REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (REOI) - SENIOR INTERNAL AUDITOR

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (REOI)

Individual Selection of Consultant

Country: Government of Vanuatu
Name of the Project: Vanuatu Affordable and Resilient Settlements Project (VARS)
Consulting Service: Senior Internal Auditor
Individual/Firm: Individual Consultant (CS-INDV)
Date of Publication : 08th May 2026
Deadline for submission: 22nd May 2026
Reference Number: VU-MLNR-545550-CS-INDV

1). BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

The Vanuatu Affordable and Resilient Settlements (VARS) Project, funded by the World Bank, supports the Government of Vanuatu in strengthening land administration systems, improving infrastructure access, and enhancing institutional capacity within the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MoLNR).

A key challenge identified within MoLNR is the limited institutional capacity in internal audit and financial control systems, particularly in relation to:

• Compliance with the Public Finance and Economic Management (PFEM) Act and Contract and Tenders Board (CTB) Act
• Weak or inconsistent internal control systems and procedures
• Lack of standard operating procedures (SOPs) across revenue and financial processes
• Limited capacity for investigative audits and risk management

To address this, the VARS Project will finance a Senior Internal Audit Technical Advisor to:

• Temporarily undertake the functions of an Internal Auditor, and through that learning process.
• Establish systems, SOPs, and institutional frameworks to enable a permanent Public Service position to be filled and sustained.

This assignment is designed as a dual-role position combining both operational delivery and institutional establishment functions. The Technical Advisor will be required to (i) perform the full duties of an Internal Auditor on an interim basis to ensure continuity of audit oversight and compliance within the Ministry, and (ii) simultaneously design, develop, and embed the systems, standard operating procedures (SOPs), policies, and capacity necessary for a permanent public service position to assume this role.

The primary intent of this structure is to ensure that the engagement delivers sustainable institutional strengthening rather than dependency on external expertise. Accordingly, the Technical Advisor must prioritise the transfer of knowledge, development of practical tools, and implementation of systems that can be effectively maintained by the Ministry following completion of the assignment.

The success of the assignment will be measured not only by the effective execution of audit functions during the contract period, but critically by the readiness of the Ministry to transition to a fully operational, locally staffed Internal Audit function at the conclusion of the assignment. Support strengthening of revenue management systems through improved internal controls, data integrity, and audit of billing and collection processes.
The project has engaged the services of a Revenue Management Specialist and a Land Administration Specialist, who will actively assist the Senior Internal Auditor Technical Advisor in key tasks of the services. The Senior Internal Audit Advisor will work in coordination with the Revenue Management Specialist and Land Administration specialist on land and revenue-related systems and processes, with the Specialists leading system design and reform, and the Advisor focusing on control, compliance, and validation.