Published date: 25 April 2022

Awarded contract - This means that the contract has been awarded to a supplier.


Closing: 12 November 2021, 5pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Analytical, scientific, mathematical or forecasting software package - 48460000

Location of contract

SW1W 9SP

Value of contract

£83,000 to £99,600

Procurement reference

C-2415

Published date

25 April 2022

Closing date

12 November 2021

Closing time

5pm

Contract start date

13 December 2021

Contract end date

12 June 2022

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Call-off from a framework agreement

A mini-competition or direct purchase from a pre-established framework agreement.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

The use of data and analytics (D&A) is now a core part of the way the National Audit Office (NAO) do their financial audits.

Specifically, the use of the journals data analytic tools is now mandated in how financial audit teams ("FA Teams") should do the audit of journals. The mandated approach to testing journals now involve FA Teams loading (general ledger) data onto the NAO's data platform (called AIMS - Audit Information Management System) and then using the in house journal analytics to identify high risk journal that then need to be individually tested. There are some technical challenges in using this D&A approach to journals testing and FA Team need support and training in adopting this mandated approach.

For the 2020/2021 audit season a temporary team was created of D&A Specialists to support financial audit teams with the use of AIMS and the journals analytics tools. This team was disbanded in mid-2021. As such, at the current time, we do not have a dedicated team of D&A specialists to support financial audit teams through the 2021/2022 audit season.

A request for a permanent team has been made as part of the 2022/2023 Operational Planning process, but even if this request is approved the team will not be in place until mid-2022 at the earliest. Until this permanent team of D&A specialists is in place we need to find an alternative resourcing plan for the 2021/2022 audit season.

The requirement is for a small team of D&A Specialists who can provide support to the FA Teams with obtaining general ledger data, uploading that data to the AIMS platform, processing that data through the journal analytics tool, and then interpreting the output.

Award information

Awarded date

11 November 2021

Contract start date

13 December 2021

Contract end date

12 June 2022

Total value of contract

£99,600

This contract was awarded to 1 supplier.

ERNST & YOUNG LIMITED

Address

1 More London Place
SE1 2AF
GB

Reference

Companies House number: 05458987

Supplier is SME?

Yes

Supplier is VCSE?

No

About the buyer

Contact name

Tania Khan

Address

157-197 Buckingham Palace Road
LONDON
SW1W9SP
England

Telephone

02077987000

Email

NAO.Procurement@nao.org.uk