Advisor Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at GIZ Nigeria

Background

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was established in 1975 with the purpose of promoting regional cooperation and economic integration. Since then it has gradually widened the scope of its activities. Today it also carries out peacekeeping and social activities such as conflict management and prevention tasks and strengthens civil society. In 2007, ECOWAS changed its central institution from an Executive Secretariat to a Commission, which has made the organisation more effective and given the regional integration process a new dynamic. The Member States have committed themselves to observing and promoting human rights, democracy and other principles of good governance.
Today the organisation provides an important forum for cooperation amongst its Member States, with the Commission playing the role of a moderator for conflict prevention, harmonisation and integration. Compared to other regional economic communities, ECOWAS is one of the most active one in Africa. However, despite the Commission’s successes and its effective transformation, various challenges persist in terms of its institutional management capacity and its management processes. These need to be addressed if the organisation is to support and expand the regional integration process in its Member States.

The Project “Support to the ECOWAS Commission on Organisational Development” is aiming at strengthening institutional capacities at the ECOWAS Commission and at the ECOWAS Bank

for Investment and Development (EBID). Thus, the project seeks to improve internal processes and the general shared organisational culture by employees towards effectiveness.

Component Strategic Management

Development of the ECOWAS Vision 2050 and its strategic documents (funded by BMZ)

Results-based management of the core processes of the ECOWAS Commission (funded by BMZ)

Component Institutional Support to ECOWAS (ISE)

Improve the training of ECOWAS staff on internal management processes (jointly funded by EU and BMZ)

Strengthen public finance management compliant with international standards at ECOWAS and the EBID (jointly funded by EU and BMZ)

The GIZ project “Support to the ECOWAS Commission on Organisational Development” supports amongst others the Office of the Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission. Within that Office are the Strategic Planning Directorate, the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, the Unit in charge of the Relations with other Institutions. The focus of Component Strategic Planning of the project has been strategic planning, communication and coordination as well as monitoring & evaluation and capacity development within the ECOWAS Commission. The component supports the Commission’s self-reliant steering of its work, and its more precise alignment with its strategic goals. The results are so far an operational monitoring and evaluation system, which has been introduced and extended to the ECOWAS Institutions within the Member States. In addition, the ECOWAS Commission has gradually improved its capacity to assess progress made in the regional integration process.
A.   Responsibilities:
The Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor will support the Implementation and coordination of the project’s activities, under the direct supervision of the Head of Component Strategic Management and in close collaboration with the project’s Technical Advisers.
The Planning Advisor will:

• Provide substantive advisory services
• Provide support to the implementation of the programmatic process of ECOWAS Vision 2050

The specific tasks for the Planning Advisor will be as follows:

B. Tasks

1.    Tasks Overview:

 GIZ’s Organisational Development Project

• Provide oversight (technical, conceptual, organisational), monitoring and quality assurance of the activities of the Component in close consultation with the ECOWAS Strategic Planning and Monitoring & Evaluation Directorate.
• Ensure effective impact monitoring and reporting for the Component in line with the requirements of the commissioning party (BMZ).
• Support the preparation of annual work plans and progress report against plans.
• Continuously identify, assess, and evaluate range of options and cooperation networks necessary for the effective achievement of planned results.
• Represent the Project/Component according to GIZ rules at regional events and ensure that GIZ is adequately positioned.
• Ensure cooperation and synergy of efforts within a complex and dynamic stakeholder landscape comprised of national, regional and international actors and stakeholders.
• Ensure communication and visibility of the Project as well as knowledge management, best practice and lessons learned derived out of the implementation of the component’s objectives
• Provide support to the implementation of the programmatic process of ECOWAS Vision 2050
• Supports the timely implementation of the planning cycle of the partner structure
• Support in the development of medium-term strategic, result frameworks and annual plans.
• Supports the implementation of short- and long-range organizational goals, objectives, strategic plans, policies, and operating procedures; monitors and evaluates programmatic and operational effectiveness and make recommendations on changes required for improvement.
• Advise on the planning and monitoring of the programs, projects for the implementation of Vision 2050 of the partner structure.
• Support the designs and development of planning and monitoring tools as well as a capacity building plan to effectively accomplish the partner structure goals and objectives.
• Provides strategic advice and consultation to both the GIZ and the partner structure in the development, implementation, and evaluation of modifications and enhancements to existing operations, systems, and procedures.
• Actively seek cooperation and synergy with ECOWAS H.R. Training Centre and other Training Service Providers in support of bolstering ECOWAS capacities and capabilities.
• Support institutional capacity development of staff in line with the planned outcomes and results of the project
• Support the development of annual work programme, budgets and performance reports
• Recommends and participates in the development of policies and procedures regarding planning and monitoring.

2.    Project Management:

Provide quality assurance for all component activities, outputs and deliverables

3.    Other duties/additional tasks

• Perform other work-related duties as required
• Regular duty trips to the ECOWAS member states may be necessary.

C.   Required qualifications, competences and experience

 Qualifications

Master’s degree directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.

 Professional experience

• A minimum of five years’ experience in a similar position.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of results-based planning, monitoring, and reporting
• Experience working for an international organisation will be highly desirable (Prior experience with the EU and/or German c\\operation systems would be an asset)

A good understanding of ECOWAS

 Other knowledge, additional competences

• Excellent writing, verbal and presentation skills and the ability to clearly communicate complex policy issues to both technical and nontechnical audiences
• Ability to interpret and apply planning schemes, policies, legislation, and regulations.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, multidisciplinary, and highly political context
• Excellent diplomacy and persuasion skills with a high sense of integrity and transparency
• Strong organisational and project management skills (performance-oriented and with solid analytical skills)
• Resourceful and resilient and able to stay motivated in the face of setbacks or during periods of pressure (Self-motivated)
• Highly personable and approachable with an ability to build communicate and ensure a good rapport with a range of people
• Advanced working knowledge of ICT technologies and computer applications (e.g. MS Office)
• Written and oral fluency in English is required for this position. French and/or Portuguese will be an asset.

 D.   Contract duration and duty station

Contract duration: 1 June 2022 to 30 April 2023 with possibility of extension

Duty station: Abuja