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 Program Officer Internet and Cybersecurity will work under the supervision of the Principal Program Officer Internet, Cybersecurity & e-Applications to promote the development of internet use and services as well as conduct activities towards the securing the ECOWAS cyberspace.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Conduct projects and initiatives aimed at fostering the development of Internet and the fight against cybercrime.
- Promote affordable Internet access and services in the ECOWAS region.
- Contribute to the implementation of ECOWAS cybersecurity agenda.
- Contribute to the definition of needs and requirements from Member States in the region on Cybersecurity and cybercrime.
- Prepare related assessment reports in order to ensure that needs of Member States are well identified in terms of Cybersecurity and cybercrime.
- Follow the evolution of major trends in regulatory, policy and legislation in the areas of responsibility (Internet and Cybersecurity)
- Analyse, identify internet policy and regulatory issues, requiring the attention of the ECOWAS region.
- Conduct the West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) and coordinate the Internet Governance position for West Africa for adoption by Member States governments.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Business Systems Analysis & Design, Information Systems Management, or any related ICT field from a university of recognized standing
- At least 5 years progressively responsible experience in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) field, specifically in relation to ICT applications and Internet
- Knowledge and practical experience in managing data base, projects planning, web design, development, implementation and maintenance of information and communication technologies.
- good knowledge of International Organization ICT infrastructure and its strategy as it relates to user area(s);
- Knowledge of all aspects of the design, development, management, implementation, and maintenance of complex web projects using web content management systems and technologies.
- Knowledge of relevant high-level web programming languages (PHP, ASP, ASP.NET, HTML, CSS, etc.) and programming skills, including structured/object-oriented design, relational systems (MS-SQL/MySQL), web platforms (Linux/Apache/Windows), scripting (JavaScript, jQuery, Perl, Linux shell scripts) and query languages
- Excellent analytical skills and the ability to document problems.
- Effective time management skills and multi-tasking capabilities
- Ability to draft precise and complete analytical reports.
- Ability to work independently and effectively all at levels of a collaborative team environment.
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
AGE LIMIT
- Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.
ECOWAS KEY COMPETENCIES
- Ability to persuade/influence others to consider a certain point of view, adopt a new idea or implement new methods and practices.
- Ability to lead a team of trainees/junior staff and instil a spirit of teamwork to engage employees and achieve a well-defined set of activities.
- Ability to respect the chain of command in an appropriate manner.
- Ability to resolve challenges that occur with minimal direction and/or to recommend and explain solutions or alternatives for approval.
- Ability to utilize the Code of Ethics to manage self, others, information and resources.
- Ability to mentor others and create feedback loops with supervisors, colleagues and subordinates to build strong working relationships and improve performance.
- Contribute to maintaining the organizational unit’s performance goals and standards.
- Interpersonal skills with the ability to keep a client informed of progress or setbacks in projects of relevance to the timeline, quality and quantity.
- Ability to proactively interact with clients and build strong trusting relationships based on mutual respect and regular discussions.
- Ability to establish and sustain professional credibility with clients/stakeholders in a manner that anticipates their needs mitigates issues and carefully balances professional obligations with the need to be sensitive and responsive to their needs.
- Ability to counsel, advise, consult and guide others on matters pertaining to assigned client service responsibilities and established client service standards.
- Demonstrate respect for cultural differences, fairness and ability to relate well with people from varied backgrounds, nationality, gender, ethnicity, race and religion.
- Understanding of diverse cultural views especially within West Africa, with sensitivity to group differences; ability to challenge bias and to practice tolerance and empathy.
- Ability to listen actively, consider people’s concerns and apply judgment, tact and diplomacy.
- ability to work in a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths.
- Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
- Ability to encourage, empower, and advocate for people in an unbiased and transparent manner.
- Knowledge of ECOWAS institutions, sectors, programmes and policies.
- Knowledge of ECOWAS internal operational requirements of programs, projects, services and systems required to achieve work assignments and meet performance goals.
- Knowledge of rules and procedures of ECOWAS associated assigned responsibilities and ability to explain these clearly to others.
- Knowledge of the ECOWAS culture, structures and performance issues and priorities impacting assigned responsibilities.
- Knowledge of member states development trends, indicators, challenges and opportunities as it relates to project/programme assigned to own position.
- Ability to study data/information from a variety of sources, identify anomalies, trends and issues, present findings, and make recommendations.
- Ability to break down problems or processes into key parts to identify and solve gaps in service, quality assurance, compliance, and performance targets.
- Knowledge of and ability to apply techniques to generate creative ideas and new approaches to meeting goals.
- Ability to use evidence and research to inform policies and programs and identify relevant and appropriate sources of information, including stakeholders, regional institutions and/or internal committees.
- Demonstrate operational computer proficiency using appropriate tools.
- Ability to make sound use of graphics and tables to effectively present numerical data to write semi-complex technical reports/proposals and edit/check templates, letters, etc.
- Ability to convey information clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner through both writing and verbal means.
- Exhibit interpersonal skills, make presentations, express opinions, and debate ideas with others in a constructive manner.
- 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.
- Ability to develop, implement an individual action plan for achieving specific work goals.
- Identify, organize, and monitor tasks throughout to facilitate execution.
- Ability to contribute and/or lead on projects as per accepted project management standards and techniques, to co-ordinate contributions by others to set and meet deadlines.
- Ability to organize work, set priorities, and work within timelines, giving attention to details, stakeholders, indicators, and risks.
- Ability to identify, collect and assess indicators to monitor performance and to take proactive remedial action as required.
Method of Application
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