Consultancy opportunity: Implementing the API Accelerated Learning Programme in four African countries 

The Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA), a partner in the African Professionalisation Initiative (API),  is inviting eligible consulting firms to express their interest in a significant multi-country and multilingual assignment under the Strengthening PAFA and Public Financial Management Resilience in Africa (SPRA) Project. 

SPRA is a multinational institutional-support project financed by the African Development Bank through its Transition Support Facility Pillar III and implemented by PAFA. Consistent with Pillar III’s focus on building inclusive, effective and accountable institutions in countries affected by fragility, the Project seeks to strengthen public financial management and support the professionalisation of public-sector accountants and auditors. 

The consultancy will support the implementation of the API Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP).  

About the API Accelerated Learning Programme 

The African public sector faces a significant shortage of appropriately qualified accounting and auditing professionals. The API was established to help address this challenge by strengthening professional accountancy capacity within the public sector. 

The API ALP is an online programme for senior public-sector officials working in accounting, auditing and other public financial management roles who do not have a formal professional accountancy qualification or designation, or who have not completed training addressing recent developments in relevant international standards. 

The programme covers 15 topics delivered through 55 courses and includes online learning content, downloadable notes, practice assessments and final assessments. 

About the assignment 

The consultancy will support country-level implementation of the existing English and French versions of the API ALP. It will also develop, contextualise and digitise a standardised Portuguese version for use in Lusophone Africa. 

The assignment includes technical translation and quality assurance, Lusophone contextualisation, digital learning, institutional diagnostics, implementation planning, stakeholder engagement and learner rollout. 

Expertise required 

This multidisciplinary assignment requires expertise in public financial management, professional education, technical English-to-Portuguese translation, Lusophone contextualisation, digital learning and country-level implementation. 

The lead consulting firm should have at least seven years of relevant institutional experience. The firm should demonstrate experience in complex multi-country assignments in Africa; working with professional accountancy organisations, governments and public-sector institutions; large-scale technical translation and quality assurance; online learning and assessment deployment; implementation planning and learner rollout; and working in fragile or transition-state contexts. 

Appropriate French-, Portuguese- and English-language capacity and relevant country or regional expertise are essential. Consulting firms may apply individually or form joint ventures to provide the complementary capabilities required. 

The consulting firm will be selected through the Quality- and Cost-Based Selection method in accordance with the African Development Bank’s Procurement Framework for Bank Group-Funded Operations. 

Country/Region: Africa 

Issue Date: 13 August 2026   

Submission Deadline: 27 August 2026 at 17:00 hours SAST 

Application link: Application Link 

Documents: Request for Expressions of Interest: English: Request for Expression of Interest 

Documents: Request for Expressions of Interest: Portuguese: Request for Expression of Interest 

(French Documents to be shared) 

Enquiries: NondumisoB@pafa.org.za with copy to development@pafa.org.za