Revised terms of reference for the international ECOWAS volunteer post of computer information technology specialist

Revised terms of reference for the international ECOWAS volunteer post of computer information technology specialist

Revised ToR COMPUTER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST_EPF May 2023

Job Title: Computer Information Technology Specialist

Duty Station: Abuja, Republic of Nigeria

Category: International ECOWAS Volunteer (Exceptional deployment)

Type of Contract: ECOWAS Volunteers Programme. Non-Family Position

Expected start date: 1^st August 2023

Duration: One (01) year, with possibility for renewal (depending on budget availability and satisfactory performance)

Deadline for Application: 30^th June 2023

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was founded by the Treaty of Lagos, in May 1975 and is a regional group of fifteen countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. The aim of the Community is to promote co-operation and integration, leading to the establishment of an economic union in West Africa in order to raise the living standards of its peoples, and to maintain and enhance economic stability, foster relations-among Member States and contribute to the progress and development of the African continent.

Through its departments and various agencies, ECOWAS is implementing critical and strategic programmes that will deepen cohesion and progressively eliminate identified barriers to full integration. In this way, the citizens of the community can ultimately take ownership for the realization of the new vision of moving from an ECOWAS of States to an “ECOWAS of the People: Peace and Prosperity for All” by 2050.

Toward the achievement of this vision, the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), which was created by the Decision A/DEC.13/01/05 of 19^th January 2005 at Accra, Ghana as a specialized Agency, is implementing policies, activities and strategic action plans, as well as the ECOWAS vision in the areas of youth and sports, including the ECOWAS Volunteers Programme (EVP) under the Human Development and Social Affairs Department of the ECOWAS Commission. It is based in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) under the headquarters agreement signed between the Burkina Faso authorities and the ECOWAS Commission.

Since its official launch in Monrovia, Liberia on 26 March 2010, the ECOWAS Volunteers Programme (EVP) has devoted time, resources and expertise to promoting regional unity, peace, and development through volunteerism. The ECOWAS volunteers, young male and female Community citizens, have kept faith with the ECOWAS vision of a community of people supporting people, and demonstrated their collective conviction that peace-building and reconciliation can be useful development tools for establishing peace in member States and across West Africa region.

The ECOWAS Volunteers Programme (EVP) is a demand-driven flagship programme of the ECOWAS Commission. It seeks to harness and inject the expertise and professional and personal contributions of mainly young citizens into the process of the implementation of national development agenda of their host countries and communities. And as they do so, they also build and develop their own capacities through contacts with their new professional and social-cultural environments and the lessons derived therefrom.

Under agreement between the ECOWAS PEACE FUND (EPF) Office and the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), the ECOWAS Commission intends to recruit an International Volunteer as Computer Information Technology Specialist within the framework of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) IV in order to assist in the implementation of the project.

The APSA IV, the European Union (EU) support to the African Peace and Security Architecture Programme provides a continental framework for the African Union Commission (AUC), Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs) to jointly prevent, manage and resolve conflicts in Africa.

Likewise, the AUC and other RECS/RMS, the ECOWAS Commission implements activities under the EU sponsorship in the areas of Conflict cycle management, with a focus on Early Warning; the African Standby Force; Coordination and Partnership at all levels within the APSA, including engagement with Civil Society Organizations and Engagement with and inclusiveness of youth and children.

The overall objective of the programme is to reduce the incidence, duration and intensity of violent conflicts in Africa, with the following specific results:

• SO1: The conflict cycle management under APSA is improved, with a focus on effective Early Warning Systems and the African Standby Force.
• SO2: The effectiveness of cooperation within and around the APSA framework including CSOs engagement are strengthened and
• SO3: The APSA is more inclusive of youth and children.

The ECOWAS Volunteer Computer Information Technology Specialist will work directly with the ECOWAS Peace Fund (EPF) Office under the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) at ECOWAS Commission.

He/She is responsible for providing various forms of computer-related technical assistance and improving the efficiency of work through the use of technology. He/she will provide internal IT support (security, updates, maintenance of websites and social media handles, online conferencing facilitation, connections, internet support, etc.) for both the APSA IV stakeholders, the Peace Fund and the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security.  He will assist the stakeholders in the preparation, submission and follow up of the workplans, providing and retrieving appropriate data and information through the online Monitoring and evaluation of the APSA IV programme in synergy with AMERT (the African Monitoring and Evaluation Reporting Tool). He will collaborate with the Information Technology Service Directorate of ECOWAS.

The ECOWAS Volunteer Computer Information Technology Specialist shall work under the direct supervision of EPF Manager, and shall undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Support to the preparation, submission and follow up of the workplans of the implementing directorates
2. Collection, processing and dissemination of appropriate data and information related to the APSA IV Program, including the use of the AMERT platform
3. Compilation and processing of relevant data and generation of relevant information from several sources, both classic and online sources
4. Administration/management of EPF website, CSO Portal, EPF
5. Social Media Handles (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
6. Assistance in generating content for global visibility
7. Posting information on the internet and the website and social handles
8. Enhance Info graphics of documents and publications
9. Protecting the website and social media handles from intrusion and hacking
10. Digitalization of documents
11. Facilitation for Mix virtual/in-person platforms for meetings
12. Website development
13. Creation and management of alerts
14. Development/facilitation of online forum, discussions, engagement, capacity development platforms

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Additional skills must include:

• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• People management skills
• Analytical skills
• Leadership skills
• Detail orientation
• Good computer skills and the ability to analyze numerical and graphical data
• Ability to work with little supervision
• Being proactive and enterprising (taking initiative)

Knowledge of volunteerism will be an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Perfect command of the English language (written and oral) is mandatory.
• Knowledge of any other official language of ECOWAS (French or Portuguese) will be considered an asset / advantage

Composition of Application:

Applications must include:

• A signed letter of application/motivation addressed to the Director, EYSDC, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso;
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae highlighting specific skills and experiences of the candidate;
• Copies of certificates, diplomas and work certificates (originals or certified true copies will be required for sighting before deployment);
• Copy of international passport or National Identity Card
• A police clearance certificate of less than three months (will be required before assumption of duty).

Submission of Applications:

Applications must be submitted no later than 30^th June 2023, via email to the address: epf.ievcomputerit@ecowasvolunteers.com (and CC: cdjs@ecowas.int) with the title: Application for the Post of Computer Information Technology Specialist on the subject line.

To avoid disqualification, all the applicants are required to:

• Submit their application via email with this subject title,
• Group all their documents into one (1) single PDF document,
• Meet the deadline mentioned above.

An initial contract for 12 months will be offered with a monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of 1112.5 USD or its equivalent in local currency. Other allowances as provided for in the Conditions of Service of ECOWAS Volunteers, will also be paid.

At the beginning of the assignment, and only where applicable, a settling-in grant will be paid, and a resettlement grant will be provided at the end of the assignment. Where applicable, Air transport from home country to the country of duty station and return at end of mission is also provided.

A life and health insurance cover for the incumbent of the position will be provided.

Other conditions of service as stipulated in the EVP Management and Administration Procedures Manual and Handbook of Conditions of Service shall apply.

THE POSITION IS EXCEPTIONALLY OPEN TO CITIZENS OF ALL ECOWAS MEMBER STATES, AGED NOT MORE THAN 35 YEARS BY THE DATE OF RECRUITMENT.

This position is considered a non-family International ECOWAS Volunteer position (exceptional revcruitment).

ECOWAS is committed to promoting gender equality and equity. To this end, female candidates are strongly encouraged.

ECOWAS reserves the right to terminate the recruitment process without notice.

ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.