Programme Officer (Coordination and Programme Management Support) at International Organization for Migration - IOM

The overall objective of the programme is to maximize the development potential of free movement of persons and safe, orderly and regular migration in West Africa in the context of the regional integration process. This second phase of the FMM programme will build on the success of the previous EU-funded support toward implementing ECOWAS migration-related policies and frameworks and improve migration governance in the region through a multi-stakeholder consortium implementation modality comprised of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), under the lead of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This five-year programme will be implemented at regional, national and local levels within ECOWAS Member States (MS) and Mauritania, with the main objective of effectively implementing the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol and the ECOWAS Common Approach on Migration.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

• Support the functioning of the programme governance and management structures by providing technical assistance on the day-to-day implementation of the programme to the ECOWAS Directorate of Free Movement of Persons, Migration & Tourism, in accordance with the planned activities in the programme’s workplan.
• Support planning and coordination of the Committee for Programme Steering and
• Coordination (CPSC), through communication, partnership building, report writing and liaison with EU Delegation (EUD) in Abuja and the Consortium partners (IOM, ILO, ICMPD);
• Support strenghtening the capacities of the ECOWAS Free Movement Directorate as the Secretariat of the Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) and the engagement with other key ECOWAS directorates and departments;
• Maintain good working relationships with key interlocutors engaged in intra-regional dialogue on free movement and migration issues, policy development and harmonization;
• Guide the Programme Manager on the implementation of all programme activities, ensuring a smooth coordination among the Consortium partners, the EUD in Abuja and ECOWAS;
• Ensure that monitoring and evaluation frameworks and activities are carried out to support the overall follow-up of activities, results and objectives of the programme and ensure the timely submission of narrative and financial reports to the EUD, in accordance with the provisions of the contribution agreement signed between Consortium partners and the EU;
• Enhance coordination and regular liaison between ECOWAS Free Movement Directorate, CPSC, EU in Abuja, other ECOWAS Directorates and Member states, and all other relevant programme stakeholders;
• Coordinate the development of programme-relevant information products, solid exit strategy in close coordination with the Programme Support Unit (PSU), ECOWAS and relevant programme stakeholders;
• Ensure synergies between FMM II and other programmes related to free movement of persons and mobility to maximize impact and avoid duplication of efforts;
• Promote and contribute to integrating and mainstreaming gender, protection, human rights and other pertinent cross-cutting issues into programme implementation.
• Maintain flexibility to take on added responsibility as and when needed, in close coordination with the Director of Free Movement of Persons and Migration;
• Should be capable of undertaking frequent travels within the sub-region.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education

• Master’s degree in Political or Social Science, International Relations, Law, Development Studies, Public Administration/Management, Project Management or a related field from an accredited academic institution with two years of relevant professional experience; or,
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the above fields with four years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Proven ability to establish and maintain strong working relations with Government and Non-Governmental counterparts, international organizations, civil society and/or private sector entities;
• Experience in coordinating complex inter-agency programmes and engaging with multiple partners and stakeholders;
• Experience liaising with regional bodies, governmental authorities, diplomatic missions and other international/national institutions;
• Experience in working with migration management related issues (policy, donor liaison, protection, labour mobility and/or social inclusion);
• Previous work experience on migration-related programmes or projects in the Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs) is an advantage; and,
• Previous work experience in the West African Region is an advantage.

Skills

• Strong programme/project management cycle skills (initiation, planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring);
• Ability to take responsibility for actions and results, to manage constructive criticism and to propose solutions to problems;
• Ability to work effectively and harmoniously within a team of colleagues, clients (CSOs, UN Agencies, among others) and stakeholders (including Government Officials) from varied cultures and professional backgrounds;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; exceptional interpersonal skills, a focused listener;
• High level of computer literacy (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint);
• Ability to independently carry out tasks;
• Ability to multi-task and to prioritize required;
• Incorporates gender-related needs, perspectives, and concerns, and promotes equal gender participation;
• Knowledge of UN, ECOWAS and Bilateral donor programming; and,
• Understanding of the continental integration architecture in Africa and the role of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) is an advantage