Principal Program Officer, Planning, Programming and Coordination at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

ROLE OVERVIEW:

• Under the supervision of the Director of Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, the Principal Programme Officer for Planning, Programming and Coordination shall be responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Community Strategic Framework (CSF) as well as the medium-term work programmes of the Institutions and Agencies.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• In collaboration with the Director coordinate and develop the Community strategic framework as well as the medium-term work programmes of the ECOWAS Institutions, Departments and Agencies.
• Coordinate baseline studies on the various thematic areas of the community strategic framework and develop baseline data for the programme outcome and activity output indicators.
• Assist the Director in the definition of the ECOWAS Commission’s organizational goals and objectives.
• Develop tools for the collection and analysis of data to provide input for strategic planning and long-term vision development.
• Support ECOWAS Institutions, Departments, and agencies to align their medium-term work programmes to the Community strategic framework.
• Assist to prepare the log frames of all projects of ECOWAS Institutions, Departments and Agencies, particularly in the areas of performance indicators and their measurement.
• Draft terms of reference for consultants, concept notes of projects and activities of the Directorate.
• Conduct capacity needs assessment of planning officers of Institutions, Departments and Agencies.
• and organise regular training programs to build their capacities.
• Develop an integrated approach to the Results-Based Management process to facilitate the budgeting and the programming of the activities of the ECOWAS Commission, Institutions, Departments and Agencies.
• Work closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation Division to strengthen the capacity of the M&E and Planning focal points of the ECOWAS Institutions, Departments and Agencies, in Result Based Management to ensure efficient programme development and management and the effective achievement of Community goals and objectives.
• Prepare and maintain a data base on the programmes and projects of ECOWAS Institutions, Departments and Agencies, with an in-built mechanism for data quality control.
• Contribute to the quarterly and annual work plans of the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate and coordinate the implementation of the quarterly and annual work plans of the Institutions, Departments and Agencies, in accordance with project activities and timeframes as appropriate.
• In collaboration with the Director coordinate the mid-term review and terminal evaluation of the community strategic framework.
• Identify lessons learned in the implementation of the community strategic framework and develop a framework for capturing these lessons in subsequent plans of the Institution.
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree or equivalent in business or public administration, management, statistics, economics, political science or other social sciences from a recognized university;
• 10 years of relevant experience.
• knowledge of institutional evaluation, environmental assessment, result-based management and strategic evaluation.
• Professional technical knowledge/expertise in the methodology of monitoring & evaluation, including theories, standards and models, quantitative/qualitative/mixed methods, validity/reliability testing of data, data analysis and interpretation, and statistical inference methods.
• Understanding of various approaches and methods of programme and project monitoring & evaluation.

AGE LIMIT

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

ECOWAS KEY COMPETENCIES

• 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.
• 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 coordinate 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 respectful 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 to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others, and assess performance.
• Ability to analyze 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 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.
• 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.