REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

SUPPORT TO PROGRAMME AUDITS

DATED: 14 NOVEMBER 2019

GAVI-RFP-2019-055

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT......................................................................................................32. RFP INSTRUCTIONS....................................................................................................................32.1. RFP Rules...................................................................................................................................32.2. Time Plan....................................................................................................................................42.3. RFP Process and Contact Information........................................................................................42.4. Required Proposal Format & Proposal Content..........................................................................42.5. Conflict of interest........................................................................................................................53. GAVI OVERVIEW..........................................................................................................................53.1. Our Mission.................................................................................................................................53.2. Our Organisation.........................................................................................................................54. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT...................................................................................................65. DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES................................................................................................65.1. Deliverables.................................................................................................................................65.2. Scope of work..............................................................................................................................75.3. Timelines.....................................................................................................................................75.4. Submission criteria......................................................................................................................86. EVALUATION CRITERIA...............................................................................................................96.1. Decision Making Process............................................................................................................9

Request For ProposalGAVI-RFP-2019-055

7. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL................................................................................................................97.1. Requirements for Financial Proposal..........................................................................................98. ANNEXES....................................................................................................................................108.1. Annex 1: Written Intent to Participate.......................................................................................108.2. Annex 2: Q&A Form..................................................................................................................108.3. Annex 3: Financial Proposal Template.....................................................................................10

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

1. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECTGavi Alliance’s (Gavi) Audit and Investigations (A&I) team seeks to establish a pool of professional services firms to work under the supervision of its core A&I team based in Geneva to conduct audits in selected countries.

2. RFP INSTRUCTIONS2.1. RFP Rules

Gavi invites you as a Service Provider to submit a competitive bid by responding to this Request for Proposal (RFP) for Support to Programme Audits (GAVI-RFP-2019-055). Please follow these instructions in completing your bid.

i. This entire RFP and all related discussions, meetings, exchanges of information, and subsequent negotiations that may occur are confidential and are subject to the confidentiality terms and conditions of the Intent to Participate letter attached as Annex 1. All bidders are required to complete and return the Intent to Participate letter.

ii. The issuance of this RFP in no way commits Gavi to make an award. Gavi is under no obligation to justify the reasons for its supplier(s) choices as a result of this RFP. Gavi may choose not to justify its business rewarding decision to the participants to this tender.

iii. Gavi reserves the right to:- reject any proposal without obligation or liability to the potential Service Provider;- withdraw this RFP at any time before or after submission of bids, without prior

notice, explanation or reason;- modify the evaluation procedure described in this RFP;- accept other than the lowest price offer;- award a contract on the basis of initial offers received, without discussions or

requests for best and final offers;- decide not to award any contract to any Service Provider responding to this RFP,- award its total requirements to one Service Provider or apportion those

requirements among two or more Service Providers as Gavi may deem necessary.

iv. All bids must indicate that they are valid for no less than sixty (60) days from the quotation due date.

v. Faxed copies will not be accepted. Late quotations are subject to rejection.

vi. Gavi reserves the right to request additional data, information, discussions or presentations to support part of, or your entire bid proposal. Service Providers or their representatives must be available to discuss the details of their proposal during the evaluation process.

GAVI-RFP-2019-055 3/10

vii. All responses should be submitted in electronic version.

viii. The proposed time plan set out below indicates the process Gavi intends to follow. If there are any changes to this time plan, Gavi will notify you in writing.

ix. If the applicants are individuals, and US Citizen or Green Card holders, they should be aware of the OFAC Regulations and Restrictions.

2.2. Time Plan

Event Responsible Party TimelinesLaunch RFP Gavi 14 Nov 2019Q&A sent to Gavi Service Provider 27 Nov 2019Send Intent to Participate letter Service Provider 19 Dec 2019COI letter sent to Gavi Service Provider 19 Dec 2019Gavi response to Q&A Gavi 19 Dec 2019Proposals received by Gavi Service Provider 03 Jan 2019Review Proposals Gavi W/C 06 Jan 2020Selection Gavi & Service Provider W/C 13 Jan 2020Negotiate Services Agreement Gavi & Service Provider W/C 20 Jan 2020

2.3. RFP Process and Contact Information

2.3.1. Instructions to Service ProvidersAny Service Provider may request further clarification on matters pertaining to this RFP by submitting its question(s) in writing to the individual identified below. Due date for Q&A submission is stated in Section 2, para 2.2 Time Plan. In order to keep the RFP competition fair, questions on the substance of the RFP will only be answered in a public document released as stated in Section 2, para 2.2 Time Plan. Please do not contact other Gavi staff to discuss the RFP. To address your questions, please use the form attached as Annex 2.

2.3.1. Confirmation of Intent / ConfidentialityPlease transmit your intent to participate using and signing the document in Annex 1. This RFP contains information that is confidential and proprietary as stated by the “Intent to Participate”-document. Each Service Provider is required to transmit a written confirmation of intent or decline as stated in Section 2, para 2.2 Time Plan. Confirmations of intent should be submitted by email to the below mentioned contacts.

Acceptable means of transmission include the electronic file with digital signature.

Gavi Alliance RFP Contact Information

Contact Person Contact Role/Title Contact Information

Manfred Wattinger Senior Manager Procurement Email: Procurement@gavi.org

2.4. Required Proposal Format & Proposal Content

Responses to this RFP must consist of the following:

GAVI-RFP-2019-055 4/10

1. Cover letter, which includes: Name and address of the Service Provider Name, title, telephone number, and e-mail address of the person authorised to

commit the Service Provider to a contract Name, title, telephone number, and e-mail address of the person to be contacted

regarding the content of the proposal, if different from above A signature of this letter done by a duly authorised representative of your

company/firm

2. Electronic copy Documents and spreadsheets in MS-Office format. Diagrams and drawings in MS-Visio or MS-PowerPoint Office format

Please do not submit generic marketing materials, broadly descriptive attachments, or other general literature.

2.5. Conflict of interest

The proposed persons should not have current nor for the last three years, assignments contracted by the Ministry of Health in the countries in which the service provider proposes to offer audit services.

In addition, as part of the submission, please inform us of any assignments that the firm has done in the Ministry of the Health in the countries listed. (Assignment, contractor, period and value of contract).

Please complete, sign and send this conflict of interest as stated in Section 2, para 2.2 Time Plan.

3. GAVI OVERVIEW3.1. Our Mission

Gavi’s mission is to save children’s lives and protect people’s health by increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.

The Gavi Alliance is a unique organisation that aligns public and private resources in a global effort to create greater access to the benefits of immunisation. It does this with precision and in creative, innovative ways to ensure that donor contributions efficiently save lives and help build self-sufficiency in the world’s poorest communities and regions. It brings together all the main actors in immunisation including developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrial and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society organisations, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropists.

GAVI-RFP-2019-055 5/10

3.2. Our Organisation

The Gavi Alliance secretariat, which previously was hosted by UNICEF since its launch in 2000, became an independent international organisation – a Swiss Foundation, with privileges and immunities in Switzerland effective from 1 January 2009 – the first organisation to receive such recognition under the Swiss Host State Act.

The Gavi Alliance secretariat is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Gavi, including mobilising resources to fund programmes; coordinating programme approvals and disbursements; legal and financial management; collaboration and coordination with other global health agencies; and administration for the Gavi Alliance Board and committees.

For more information please visit the Gavi website: http://www.gavi.org/about/mission

4. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXTAudit and Investigations (A&I) is an independent function designed to assist the management and stakeholders of Gavi in accomplishing its objectives. For more information please visit the Gavi website: https://www.gavi.org/about/governance/audit-and-investigations/

Programme Audit, as a unit within A&I, conducts audits of programmes in-country to assess whether Gavi support, including cash, vaccines and related supplies, has been used as intended to provide value-for-money. The audit takes into account both financial and programmatic aspects.

In order to support its core team in Geneva, the Programme Audit unit seeks the services of professional services firms to conduct programme audits in selected countries, as outlined in section 5.3 of this RFP.

The Programme Audit unit’s work focuses on auditing public institutions and parastatals, who work in the health and immunisation sector. A broad financial and performance audit approach is followed, and the scope of work focuses on reviewing the books and records of the specific public entities who manage Gavi’s funds. Engagements are executed in a developing country context which may involve some hardship, and requires frequent travel to validate programmatic activities, assets and transactions at a sub-national level and may include visits to health clinics and primary health care facilities.

The primary objective of a Programme Audit is to ensure that funds are spent in accordance with the terms and conditions agreed with Gavi and that resources are being used for intended purposes.

A Programme Audit may cover governance and oversight mechanisms, programme management (including data), vaccine supply management, income received, expenditures incurred and procurement activities conducted at national and sub-national levels for a period to be defined. However, access to records prepared before the defined period may be required to confirm the carry forward and status of balances and assets during the period under review.

GAVI-RFP-2019-055 6/10

5. DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES5.1. Deliverables

The selected firm will be expected to deliver to Gavi the following:

Detailed working papers; Detailed audit report; All relevant supporting documents.

The Programme Audit report may cover the following:

a) Provide comments and observations on the following: Governance and oversight mechanisms; Programme management, supervision and monitoring; Data management; Vaccine and supply chain management; Budgeting and Financial management; Asset Management; Compliance to grant agreements; The status on progress in implementing and follow-up of past Grant

management requirements and audit recommendations; and Specific matters of concern that may impede the achievement of the intended

objectives of the grant.

Each issue raised will indicate the severity of the issue or risk rating as in accordance to the following 3-point scale: High – Medium – Low.

b) Present recommendations (which have been discussed with the MOH/EPI) which are practicable and address the issues, including proposed deadlines for completion and prioritisation of how soon the recommendation should be implemented, using the following 3-point scale: Critical – Essential – Desirable.

c) Report on any expenditure deemed ineligible or questionable and quantify these expenditures.

d) Identify matters/issues for follow up by the concerned ministries and advise if it is recommended for Gavi to conduct further follow up of any material or significant items or control weaknesses.

5.2. Scope of work

The scope of Programme Audits is defined by the risk assessments performed in the following areas

a) Governance and oversight; b) Programme management, supervision and monitoring;c) Data management;d) Vaccine and supply chain management;e) Budgeting and Financial management; andf) Asset Management

GAVI-RFP-2019-055 7/10

The scope of work for the consultant, including a risk assessment will be shared with the selected consultant at the beginning of each assignment. This will clearly indicate the audit areas assigned to the consultants.

5.3. Timelines

The duration of this RFP will cover countries selected for audit for a three-year period starting January 2020. The countries identified will be shared with selected providers on an annual basis. Refer to list of Gavi eligible countries on http://www.gavi.org/country/.

Gavi is looking to identify a pool of firms with the appropriate competencies. It is not expected that a bidder will necessarily be capable or willing to conduct assignments in each and/or all of the countries listed or identified. For each engagement Gavi will engage specific firms/consultants selected from the pool based on their capability, availability and continuing performance.

Timelines for the audit execution will be communicated to prospective service providers in a timely manner before the commencement of the assignment.

5.4. Submission criteria

Each firm should at minimum submit the following profiles:

Nr of people Profile Minimum nr of years of experience1 Team Leader 7 years3 Managers (experienced auditors) 5 years3 Auditors 3 years (5 years for Senior Auditors)

Each CV should at least outline the below:

English or French native speakers. In addition, the following additional languages are highly desirable: Portuguese, Arabic, Russian (Profiles should indicate which languages are applicable for each team member);

Under-graduate or higher degree in a relevant field; Professionally recognised accounting qualifications and or relevant qualifications from an

internationally recognised institution; Experience in an international public or private organisation/company with a strong

presence or stakes in developing countries in the area of programme, data, vaccine supply chain and financial management, audit and other reviews;

Sound, high level analytical and policy/procedures development skills; negotiation and conflict management experience;

Carry out the audit and report in the identified language with a final report in either English or French – these being Gavi’s two working languages.

High standards of personal conduct and integrity equally as a team member and individually;

The ability to communicate effectively with officials of Government Ministries and development partner organisations in respective countries.

In addition, desirable qualifications and experience in a development context, include: Project Management; Health Programme Management;

GAVI-RFP-2019-055 8/10

Data management; Logistics and supply chain management; Optimising internal control processes; Public financial management; Public sector governance; or Public procurement.

As per Gavi’s Access to Information Policy (see link), in order to facilitate public access to information and transparency around Gavi’s operations, information concerning Gavi’s decisions and operational activities will be made available to the public. As such, all Audit and Investigation reports are published on Gavi’s website. To this end, please explicitly state in your submission what is your position with respect to Gavi being able to publish the final audit report on Gavi’s website – either:

a) The final report as submitted by the bidder; orb) A redacted version of the report provided by the bidder but published under Gavi’s logo.

Provider Information

Vendor Questionnaire: Please fill-in the attached document

Together with the Vendor Questionnaire, we need you to provide us he past 3 years’ Financial Statements, namely: Auditor’s page, Income/P&L, Balance Sheet & Cash Flow.

6. EVALUATION CRITERIA6.1. Decision Making Process

The decision to award any contract as a result of this RFP process will be based on Service Provider’s responses to this RFP, quality of recommended expert resources and any subsequent negotiations or discussions.

The decision-making process will consider the ability of each Service Provider(s) to fulfil Gavi requirements as outlined within this RFP, and cost of the reviewed proposals will be evaluated as appropriate against the following criteria:

Overall performance of the company:o Understanding of, and ability to, meet Gavi’s requirements and deliverables;o Service Provider’s qualifications, reputation and backstop support;o Experience in similar projects, especially for organisations with needs comparable

to those of Gavi;o Track record of successful engagement in audits of development programmes.

Capabilities of the consultants:o Excellent skills and previous experience in strategy development for global health

organisations;o Good knowledge of Gavi’s institutional or organisation policies, systems and

procedures; and established relationships with the Alliance partners;o Developing countries programme experience;o Ability to work collaboratively, under pressure, demonstrating initiative and flexibilityo Strong oral and written communication skills;

GAVI-RFP-2019-055 9/10

o Travelling will be required.

Pricing:o Professional fees;o Any other related cost showing value for money.

7. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL7.1. Requirements for Financial Proposal

The financial proposal should be a standalone document (using Excel). This should:

i. Provide full details of your financial offer. This should include fixed costs and any variable costs.

ii. Indicate the components of your financial offer.iii. We recommend using the template inserted as Annex 3.

Please note that in accordance with Gavi’s Headquarters’ Agreement with the Swiss Government, Gavi is exempt from VAT, as well as customs taxes and duties in Switzerland. Consequently, your prices will have to be submitted to us net of any tax and in US$. The necessary documents will be sent to the selected provider(s) upon the ordering procedure.

8. ANNEXES8.1. Annex 1: Written Intent to Participate

8.2. Annex 2: Q&A Form

8.3. Annex 3: Financial Proposal Template

GAVI-RFP-2019-055 10/10