints Board for Public Procurement and whether the appeal was lodged during the standstill period, see Section 6(4) of the Act. In cases where the complaint was not lodged during the standstill period, the complainant must furthermore indicate whether a suspensory effect of the complaint has been requested, see Clause 12(1) of the Act.
The email address of the Complaints Board for Public Procurement is set out in Section VI.4.1).
The Complaints Board’s own complaints procedure is available at https://erhvervsstyrelsen.dk/klagevejledning-0
