Project Officer, Law Enforcement and Cooperation at 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. Considered one of the pillars of the African Economic Community, the organization was founded in order to achieve collective self-sufficiency for its member states by creating a single large trading bloc through an economic and trading union. It also serves as a peacekeeping force in the region. The organization operates officially in three co-equal languages French, English, and Portuguese.

We are currently recruiting for the position below

Job Title: Project Officer, Law Enforcement and Cooperation

Reference: ECW-COMM/REC/DUG-P/002/2014
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Department: Social Affairs and Gender
Directorate: Gender, Youth, CSO, Employment, Drug Control
Grade: P3
Supervisor: Law Enforcement Officer (Project Coordinator)
Duration: Twelve (12) months (extension subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds)

The position is located within the Drug Unit, of the ECOWAS Commission, Abuja Nigeria. The incumbent will report through the Law Enforcement Officer (Project Coordinator) to the Director of Gender, Youth, Sports, Employment, Civil Society and Drug Control). While accomplishing his/her duties, the incumbent will contribute to implementing parts of the project, “support to ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on Illicit Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime related to it and Drug Abuse in West Africa”. The incumbent will bring operational and technical expertise related to law enforcement to support the implementation of the 2015-2019 “ECOWAS Action Plan to Address the Growing Problem of Illicit Drug Trafficking, Organized Crimes and Drug Abuse in West Africa”.

Duties and Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Project Officer, Law Enforcement and Cooperation will assist in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all assigned activities in law enforcement and cooperation under the framework of the implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on Illicit Drug Trafficking, Drug Abuse and Organized Crime in West Africa. In particular, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provide policy and technical advice to the inter-ministerial drug control committees (IMDCC’s) or equivalent, and advocacy to ratify and transpose UN and ECOWAS conventions;
• Provide technical advice, coaching and support to networks to IMDCCs (or equivalents) to strengthen their cooperation with National AIDS Councils and other relevant institutions;
• Support the organisation of Annual Meetings of IMDCC's or equivalent Focal Points and Ministerial Conference on the implementation of the Regional Action Plan;
• Advice and coach Regional national/regional networks on the organization of public awareness events/campaigns on anti-drugs and related crime issues with a regional added value. Conduct an impact assessment after each of these visibility events.
• Support the design and establishment of the Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) in line with the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan;
• Support the set-up, implementation and deployment of a Monitoring Mission Team (MMT) to monitor the progress, if need be.
• Assist in preparing progress reports including narrative and financial reports related to the implementation all project activities related to law enforcement and cooperation.
• Participate in the ECOWAS-EU Project Steering and Coordinating Committee’s (PSCC) meetings;
• Perform other duties as required.

Qualifications/Experience/Skills

• A Bachelor of Law degree with specialization in criminal law or equivalent academic training from a recognized national police, customs or other staff training college, with specialization in drug law enforcement and/or criminal investigation.
• Possession of a Master’s degree in Law with specialization in Criminal Law will be an added advantage.
• A minimum of five years progressively responsible experience in law enforcement and project/programme management is required.
• Working experience, in one or several UNODC mandate areas is desirable. Demonstrated experience in working with project management tools is a strong advantage. A higher degree will substitute for two-years of work experience.

Competencies:

• Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches counter narcotics operations. Good knowledge of the institutional and drug trafficking, organized crime related to it and drug abuse. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in resolution of issues/problems. Expertise in training curricula development, counter narcotics operations, as well as international cooperation mechanism, programme planning and implementation. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work, manage conflicting priorities and meet deadlines.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively in a multi-cultural setting with colleagues and national authorities to achieve organizational goals; solicits input be genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise, is willing to learn from others, places team agenda before personal agenda, supports and acts in accordance with the final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position, shares credit for team accomplishment and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Ability to plan own work, manage conflicting priorities and meet deadlines.
• Other Skills: Familiarity with the ECOWAS mandate, the region and the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan against Illicit Drug Trafficking, Drug Abuse and Organized Crime is desirable;

Age

• Candidate should not be 50 years old or over at the point of recruitment and must be a citizen of one of the ECOWAS member states.

Language

• Must be fluent in one of the official languages of ECOWAS: English, French and Portuguese. A working knowledge of second official language would be an advantage.

Remuneration
Annual Salary: USD 36,901 - USD 44,469

Application Closing Date
2nd June, 2014

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online