Senior Municipal Finance Consultant

**Senior Municipal Finance Consultant**

KwaZulu-Natal Contract **(Salary: Negotiable)**

The experienced Senior Municipal Expert resource is required to work within the municipal environment to provide support on:
a) Building the required skills and capacity which enables effective financial management practices and accordingly improves the respective audit opinions;
b) Implementing key accounting processes and controls; and

c) Reviewing the municipal annual financial statements and working paper file to ensure compliance with the Generally Recognised Accounting Practice (GRAP) and Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) requirements.

d) Transfer of skills to official on reviewing accounting practices and controls as well as financial statements.

**This is a deliverable based contract, and the resource will be expected to perform the following duties**:
1. **Pre-Audit Assessments**:
a) Conduct assessments to determine the municipalities' audit readiness with reference to accounting processes and controls as well as the status of the Annual Financial Statements Preparation Plan and Audit Action Plan;
b) Develop a customised project plan agreed to by both KZN PT and the municipality which prioritises the key accounting processes and controls as well as the Annual Financial Statements Preparation Plan and Audit Action Plan;
c) Assist the municipality in addressing prior year audit matters as raised by the Auditor-General which have been prioritised in the customised project plan. Put in place mechanisms to avoid re-occurrence;
d) Assist the municipality to identify current year audit risks and recommend preventative controls to address accordingly;
e) Technical Review of prioritised accounting records, key registers, reconciliations, schedules, working papers to ensure compliance to GRAP standards as well as MFMA requirements and best practices, including appropriate recommendations to assist the municipalities in addressing weaknesses and gaps identified.

f) Continuous provision of workshops/training of municipal officials in terms of key accounting processes and controls throughout the project.

2. **Review of Annual Financial Statements and working paper file**

b) High level review of the accounting records, key registers, reconciliations, schedules and working papers e.g., fixed assets, grants, retentions, receivables, payables etc. to ensure compliance with the GRAP standards and accurate disclosure within the annual financial statements;
c) Provide technical assistance and recommendations in addressing financial statement review queries as required, including queries from the Auditor-General on key financial statement matters having an impact on fair presentation;
d) Provide skills transfer to the internal audit component and/or relevant municipal officials, by providing training on the process of reviewing the financial statements and working papers as well as managing the audit queries.

e) Dependent on the municipal needs, the resources may be required to provide some assistance to the municipalities in providing technical support on any outstanding matters identified during the review of the financial statements and audit working paper file and the audit process.

3. **Financial Management Support**

a) Conduct assessments at selected municipalities and identify key focus areas of support and develop a customised support plan agreed to by both KZN PT and the municipality. This can include but is not limited to:
i. Perform and or review quality, accuracy, validity and/or completeness (dependent on the risk) of monthly accounting records, reconciliations, registers, schedules, processes and controls in line with GRAP standards and other applicable legislation. Provide practical training/recommendations for which the implementation there of is subsequently monitored;
ii. Resolve prior year audit matters as raised by the Auditor-General which have been prioritised in the customised project plan. Put in place mechanisms to avoid re­occurrence;
iii. Identify current year audit risks and recommend preventative controls to address accordingly;
iv. Assist the municipality to develop an accurate, valid and credible audit action plan and assist in monitoring the implementation thereof.

v. Assist the municipality to develop a credible Annual Financial Statements preparation plan and assist in monitoring the implementation thereof.

vi. Provide guidance and oversight in the asset register preparation process and asset management processes or assist in the preparation of the asset register as required;
vii. Assist in the preparation and or review of annual financial statements as well the audit working paper file to ensure alignment with GRAP and MFMA requirements.

viii. Preparation of compliant annual financial statements and audit working paper file, including supporting reconciliations, calculations, workings, schedules and disclosures, as required;
ix. Training and development, including the developme