Food Security Reserve Experts at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional grouping with 15 Member States in West Africa (three landlocked and one island) with a population of about 300 million with an annual economic growth rate of around 6%. The ECOWAS Commission is one of the eight Regional Economic Communities supporting the African Union to coordinate the implementation of continental and regional integration and development programmes in the West African region.

We are currently recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Food Security Reserve Expert

Vacancy code VA / 2015 / B5302 / 8263
Location: Lome, Togo
Duration: 1 year subject to availability of fund and good performance
Department/office: AFO, CIOH, Cote d'Ivoire
Contract type: Fixed Term

Background Info - Job-specific

• ECOWAS has studied the feasibility of a regional food security reserve (ASSR), intended only for emergency operations in the event of cyclical food crises.
• The proposal to create an ASSR was adopted by the ECOWAS Agriculture Ministers in September 2012 and by the Heads of State in February 2013; thus, the 42nd regular session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS held in Yamoussoukro (Republic of Côte d'Ivoire) adopted an additional act (AS / 2/02/13) establishing a regional food security reserve, and instructed the Commission to take the suitable measures to its actual start.
• On this basis, the Commission has worked to mobilize its international financial partners to supplement this allocation.
• The European Union (EU) was willing to support ECOWAS in the implementation of the reserve and to consider the support to be implemented as part of a project in line with the region's decisions.
• The proposed project aims to support ECOWAS in the implementation of its regional food security strategy storage, based on complementarity / subsidiarity between three lines of defense to address these repetitive food crises: Stocks close, national stocks, and finally, a regional food security reserve for regional solidarity to play in a major food crisis.
• The goal is to help respond effectively to food crises and strengthening the resilience of households in a perspective of sustainable regional security and food sovereignty, through the promotion of food reserve systems at different levels of urgency.
• The project is funded by the European Union and will be implemented through centralized management with the French Development Agency (AFD), the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID).

Functional Responsibilities

• It will coordinate the activities of the Technical Management Unit of the Reserve, ensuring consistency of interventions / initiatives in countries and at regional level with the objectives set through the mission and guiding principles of the subject, monitoring technical and administrative activities of the reserve, the planning and programming of activities, the general supervision of team work, relations with ECOWAS, the Executive Director of the ARAA the RESOGEST and technical and financial partners, through consultation mechanisms that have been adopted.

Technically, these tasks entrusted to it:
Key Responsibilities:

• Ensuring the proper management of the reserve in the execution of its mission
• Ensure the preparation of work plans and annual budgets, subject to the approval of the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the presentation of progress reports (quarterly, half-yearly and annual) to governing bodies
• To facilitate the effective implementation of the guidelines defined by the stakeholders in the implementation of the regional reserve
• Prepare the organization of regional consultation meetings and those of the management committee
• Ensure storage and retrieval operations in the identified basins
• Ensure a watch on the food situation of target areas (production, shortages, price, ...) via the Info-cell stocks
• Organize periodic audits of inventory stored in the identified basins
• Coordinate activities to support the implementation of the security storage policy, notably through boosting local stocks and national security stocks

Other Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the review of regional policies and strategies for food security and nutrition and their coherence with other intervening policies in enhancing resilience (market development, environment, natural resource management and climate change, health, education, social protection, water and sanitation, etc.)
• Contribute to strengthening political dialogue and governance issues of resilience in the Sahel and West Africa
• To provide its expertise in food and nutrition security in the refinement of the regional strategy

Competencies:

• Have good knowledge of sector policies implemented in Sahelian Africa and in coastal countries
• Have excellent analytical information on all topics related to resilience (agriculture / livestock and food, health, education, water and sanitation, social protection,)
• Have experience in prevention and management of food crises devices and early warning systems for collecting and analyzing data from national statistical services and international
• Have experience in the intersectoral approach to vulnerable populations resilience issues
• Have a proven ability animation and teamwork

Education / Experience / Language Requirements
Education:

• Higher diploma equivalent to a BAC + 4 in Administration, Finance, Agricultural Economics, Socio-economics with 7 years of professional experience
• Higher diploma equivalent to a BAC + 5 in Administration, Finance, Agricultural Economics, Socio-economics or related field with 5 years experience

Experience:

• Having a good knowledge of policies and food and nutrition security strategies in the Sahel and West Africa

Language

• Being fluently bilingual in French and English, both orally and in writing
• Knowledge of Portuguese would be an asset

Additional Requirements:

• Have the nationality of a member state of ECOWAS or CILSS member States not members of ECOWAS
• Enjoy their civic rights and be of good character

Application Closing Date
30th August, 2015.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• This job ends at the closing date at midnight, Copenhagen (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for maintenance
• We strongly encourage qualified women to apply.