CLIENT: US AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Country:  USA

Sector:  State, Local and Federal Government

Service:  Financial Management/Management Consulting

Project:  Non-U.S. Organization Pre-Award Surveys (NUPAS)

Project Description: The USAID Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) contracted IBS to perform pre-award grant survey on non-US Organizations seeking direct grant awards from the U.S. Government. 

USAID/DRC required the professional services for the facilitation of Non-U.S. Organization Pre-award Surveys (NUPAS). The NUPAS is USAID’s tool for making a responsibility determination of a not-for-profit or for-profit Non- U.S. organization that is being considered for a direct USAID grant. The purpose of the NUPAS is to help USAID to determine:

• Whether the organization has adequate financial and managerial capacity to manage USAID funds in accordance with U.S. Government and USAID requirements,
• The most appropriate method of financing to use under the potential USAID award, and,
• The degree of support and oversight necessary to ensure proper accountability of funds provided to the organization.

Generally, the procedures consisted of review and assessment of the organization’s legal structure, financial management and internal control systems, procurement systems, human resources systems, project performance management and organizational sustainability.  The specific procedures included:  (1) review of organizational documents provided for each component of the desk review, (2) complete the USAID/DRC Mission’s survey instrument that provides scoring for each component reviewed, (3) review existing audit reports (internal/external) and note findings and their resolution, (4) if deemed necessary, interview key organization personnel and document the internal control procedures over the financial management and administration, noting whether there is proper segregation of duties, and (5) if deemed necessary, perform a walk-through of financial management and administration functions to assess adequacy, perform a walk-through of selected transactions from initiation to completion and review supporting documentation for propriety.

The services provided under this contract involved providing customer service, validating customer information provided in support of grant application, providing project administration and knowledge of federal laws and regulation applicable to award of federal funds.  Other services provided included review of organizational documents provided for each component of the desk review, completed the USAID/DRC Mission’s survey instrument that provides scoring for each component reviewed, and reviewed existing audit reports (internal/external) and noted findings and their resolution.