Principal Programme Officer (PPO), Education And Training at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Programme Officer (PPO), Education and Training

Location: Abuja
Grade: P5
Status: Permanent
Institution: ECOWAS Commission
Departement: Education, Science and Culture
Directorate: Education, Science and Culture
Division: Education and Training
Line Supervisor: Director, Education, Science and Culture

Role Overview

Under the supervision of the Director, Education, Science and Culture, the incumbent develops Programmes, Projects, and activities relating to Education and Training in the ECOWAS Region in line with regional, continental and global priorities and ensures implementation of agreed thematics through consultation, interaction, capacity building, general coordination and documentation.
This position therefore, requires a blend of cognitive, psycho-motor and affective skills.

Supervising:

PO, Basic Education and Literacy
PO, Technical & Professional Education and Entrepreneurship
PO, Higher Education & Development of Teachers

Role and Responsibilities

Manage, Coordinate, Facilitate, and Promote implementation of ECOWAS Education priority projects relating to:

Higher Education including Academic mobility
Equivalence of certificates and harmonization of Education Systems;
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Entrepreneurship;
Basic Education
Education and Training of Girls, women and other vulnerable groups;
School Health and Nutrition;
Popularization of the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering (STEM) and other fields of strategic importance to the ECOWAS region;
Teacher Training and Development;
Education Management Information Systems (EMIS)
Quality of Education at levels and in all ramifications;
Early Childhood Development;
Education for the Culture of peace.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Education; Primary Education, Social Sciences, or field relevant to international development assistance from a recognized university.
10 years of professional experience including 2 years relevant international work and 2 years at a supervisory level;
Technical knowledge of theories, principles and methods in areas of education, primary education, scientific innovation and/ social sciences;
Knowledge of theories and practices in: programme and project management in education, monitoring and evaluation, training and capacity development in education, alternative basic education, curriculum development and in promoting of science;
Solid knowledge of ECOWAS policy on cultural affairs and related areas, and a strong appreciation of the role of culture in empowering and enabling other actors.

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 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 respect 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 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, 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/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.