Principal Programme Officer - Strategic Planning, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Economic Community of West African States (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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Programme Officer - Strategic Planning, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation

Location: Dakar, Senegal
Institution: ECOWAS Commission
Grade: P5
Division: Strategic Planning, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation
Line Supervisor: Director EGDC
Supervising: Program Officer, Strategic planning & Research, and Program Officer, Monitoring & Evaluation

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Director, the Principal Programme Officer for Strategic Planning, Research, Monitoring & Evaluation shall be responsible for coordinating the implementation of the work programmes of the EGDC Agency.

Role and Responsibilities

• In collaboration with the Director, coordinate and develop the EGDC strategic framework as well as the work programs.
• Coordinate baseline studies on the various thematic areas of the EGDC’s strategic framework and develop baseline data for the programme outcome and activity output indicators.
• Assist the Director in the definition of the Center’s organizational goals and objectives.
• Develop tools for the collection and analysis of data to provide input for strategic planning and long-term vision development.
• Support EGDC to align its medium-term work programmes to the Community strategic framework.
• Assist in preparing the log frames of all projects of EGDC, particularly in the areas of performance indicators and their measurement.
• Draft terms of reference for consultants, concept notes of projects and activities of the EGDC.
• Conduct capacity needs assessment of planning for the EGDC’s officers and propose regular training programs to build their capacities.
• Develop an integrated approach to the Results-Based Management process to facilitate the budgeting and the programming of the activities of the EGDC.
• Work closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation Division at the Commission to strengthen the capacity of the M&E and Planning focal points of the EGDC, in Result Based Management so as to ensure efficient programme development and management and the effective achievement of EGDC’s goals and objectives.
• Prepare and maintain a database on the programmes and projects of EGDC, with an in-built mechanism for data quality control.
• Contribute to the quarterly and annual work plans of the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Department and coordinate the implementation of the quarterly and annual work plans of the EGDC, in accordance with project activities and timeframes as appropriate.
• In collaboration with the Director coordinate the mid-term review and terminal evaluation of the EGDC strategic framework.
• Identify lessons learned in the implementation of the community strategic framework and develop a framework for capturing these lessons in subsequent plans of the Center.
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business or Public Administration, Management, Statistics, Economics, Political Science or other Social Sciences from a recognized university.
• 10 years of professional experience including 6 years relevant international work and 5 years at a supervisory level.
• Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to sector, functional area or other specialized field with practical experience in collecting strategic information/data, conceptualizing frameworks and developing planning processes to facilitate analysis, synthesis, priority setting, costing and communication.
• Ability to interface with, influence, negotiate with, have candid conversations with and provide excellent service to all levels of the organization (Commissioners, Directors, Heads of Institutions, both national and International).
• Proven experience and capacity in leading strategy making activities, changE management and/or continuous improvement initiatives and projects.

Age limit:

• Be below 45 years old.
• This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

• Ability to lead in assigned programmes and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfilment 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.
• Develop and implement internal controls for the pilot program to manage potential barriers to implementation.
• Ability to respect the chain of commands 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 coordinate 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.
• Diplomacy, tact, 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 appraisals, evaluations and in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences positions, gender issues or opinions, and encourages staff to overcome cultural and gender barriers and background differences.
• Ability to serve the interest of a culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and some disable groups without prejudice, bias, or sympathy to a select group.
• Solid understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute, and lead effectively.
• Applied knowledge of the Community mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political, and social state/trends of member states, especially 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.
• Superior knowledge of the rules and procedures of ECOWAS to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
• Ability to analyze a situation by way of indicators (e.g. performance, technical) to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in deciding.
• Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the source of problems, consequences of alternative courses of action, potential obstacles, and ways to avoid the problem in the future.
• Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms (using charts, diagrams, effective expository writing) 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/disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable, unavailable, or no longer effective.
• Proficiency in oral and written French and English languages.
• 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 skills (e.g. proposals, terms of reference, program assessments, blueprints, business processes) with well-developed editing.
• Ability to give honest feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings, and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance.
• Fluency in one of the three ECOWAS official languages (English, French & Portuguese)
• Superior organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs, and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs.
• 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 identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired capacity (e.g. training, structural realignment, partnerships, reallocation of resources.
• Ability to implement rigorous monitoring, and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs (e.g. management indicators, project milestones, program results, processing targets).
• Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.

ECOWAS Work Environment:

• ECOWAS provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and a healthy work-life balance.
• We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore, we encourage women to apply for positions that suit their competencies. Individuals from minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are also highly encouraged to apply.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of ECOWAS’s workforce.

Salary
UA57,772.51 / USD 91,153.13 Annually.

Application Closing Date
30th April, 2026. 

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their applications including their Curriculum Vitae, Cover letter and Application form to: b60ppostratplanresmonevalegdc@ecowas.int using the job title as the subject of the email.

Click here to download the application form (Docx.)

Disclaimer

• Selection and appointment will be subject to background and reference checks and other administrative requirements.
• ECOWAS does not charge for any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing in connection with application or recruitment processes and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.
• Failure to comply with any of these requirements will result in the cancellation of the application.

Note

• Assessment method: Assessment of qualified candidates may include a written exercise and a competency-based interview.
• The application will not be considered if one of the Mandatory documents is not attached.