Principal Program Officer / Head Of Division Agriculture at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, the incumbent shall undertake, initiate, monitor and coordinate the actions of ECOWAS Commission in the sector of Crop Productions, food Security and Nutrition, Land Governance and Rural Development, Analysis and Information System, Agribusiness and Value chains development.
• The incumbent shall contribute to Design, Develop and Implement Sectoral Strategies toward the implementation of the ECOWAS Agricultural Policies (ECOWAP) in line with management community decisions that contribute to the crops productions, commercial farming’s systems, sustainable family farming systems, Agri trade, food across borders, good agricultural practices and to poverty alleviation, rural employment, food security and food safety; and address the associated technical and policy issues.
• As a Head of Division, the incumbent shall support and represent the Director in the management tasks assigned.

Role and Responsibilities

• Initiate, monitor and implement the Regulations related to Inputs, Market, Standards, Safety, etc.
• Develop and Implement Sectoral Strategies toward the implementation of the ECOWAS Agricultural Policies (ECOWAP) in line with management community decisions.
• Coordinate Member State Agenda in the Agriculture and Food Security and Nutrition Sectors.
• Produce regular analytical reports (dashboard) on agro-sylvo-pastoral and fishery productions.
• Collaborate with Development Partners, Regional and International Institutions partner of ECOWAS in the Agriculture and Food Security and Nutrition Sector such as CILSS, UEMOA/WAEMU, FAO, AU Commission, CORAF, IITAA, WASCAL, FARA.
• Formulate and develop regional projects and actions to allow Management to mobilize international funds for their implementation.
• Plan, organize and participate in scientific and technical meetings; prepare and edit reports, manuals, guidelines and other specialized publications concerning the sector.
• Assist ECOWAS Member States through partners in planning/establishing training, extension, research and human resources development programs for agriculture and food security, etc.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Engineer or Master of Science Degree or equivalent in Agriculture Sciences, Agronomy, Rural Development, Agri-economy or related field OR any other relevant field from a recognized University.
• Have at least ten (10) years of professional experience in the field Agriculture, Rural Development, Food Security and Nutrition
• Broad experience as a program/project manager, project manager and programs.
• Demonstrated experiences in the fields of Crop Productions, Food Security and Nutrition, Land Governance and Rural Development, Analysis and Information System, Agribusiness and Value chains development.
• Skills in agricultural policy formulation, project / program formulation, strategic planning, or institutional and regulatory framework Extent of knowledge of and experience in the small-scale dairy sector
• Depth of understanding of the technical, institutional and policy constraints of major agriculture and food systems and nutrition
• Extent of knowledge of and experience in project formulation and funding requirements of major multilateral and bilateral funding agencies
• Extent of experience in institution and capacity building agriculture and food sector.

AGE LIMIT

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

ECOWAS KEY COMPETENCIES

• Ability to lead in assigned programs and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfilment of the organization’s mandate.
• 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.
• Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner.
• Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity, confidentiality 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.
• 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 and make recommendations.
• Ability to develop and implement best practices in client services.
• 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.
• Ability to be diplomatic, tactful 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 managing conflict regardless of cultural differences /positions, gender differences, and encourage other staff to overcome cultural and gender bias and differences.
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Ability to serve the interest of culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and persons with disability without prejudice and bias.
• Understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute and lead effectively.
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political and social situation and trends in member states, 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.
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS rules and procedures in order to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
• Ability to analyse a situation by using indicators to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in making decisions.
• Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the cause of problems, consequences of alternative causes of action, potential obstacles and ways to avoid the problem in the future.
• Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms 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 or disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable or no longer effective.
• 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 and editing skills.
• Exhibit active listening skills to encourage stronger communication amongst team members, to show care and make them feel valued and to drive employee engagement in all institutions and agencies.
• Ability to give constructive feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance.
• Proficiency in information communication technologies (ICT).
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs in line with result-based management approach.
• 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 use participatory approach in project planning and identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired task