Planning & Research Assistant at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Full Time

Job Title: Planning & Research Assistant

Job Code: 20003549
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Institution: ECOWAS Commission
Grade: G4 / G5 / G6
Agency: ECOWAS Gender Development Center  (EGDC)
Department: Human Development and Social Affairs
Status: Permanent
Division: Planning, Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation
Line Supervisor: PO, Monitoring and Evaluation

Role Overview

• Under the direct supervision of the Head of Planning, Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation, the Planning and Research Assistant will be responsible for providing technical support to the planning and research activities of the Agency, ensuring that the Center has the information and resources necessary to make informed decisions and to achieve the desired goals.

Role Responsibilities

• Regularly update the annual and quarterly work plans of the Agency and advise the Supervisor on any gaps between the work plans and programme orientation and results.
• Assist with the monitoring of the Agency’s programmes and the drafting of quarterly and annual reports on the implementation of the quarterly work plans of the Agency, including the achievements of the desired outputs/outcomes and conformity with stipulated deadlines.
• Assist with the drafting and implementation of research projects in areas that are relevant to the promotion of the work of the Institution, considering regional priorities and targets.
• Draft concept notes and terms and references (ToRs) of research projects and planning activities.
• Assist with the identification of reputable and relevant research institutions with whom the Institution can build Research and Development (R&D) partnerships and advise the line supervisor accordingly.
• Assist in generating and consolidating information through regional information observatories, data platforms, and monitoring dashboards to support informed and evidence-based policymaking on areas relevant to the functions of the Agency.
• Assist with budget planning and management for planning and research activities.
• Coordinate meetings and events related to planning and research initiatives.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of a Brevet de Technicien (BT)/OND or equivalent certificate in Public or Business Administration, or a related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the implementation and management of M&E systems, involving collecting Programme output and outcome data, conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses, and reporting findings to management team, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Knowledge of internal policies, processes, and procedures generally and those related to Programme/project administration, implementation and evaluation, technical cooperation, programming, and budgeting.
• Understanding of M&E Concepts including project life cycle, results chain outputs/outcomes/impacts/interventions, and the ability to understand and interpret M&E Results framework.
• Basic understanding of commonly used sampling techniques and survey methodology for qualitative and quantitative methods
• Knowledge of different strategies to improve data quality during data gathering and data entry phase Understand basic statistics – central tendency and measures of spread, programming, and analysis of data using programs such as SAS, SPSS, EpiSInfo, STATA, or others.

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

• Ability to assume a credible presence when explaining rules, standards, and expectations (e.g. deadlines) to ensure compliance and work expectations are met.
• Ability to motivate self and/or others to engage in discussions that will result in recommendations to improve processes, templates, or other work tools.
• Ability to engage in positive approaches to teamwork and participate actively in discussions and the achievement of team goals.
• Ability to take responsibility for own career and performance with the occasional guidance from the supervisor/mentor.
• Ability to build capacity of self and others by sharing knowledge, tools, expertise, and experience with others to remain proficient and well informed in the execution of assigned role.
• Interpersonal, listening, and multitasking skills with a good understanding of client service responsibilities and role in representing ECOWAS values in all interactions.
• Ability to take initiative to resolve routine problems associated with assigned tasks using good judgment in involving colleagues or superiors as required.
• Ability to work as part of a team to resolve concerns, and problems and improve services.
• Ability to manage own time effectively and organize own work area in a manner that will meet performance expectations related to assigned client services.
• Ability to direct people to the appropriate source for further information and ask for help when overwhelmed with client demands.
• Ability to apply culturally relevant and appropriate approaches with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Good diversity management skills to interact with individuals in a culturally appropriate manner and by ECOWAS rules/policies.
• Ability to recognize preconceived notions and stereotypical views of certain groups and individuals and to successfully adopt inclusive and culturally appropriate behaviors.
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Knowledge of diversity management as it relates to daily work expectations and assigned tasks.
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate and operational goals of relevance to assigned responsibilities.
• Ability to keep up to date with Departmental activities, schedules, and goals of pertinence to own work team and functional area.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS procedures relevant to assigned work and the ability to apply sound judgment in their application.
• Demonstrated strong interest and commitment to ECOWAS values and activities in daily assumption of duties.
• Excellent ability to maintain, process, and provide accurate information as part of assigned tasks.
• Ability to organize files and information for easy retrieval and record keeping.
• Ability to spot mistakes, act promptly to correct them, and learn from experiences.
• Knowledge and ability to challenge and question fundamental assumptions regarding accepted ways of doing things in the spirit of improvement.
• Ability to use the current technology to communicate effectively e.g. office software programs, including spreadsheets, word processing, and graphic presentation software; ability to type and format presentations, reports, manuals, newsletters, and website content and proficiency in information communication technologies (ICT).
• Well-developed information-sharing skills using technology and established processes and practices.
• Advanced verbal assertiveness and communication skills with a demonstrated ability to acknowledge and understand the validity of others’ viewpoints and to respond constructively.
• 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.
• Ability to allocate time for specific tasks in a manner that will meet deadlines and quality/quantity expectations.
• Good organizational skills with an excellent ability to break down work into smaller parts and focus on the most important steps first.
• Ability to contribute to maintaining organizational performance standards throughout the implementation of new processes, practices, and plans adopted by the Department and of relevance to assigned tasks.
• Ability to monitor progress and to consider new goals in the context of assigned responsibilities.
• Ability to follow through with commitments made to others.

Annual Salary
UA 20,166.30 / USD31,818.39 ; UA 25,527.53 / USD 40,277.34 ; UA 30,178.98 / USD 47,616.39

Application Closing Date
15th May, 2024.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their correctly filled Application Form, Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation Letter to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the mail.

Note

• Female applications are encouraged.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
• Applications initially submitted with only the CV remain acceptable.
• ECOWAS does not charge a fee for recruitment and will not request for your account details.