Audit Instructions

Institutional Audits 2026

Prepared for Development Cooperation Programme(s)/Project(s) whose financial support is channelled through SHED; a non-governmental organisation based in Liberia.

1. SCOPE

We ask you to conduct a Special Purpose Audit concerning the Development Cooperation Programme/Projects according to the list provided to you.

The receiving organization must observe principles related to good governance and anti-corruption activities. The funds shall be used only to cover expenses considered to be necessary and reasonable in carrying out the programme/project activities. The support receiving organization shall in its accounting follow the generally accepted national accounting principles (GAAP). The audit should be carried out in accordance with generally accepted international auditing standards as applicable and relevant national legislation and standards.

The nature of a Development Cooperation Programme/Project is as follows:

• A programme/project is not a legal entity but an accounting subject
• It can include transactions in more than one legal entity (e.g. Partner or Subsidiary)
• It does not prepare statutory Financial Statements
• The statements under audit are the Financial Programme/Project Report and the List of Fixed Assets
• Fixed Assets are not capitalized but recorded as cost when purchased

2. REPORTING

We ask you to send the Auditor’s Report to the SHED Liberia Country Office through the following email address: joyce.pajibo@shed-liberia.org

The report should be in English and include the following items:

• Programme/Project number and name
• Implementing organization
• Date of the cooperation agreement
• Reporting period and currency
• Exchange rate used in the Financial Programme/Project Report
• Total amount of budgeted income and expenditures (including balance from previous year)
• Total amount of actual income and expenditures (including balance from previous year)
• Closing balance (including cash, bank and other assets like advance payments and outstanding checks)
• Auditor’s name, position, address, phone, fax and e-mail
• Date, auditor’s signature and authorization
• Observations on the issues below

OBSERVATIONS

The Auditor’s Report should offer a specific observation in each area listed below:

1. Does the financial program/project report match with the bookkeeping?
2. Does the financial program/project report correspond with the cooperation agreement?
3. Do the received funds match with the bookkeeping? Does the allocation of funds to specific projects match between SHED and the recipient?
4. Does the bookkeeping match with the vouchers?
5. Are there proper approved and duly completed vouchers for the transactions?
6. Is there adequate bookkeeping, including journal and general ledger?
7. Do the changes in the list of fixed assets match with the vouchers?
8. Have the bank accounts and cash been reconciled and does the bookkeeping match with the bank confirmation and official bank account statements and cash book?
9. Does the opening balance of the funds correspond with the audit report of last year?
10. Is the approved financial program/project report free of material misstatement?
11. Are the received, unused funds properly recorded as a liability in the balance sheet and included in the ending balance of the financial program/project report.
12. Are the recorded expenses in the financial/project report in line with the approved original budget and activity plan? The report should contain explanations of deviations larger than 10 percent.
13. Is the internal control system of the organization in place? Are there any material weaknesses that the organization should improve?
14. Do the salaries of the personnel match with existing properly signed employment contracts?
15. Has social security expenses including pensions and taxes been recorded and paid to the relevant authorities in accordance with national legislation?
16. Does the organization have copies of all valid essential contracts (government, trading, lease, service agreement)?

Selection Criteria:

Eligibility Criteria- Grading (Yes or No)

• Tax Clearance Certificate
• Business Registration
• Current practicing license issued by a recognized accountancy body

Technical Criteria

• Experience of the firm in conducting similar audits in the past 3 years
• Adequate experience and capacity (CV’s of the Key staff)
• Sufficient trained managers and workers (CV’s of the staff to be conducting audit)
• Prior (SHED Entity) Audit Experience
• References from previous clients (Three references)
• Recognized bank account (copy of proof)