Principal Programme Officer (PPO) Telecommunications & Post Policy and Regulation at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)Abuja, Nigeria Networking and Tech Support

Full Time

Welcome to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Established on May 28 1975 via the treaty of Lagos, ECOWAS is a 15-member regional group with a mandate of promoting economic integration in all fields of activity of the constituting countries. Member countries making up ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo Considered one of the pillars of the African Economic Community, ECOWAS was set up to foster the ideal of collective self-sufficiency for its member states. As a trading union, it is also meant to create a single, large trading bloc through economic cooperation. Integrated economic activities as envisaged in the area that has a combined GDP of $734.8 billion, revolve around but are not limited to industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial issues, social as well as cultural matters. Expectations of economic integration have always been high and a lot has been accomplished by the regional group since the endorsement of the treaty which gave it the required legal teeth. Going by current assessments, the regional body has exceeded the expectations of its founding fathers. Today, the organisation is being acknowledged globally as a successful regional body. ECOWAS can be seen now as a toast to a workable integration and regional co-existence.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Principal Programme Officer (PPO) Telecommunications & Post Policy and Regulation will work with the Director Digital Economy & Post to carry out the implementation of Post and Telecommunication/ICT programmes, with a focus on harmonising policy and regulatory frameworks for the development of the digital economy sector, developing regional telecommunication infrastructure and postal sector development.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Oversee the development and implementation of the programmes, projects and activities of the Division.
Contribute to the formulation of regional strategy and policies for the Telecommunications/ICT and Post sectors.
Lead the harmonization of policies and regulatory frameworks process towards establishing a common Telecommunications/ICT market.
Initiate and coordinate the elaboration and adoption of Community legislation in the Telecommunications/ICT and Post sectors.
Promote the development of broadband infrastructure within the ECOWAS region and their interconnection.
Facilitate the harmonization of the management of the radio-frequency spectrum to optimize its use.
Promote the modernization of the postal sector to facilitate financial inclusion for all and the use of innovative products and services.
Provide leadership for closer co-operation between postal administrations to optimise mail routing within the region.
Assist in maintaining functional and technical cooperation networks with heads of relevant regional and international organizations in the fields of the Telecommunication/ICT and Post.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Telecommunications/Electronics Engineering, Postal and Financial Services, Economics, Law, public administration management or any related field from a university of recognized standing.
10 years progressively responsible experience in the Planning, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation of Information Systems and Telecommunications Programmes.
5 years at a supervisory level.
knowledge of ICT and postal sector benchmarks for performance, enhance services and performance management with demonstrated ability to lead a programme transformation.
demonstrated knowledge of infrastructure project management and development and infrastructure service delivery.
Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the history, political context, and background of the policy area in a sector or field of operation (eg Postal Policy Regulation, etc) to assist in development and use of a sound evidence base policy formulation and implementation.
Good ability to establish and maintain effective relationship with postal administrations, government officials, professional associations in the postal sector and development partners.

AGE LIMIT

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

ECOWAS KEY COMPETENCIES

Ability to lead in assigned programs 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.