Principal Officer, Library, Documentation & Research at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Institution: ECOWAS Parliament
Grade: P5
Status: Permanent
Directorate: Parliamentary Affairs And Research
Division: Library, Documentation & Research
Line Supervisor: Director, Parliamentary Affairs and Research
Supervising: Parliamentary Research Officers, Librarian/ Documentalist

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Director,Parliamentary Affairs and Research, the incumbent will develop, promote and ensure the efficient functioning of the Parliament’s library as well as excellent research and documentation services in line with international best practices in meeting the information and knowledge needs of the Parliament.

Role and Responsibilities

• Provide general orientation in the running of the Division;
• Plan, coordinate and supervise the work of the Division;
• Supervise the staff of the Library to ensure the delivery of services that meet the standards and requiredments of a regional Parliament;
• Oversee collection, development and management of Information resources in accordance with international best practices
• Conduct and co-ordinate research on areas of interest aimed at supporting the Parliament and its Committees.
• Deploy staff to research for individual Members of Parliament and Committees.
• Contribute technical advice to Management on policies and practices on all Library and Research related matterers.
• Compile relevant statistics and data for publication.
• Ensure timely and effective archiving of Parliamentary records and documents.
• Represent ECOWAS Parliament in inter – institutional meetings, with delegation of authority to commit the Institution on policy issues within the designated areas of functional responsibility.
• Coordinate the use of new technologies to enhance services provided in the Division
• Prepare the budget of the Division
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Master's Degree in Library and Information Science or any related field from a recognized University.
• 10 years of professional experience in public affairs including 5 years at a supervisory level;
• Experience in documentation support functions, such as referencing and terminology, editing and handling of official documentation is an asset. Experience with documentation, performance and financial information management systems such as Documents, Conference and Production Management System (DCPMS) and an enterprise resource planning system such as SAP/UMOJA ;
• Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to particular sector, functional area or other specialized field;
• Thorough knowledge of ECOWAS rules and regulations on the control and limitation of documentation and meetings servicing.
• Good academic knowledge of a broad range of subjects of the
• Working experience in a National or Regional Parliament would be an added advantage.

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;
• 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 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 in order to appropriately interpret and apply directive or 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 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 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;
• 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.

Annual Salary
UA66, 123.98, USD104, 330.42