PPO Business and Enterprise Promotion at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

ROLE OVERVIEW

• Under the supervision of the Director Private Sector, the incumbent shall develop and lead implementation of short, medium, and long-term strategies, work programmes and action plans to promote regional and international business in the region and facilitate the overall competitiveness of enterprises through the promotion of entrepreneurship, MSMEs, PPPs and the adoption of efficient and sustainable enterprise practices and policy reforms.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain a network of regional and international peer technical specialists/professionals and decision-makers needed to ensure the smooth implementation of ECOWAS programmes to promote competitiveness including MSMEs in the region.
• Coordinate the activities of the technical units in the directorate and provide normal range of transactional managerial skill to ensure effective performance and service delivery.
• Responsible for the development and implementation of approved short, medium, and long-term programmes and plan of actions for private sector promotion in ECOWAS.
• Monitor private sector development initiatives, needs and opportunities in member states in collaboration with relevant international, regional and national institutions and authorities and propose regional responses.
• Facilitate the development of business support and business development services and programs in the region in close collaboration with relevant regional and international partners.
• Promote the investment, trade and private sector potentials and opportunities in the region to regional, diaspora and international investors to facilitate the development and promotion of regional brands, value chains and business models.
• Develop and maintain project and business specific links with relevant institutions including third countries and the diaspora to promote regional businesses and disseminate regular information on regional business issues and opportunities.
• Facilitate the use of public private partnership models, especially for infrastructural development, and the adoption of private sector reforms that include commercialization, concessions, and privatization, etc to improve competitiveness and the business climate in the region.
• Facilitate the design and implementation of specific programs, projects, and institutions for adopting NEPAD’s good corporate governance principles, strengthening institutional and managerial capacity, and providing technical assistance to governments, private enterprises and business associations to upgrade capacities and enhance operational efficiency and competitiveness; facilitate the development of MSMEs in the region.
• Develop programs to capture and organize the informal private sector as part of the overall strategy to expand the regional organized private sector.
• Perform oversight functions for the implementation of studies and programs relevant to enterprise and business development in the region and coordinate such studies.
• Organize expert, regional, and international business Meetings/Fora as well as relevant Donors Coordination Meetings to promote relevant areas of business and entrepreneurship, including finance, and follow up on outcomes.
• Perform any other task assigned by the supervisor.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration, Management, Industrial Science, Technology Management, Production Engineering, Finance, Banking or in a related field from a recognized University.
• 10 years of professional experience international organization including 5 years at a supervisory level.
• Knowledge of institutional capacity building and general knowledge of program planning, experience in program planning, project management, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Experience establishing linkages to improve access to finance, employment, and business advisory services and along the value chains and to strengthen business skills and promote entrepreneurship orientations for continued growth.
• Understanding of the development sector and a global mindset with a solid grasp of how the development business works.

AGE LIMIT

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS KEY COMPETENCE

• Ability to lead in assigned programmes and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfillment of the organization’s mandate (e.g. establish networks, benchmarks).
• Ability to lead by example and organize teamwork to encourage cooperation to achieve targeted results, champion and build momentum for change and to bring about employee engagement; develops and implements internal controls for pilot program to manage potential barriers to implementation.
• Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity and displaying due regards for internal controls of rules, delegations, and transparency.
• Ability to bring together complementary skills/expertise, assess individual contributions and recognize/address accomplishments and shortcomings in a manner that brings continued success to the organization.
• Knowledge of program management at the level usually acquired from a certification in program management (e.g. Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) or Program Management Professional PgMP).
• Ability to research benchmarks and trends to bring about the best recommendations for the development and improvement of programs/projects that will best serve the community/organization.
• Well-developed networking and interpersonal skills to seek feedback, information, and data from a network of professionals from multiple countries/sectors/organizations and to identify and prioritize the most critical community requirements.
• Ability to manage and co-ordinate client management initiatives (e.g. feedback loops, surveys, studies, needs assessments) and make recommendations.
• Ability to develop and implement best practices in client services (e.g. dashboards, incentive management, feedback mechanisms).
• Ability to develop and implement stakeholder management plans, programs, and initiatives to obtain buy-in on new initiatives, to better understand dissenting views, to obtain resources and to increase perceptions of success.
• Diplomacy, tact, and respect of other people from varied backgrounds, understanding diverse cultural views especially within west Africa with the ability to convert diversity into opportunities to improve program/operational outcomes.
• Ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths bringing together innovative practices.
• Ability to remain objective in appraisals, evaluations and in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences positions, gender issues or opinions, and encourages staff to overcome cultural and gender barriers and background differences.
• Ability to serve the interest of a culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and some disable groups without prejudice, bias or sympathy to a select group.
• Solid understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute, and lead effectively.
• Applied knowledge of the Community mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political, and social state/trends of member states, especially as pertains to own scope of work.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS best practices, program management approaches and research techniques to lead and/or contribute to the development or assessment of programs, projects, or initiatives.
• Superior knowledge of the rules and procedures of ECOWAS in order to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
• Ability to analyze a situation by way of indicators (e.g. performance, technical) to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in making a decision.
• Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the source of problems, consequences of alternative courses of action, potential obstacles, and ways to avoid the problem in the future.
• Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms (using charts, diagrams, effective expository writing) to explain recommendations and conclusions aimed at solving problems or improving operations/programs/projects.
• Ability to develop new insights into situations, apply innovative solutions to problems and to design new methods of addressing issues/disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable, unavailable, or no longer effective.
• Proficiency in oral and written French and English languages.
• Ability to communicate with impact, clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner conveying credibility & confidence when making presentations, setting expectations, and explaining complex issues.
• Ability to listen intently and correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately.
• Accomplished technical writing skills (e.g. proposals, terms of reference, program assessments, blueprints, business processes) with well-developed editing.
• Ability to give honest feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings, and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance.
• Fluency in one of the three ECOWAS official languages (English, French & Portuguese).
• Superior organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs, and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs.
• Ability to set effective goals and targets for self, others, and the work unit and adjusting work or project priorities in response to changing circumstances.
• Ability to identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired capacity (e.g. training, structural realignment, partnerships, reallocation of resources.
• Ability to implement rigorous monitoring, and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs (e.g. management indicators, project milestones, program results, processing targets).
• Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.