Principal Programme Officer, Human Security & Civil Society Organization at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

ROLE OVERVIEW

• Under the supervision of the Director, Humanitarian and Social Affairs, the incumbent shall be responsible for the work of the Directorate in relation to civilian protection and human security in both humanitarian and non-humanitarian situations. This includes the combat of human trafficking, refugee protection, protection of IDPs, promoting compliance with International Humanitarian Laws (IHL), child protection (including the protection of children on the move and in emergency situations) and child rights, combatting sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), combatting statelessness and other protection concerns. The Officer shall coordinate the implementation of an integrated approach to protection and human security and shall be responsible for engagement with civil society in driving the regional development agenda as well as implementation of the program on women peace and security.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the work of the Directorate in relation to civil society engagement, civilian protection and human security in both humanitarian and non- humanitarian situations.
• Specifically includes the combat of human trafficking, refugee protection, protection of IDP’s, promoting compliance with International Humanitarian Laws (IHL), child protection (including the protection of the children on the move and in emergency situations) and child rights, combatting sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), combatting statelessness and dealing with the protection concerns arising from mixed migration situations.
• Ensure coordination with the Regional Peace and Security program and will seek to further the cause of protection of the rights of “especially vulnerable” persons including women, children, the elderly, disabled and civilians generally both within the context of emergencies (including conflict situations) and in non-emergency situations.
• Specific responsibilities of maintaining oversight of all protection and human security concerns of affected persons and groups, leading strategy development and implementation and will provide technical and managerial leadership to the program officers in the Division.
• Ensure the development and deployment of an integrated approach to the protection of the rights of all vulnerable persons within the ECOWAS space and alignment of strategies within the ECOWAS Commission.
• Establish and institutionalize a formal relationship between ECOWAS and Civil Society Organizations in the region including those in the Diaspora of ECOWAS descent towards realizing ECOWAS Vision of making ECOWAS an ECOWAS of the people.
• Ensure that Civil Society Organizations in ECOWAS region and in the Diaspora contribute to enriching the ECOWAS integration process and agenda including supporting the building of their capacity and mobilizing them to engage in monitoring Member States compliance and implementation of ECOWAS texts and decisions.
• Implement programs of the Commission in relation to engagement with and developing capacities of civil society and their effectiveness in driving the regional development agenda, as well as implementation of the program on women peace and security and gender policy.
• Lead the work of the Directorate in the area of protection concerns arising from mixed migration situations.
• Perform any other task assigned by the supervisor.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Gender studies, Sociology, International Relations, Law, Economics, or Social Sciences or in a similar field from a recognized University.
• 10 years of professional experience in socio economic development, policy analysis, sociological research, or related area, including 6 years relevant international work and 5 years at a supervisory level.
• Demonstrated professional expertise in the subject matter.
• Excellent knowledge of ECOWAS region and member countries including the political, economic and social dimensions affecting social affairs and gender policies and programmes.
• Proven knowledge of evidence based complex sociological research projects and development of alternative social models.

 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 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 bring about employee engagement.
• Ability to develop and implement internal controls for pilot programmes and manage potential barriers to implementation.
• Ability to respect the chain of command in an appropriate manner.
• Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity, confidentiality and displaying due regard 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 programme 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, programmes 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, and 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, programme 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/programme 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 adjust work or project priorities in response to changing circumstances.
• Ability to use a 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.
• Ability to implement rigorous monitoring and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs.
• Ability to plan, organize, control resources, and to comply with policies, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.