Coordinator - Joint Secretariat Support Office at African Development Bank - AfDB

Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL2
Position N°: 50076435

The Complex

• The Bank has reorganized and is developing the Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex whose major objective is to build regional capabilities and bring responsibility for client activities closer to the regions.
• Five Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Hubs have been created, each run by a Director General: Southern Africa, North Africa, West Africa; East Africa, and Central Africa.

The Hiring Department

• The Joint Secretariat Support Office Coordinator is part of the Regional Integration team within the Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex and reports directly to the Director, Regional Integration.
• The position is located within the Economic Commissions for Africa Secretariat and the Director of Regional Integration at Economic Commissions for Africa provides oversight and guidance to the Coordinator on a-day-to-day basis.

The Position

• The incumbent provides strategic and operational leadership and oversee the day-to-day running of the Joint Secretariat Support Office while facilitating the Joint Secretariat Support Office strategic interface with the African Union Commission, Economic Commissions for Africa and African Development Bank, and leverage synergies among the three institutions.
• The incumbent initiates, manages and evaluates activities and supervises staff at the Secretariat in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between African Union Commission/Economic Commissions for Africa/African Development Bank on the establishment and operation of a Joint Secretariat.
• The incumbent leads the Joint Secretariat Support Office's contributions in the generation and application of new knowledge relevant to the Bank’s Strategy, High 5’s and Africa’s development agenda. In addition, the incumbent is responsible for the evaluation of the performance of the Joint Secretariat Support Office staff.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Directing and supervising the Joint Secretariat Support Office Secretariat.
• Developing deeper partnership between the three institutions (African Union Commission, African Development Bank and Economic Commissions for Africa) and key partners including Regional Economic Communities.
• Develop and implement a results-based management system and ensure alignment with work plans, planning and management cycle.
• Elaborate clear Joint Secretariat Support Office work programs in line with the priority areas as recommended by the Steering Committee.
• Facilitate consensus among the three institutions regarding joint activities to implement, including sharing of specific roles and responsibilities in different priority areas.
• Facilitate and coordinate implementation of resolutions, directives and guidelines of the Steering Committee.
• Coordinate and manage cross-regional and cross-community of practice collaboration as well as build relations with external institutions.
• Prepare and submit comprehensive quarterly and yearly progress reports and work plans/financial updates/budgets of the secretariat to the Director of Regional Integration.
• Lead and administer the strategic direction of the Joint Secretariat Support Office as well as initiatives hosted within the secretariat.
• Organize team work among the Joint Secretariat Support Office staff and evaluate their performance so as to achieve the objectives of Joint Secretariat Support Office.
• Determine and manage the human and financial resource requirements of the secretariat, allocate and provide management support to the staff and facilitate their full performance in technical work; determine the staff's training and career development needs; approve their annual performance evaluation; and resolve serious staff disputes/complaints.
• Lead and coordinate the work program of the secretariat, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the timely delivery of outputs; foster teamwork and communication among staff in the secretariat and across organizational boundaries; implement the work program of the secretariat.
• Oversee programmatic and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the secretariat, including preparation of budgets, reporting on the secretariat’s performance, evaluation of staff performance.
• Participate in and/or chairs meetings for the Joint Secretariat Support Office, Donor and Partner meetings related to the regional integration initiatives or any other meetings related to the work of the secretariat.
• Advise on and promote the implementation of relevant regional integration policies and strategies.
• Provide strategic guidance and coordination on crosscutting and integrative sector programmes/projects and special initiatives for policy coherence and effective mainstreaming of good practices to enhance regional integration among the three institutions.
• Continuously review the environment in area of responsibility that promotes good cooperation amongst the relevant role players of the Joint Secretariat Support Office agreement.
• Provide strategic and technical guidance to Joint Secretariat Support Office and the Regional Integration Office in order to ensure there is harmonization amongst stakeholders (African Union Commission, Economic Commissions for Africa and African Development Bank).
• Provide the necessary guidance to the Joint Secretariat Support Office Secretariat and Regional Integration team that assists the Heads of the three institution in developing a common African Policy.
• Provide technical expertise and project management expertise in the development and operationalization of Agenda 2063.
• Provide advice to the Director, Regional Integration, on regional integration matters among the three institutions and facilitate and coordinate implementation of resolutions, directives and guidelines of the Joint Secretariat Support Office steering committee.
• Advise on the establishment and functioning of various communities of practice – the pools of experienced individuals who can be consulted to provide technical guidance/ advisory services and expertise on complex transactions and operations to regional hubs.
• Provide technical expertise and project management expertise on the linkages and operationalization of the three institutions Strategy and policies.
• Provide a direct and indirect operational support that contributes to the output and mandate of the Joint Secretariat Support Office.
• Perform any other related duties as assigned by the Director, Regional Integration.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master's degree or its equivalent in Economics, International Law, Social Sciences, Engineering, International Trade, Agriculture/Forestry, Business Administration, Public Administration and knowledge of development issues;
• Have a minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in an internationally recognized financial or development institution or public service; three (3) years of which should be at a managerial level.
• Private sector experience is an added advantage.
• Experience in managing portfolio performance.
• Ability to produce innovative and creative approaches to activities in order to enhance performance and create added benefits to the Bank and its clients.
• Possess the commitment to ensure that full use is made of the systems, procedures and culture within the organization in order to deliver the required results.
• Ability to work under pressure in a multicultural and distributed organization.
• Ability to ensure that the client (internal or external) is considered to be of primary importance in all transactions and interactions.
• Ability to present and win support for ideas; a good listener with cultural sensitivity, commitment to diversity and capacity to initiate and manage innovations, creativity, and change.
• Ability to build relationships and partnerships with a broad range of clients, internal and external, for effective delivery of results that meet the needs and interests of clients within and outside the institution.
• Comprehensively understands projects structures, including project planning, risk management strategy, communication management strategy, lessons learned and handover, and other critical success factors, strategies, policies, procedures and practices of other similar institutions.
• Has an acute knowledge and understanding of the elements essential for the effective delivery and measurement of development impacts through projects and programs in Africa.
• Can identify and create meaningful linkages across sectors to drive development impact at a country and regional level.
• Ability to define and effectively drive the portfolio management activities under uncertain and challenging circumstances.
• Demonstrated ability to take prudent intervention risks that contribute to the delivery an appropriate results.
• Make effective, timely and well-determined interventions for results delivery.
• Helps others understand how their personal objectives align with Joint Secretariat Support Office mandate as well as the three institutions.
• Creates motivational opportunities that recognize the diversity of staff and address the needs and goals of Joint Secretariat Support Office.
• Develops people to improve the capability of Joint Secretariat Support Office and the three institutions (African Union Commission, Economic Commissions for Africa and African Development Bank).
• People Management to ensure they are truly engaged and perform at optimal levels.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard MS office applications (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint).