1. Background

The Pan African University (PAU) is the culmination of continental initiatives of the Commission of the African Union to revitalize higher education and research in Africa, under the Second Decade of Education for Africa and the consolidated Plan of Action of Science and Technology for Africa. It will exemplify excellence, enhance the attractiveness and global competitiveness of African higher education and research and establish the African University at the core of Africa's development.

1. Objective of the Consultancy:

The objective of the assignment is to support the accounting activities of the Pan African University in compliance with the AU financial rules and regulations. The Consultant will be expected to facilitate the timely preparations of supporting documents, recording and filing of all transactions in accordance with aforementioned procedures.

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1. Scope of work

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Finance and Administration officer, the incumbent will undertake the following areas of work so as to achieve the objectives of AU-PAU:

• To provide technical support in financial Reporting, processing and settlement of imprest, prepare bank reconciliations, account for fixed assets and accounts receivable & payable in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and AU Financial Rules.

• on finance functions. Execution capacity of PAU Rectorate office Expeditiously follow up supply of goods and services and submit payment requests to the finance unit for action;
• Prepare minutes and reports of procurement committee meetings including obtaining the necessary AU-PAU internal approvals;
• Perform any other project-related procurement activities as may be requested by the AU-PAU Rector.

1. Main Functions

• Prepares schedules for month and annual closure of accounts and provide input into the preparation of IPSAS Compliant Financial Statements ;

• Settle imprest and make relevant adjustments/reversals in SAP ;

 • Prepare bank reconciliations on monthly basis and coordinate related audits;

• Maintain asset register in SAP and account for fixed assets in accordance with AU FRR, PPE Policy and IPSAS.

 • Perform periodic review of accounts payable and receivable to ensure that outstanding payments are made and recoveries are made for receivables.

Specific Responsibilities

Financial Reporting :

• Work closely with the Finance Officer to ensure timely and accurate monthly close of

Financial records for AU-PAU ;

• Produce consistent and accurate supporting schedules and reconciliations for all general

ledger accounts;

• Conduct a detailed periodic review of the general ledger activities and make accurate and timely corrections in the financial records to be audit-ready at all times ;

• Ensure timely reconciliation of all controls accounts. Record and review journal entries, analyzing general ledger accounts, recording adjusting journal entries and accruing expenses each month ;

• Ensure all monthly closing schedules are audit ready. Provide information and documentation to the Internal and External Auditors ; Assist in the implementation of internal and external audit recommendations ;

• Responsible for the day to day accounting functions relating to accounts payable and accounts receivable ;

• Oversee the timely reconciliation of all accounts payable and accounts receivable transactions, including analyzing regularly the aged analysis and take remedial actions to address long outstanding issues ;

• Responsible for the calculation of the accruals and prepayments and the adjustment of   transactions in line with IPSAS. Ensure accounts receivable and accounts payable balances are IPSAS compliant at all times.

Accounts Payable and Receivable :

• Settles imprest, travel claims and other advances and clear commitments ;

• Analyses Imprest and travel claims on a regular basis to keep clean and up to date ;

• Responsible for month/year-end closure activities for accounts receivable and accounts payable ;

• Produces consistent and accurate supporting schedules and reconciliations for all general ledger accounts ;

• Records and reviews journal entries, analyzing general ledger accounts, recording adjusting journal entries ;

• Prepares timely reconciliation of all accounts payable and accounts receivable transactions, including analyzing regularly the aged analysis and take remedial actions to address long outstanding issues and keep the accounts current ;

• Prepares responses to external and internal audit queries and assist in the implementation of audit findings ;

• Prepares memo to Payroll for signature of head of division for salary deduction of outstanding amounts from staff ;

• Complete clearance form for separating staff on outstanding debt.

Bank Reconciliations :

• Prepares Timely Bank reconciliation reports ;

• Follows up on all outstanding items on bank reconciliation statements and resolve them ;

• Responds to internal and external auditors query related to any reconciliation issues raised in reports ;

• Follows up periodic currency revaluation procedures on SAP system;

• Journalize monthly exchange and bank charges on the various payments effected through Foreign and Local bank accounts ;

• Adjusts the local bank balance at the end of each month.

Fixed Asset Accounting :

• Undertakes analysis for fixed assets on a regular basis and oversees the proper maintenance of financial records in accordance with International Public Sector

Accounting Standards (IPSAS), Property, Plant and Equipment (PPE) Policy and related

African Union Financial Rules ;

• Provides guidance in relation to PPE accounting and makes appropriate recommendations for changes in accounting policy ;

• Acts as knowledge expert on SAP Fixed Asset Module and shall be responsible for asset settlement processes and assists with the maintenance of fixed asset ledgers within the

SAP fixed asset management module, which includes configuration, master data maintenance, depreciation calculations and reporting.

• Lead and coordinate implementation of internal and external audit findings relating to

Fixed Assets ;

• Performs other related duties as required.

1. Deliverable

The Consultant shall prepare monthly activities reports outlining activities performed. At the end of each quarter, the Consultant shall produce monthly and quarterly report.

1. Duration of the Assignment

The estimated duration of the assignment is six (6) months. The selected candidate should be available to undertake this assignment with minimum delay.

1. Duty Station

The consultant will be based in PAU Rectorate in Yaounde, Cameroon.and will work within the stipulated working hours for the office with travel on specific assignments agreed with the AU-PAU Management.

1. Commencement date and period of implementation of the assignment

  The indicative start of the service is envisaged to by October 1^st 2024. The service shall be completed within Six (6) calendar months from the date of signing the contract (effective date)

1. Remuneration and Payment

• Payments will be done on monthly basis after satisfactory report, strictly consistent and compliant with the deliverables.
• No additional benefits except for DSA (Perdiem) when the consultant travels out of Cameroon to attend different meetings

(The consultant should cover any tax or other government obligation)

1. Supervision

The Project Procurement Expert will be under the functional and administrative supervision of the Senior Finance and Administration Officer but will work in consultation with all AU-PAU Units and staff.

1. Requirements

1. 1. Educational Qualification

• A Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance or a related field. Master of Business added advantage.

• Professional certification such as CPA, CA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent is an added advantage.

• Proficiency in French and English.

1. 1. General professional experience

• Candidates must have a minimum of Five (5) years of working experience in a similar role specifically in donor-funded projects. At least three (3) of those years should be in an

International environment.

• Experience and knowledge of reporting requirements for EU, USAID, SIDA, and similar funding partners

• Previous working experience with donor-funded projects is an added advantage.

• Proficiency with finance modules of SAP is required

1. 1. Specific professional experience

• Experience in an international work environment is highly desirable. Specific knowledge and experience in the African Union Commission and/or other organizations (e.g. USDA, European Union; AfDB) procurement procedures will be an added advantage;
• Experience in training, capacity building and improvement of accounting systems in an international organization or large institution;
• Experience working with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (such as SAP) or similar system is desirable;
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English with a working knowledge of the French language

1. 1. Skills and Competencies

• Professionalism - Proven expertise procurement; demonstrated in-depth technical knowledge and proven analytical skills on issues related to sourcing of goods, services and works;
• Planning and organizing - Proven ability to plan and organize work within procurement; ability to make timely decisions;
• Communication - Effective written, oral and presentation skills, particularly ability to present information in a concise and accurate manner; ability to develop consensus among people with varying points of view.
• Teamwork - Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds with respect for diversity.
• Judgement/Decision-making - Good judgement and initiative, imagination and resourcefulness, energy and tact, ability to ensure an effective work structure to maximise productivity and achieve institution’s goals.
• Proficiency in using the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) including excellent web navigation skills;
• Excellent analytical skills and report writing.

1. 1. Language requirement

Proficiency in at least one of the AU working languages (English, French, Arabic, Swahili and Portuguese) is a must (oral and written)

1. Evaluation and qualification Criteria:

The applications will be evaluated on the basis of the criteria set out above and marks awarded as follows:

The minimum technical qualification is 70.

The PAU Rectorate will invite the top 6 candidates who would have scored above 70% for oral interview.

1. 1. Gender Mainstreaming

The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

1. Submission of Applications

The AU-PAU now invites eligible Individual Consultants (“Consultants”) to submit the following documents in their application:

• Detailed curriculum vitae
• Letter of interest/ Cover letter
• Copies of academic qualifications
• Contact information for at least three professional references.
• A brief financial proposal expressing the expected fee per month in francs CFA (XAF)
• Copy of identification documents (s) e.g. national passport biodata page. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

The proposal and supporting documents should be submitted in English/ French.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 30^th September 2024.

Interested applicants should send their proposal together with other supporting documents to the administrative assistant through email at PAURectorate@africa-union.org no later than 30/09/2024 at 23h30 Cameroon Time.

PAN AFRICAN UNIVERSITY / UNIVERSITE PANAFRICAINE

PAU RECTORATE / RECORAT DE L’UPA,

Rue 1777 Joseph MBALLA ELOUMDEN – Nlongkak – Bastos

Floor/Room number: BP: 5383 Yaoundé, Cameroun,

BP: 5383 Yaoundé, Cameroun compound, Country: Cameroun

Tele: Tel: +237 222 21 70 90

Email: PAURectorate@africa-union.org

NB: The PAU-Rectorate has the right not to give a feedback on this publication