Terms Of Reference For The Ecowas National Volunteer Post Of Teacher In Liberia

Job Title: ECOWAS National Volunteer Teacher (04 positions), broken down as follows:

Duty Station: Republic of Liberia

Category: ECOWAS National Volunteer

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

Expected start date: 1^st February 2023

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

Deadline for Application: 31^st December 2022

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, Liberia 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 to 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).

The EYSDC’s objective is to initiate, develop, coordinate and implement youth and sports programmes within the Community. To this end, it works to:

• mobilise the different segments of the population to ensure their integration and effective participation in the social development of the region, as well as the promotion of youth organisations and professional associations to ensure maximum participation in the activities of the Community;
• provide a permanent institutional framework within ECOWAS through which issues related to Youth and Sports activities in the sub-region can be developed and promoted.

One of the flagship areas of commitment of the EYSDC is the ECOWAS Volunteers Programme (EVP). As part of a regional mechanism for promoting peace and development within the region and supporting member countries in crisis, especially post-conflict countries, the ECOWAS Volunteers Programme (EVP) was set up in 2004. In line with the vision of the Founding Fathers of the Community and their dream of a truly integrated West Africa, based on the foundational principles of community and solidarity, the ECOWAS Volunteers Programme (EVP) was launched in Monrovia, Liberia on March 26, 2010, with the initial aims to facilitate the engagement and participation of young Community citizens in support of the efforts of Member States in post-conflict National reconstruction, peace-building, development, and general economic growth.

Contrasting sharply with the traditional forms of volunteering, where volunteers generally work outside of their professional areas of competence, the ECOWAS Volunteers Programme is a skills-based volunteering model that leverages the professional and specialised skills and talents of the individual volunteers to respond to demands, fill gaps and generally provide support to member States in areas of identified need and developmental deficits.

The Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC) is one of the Directorates 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.

Decision N° A/DEC 13/01/2005 of 19th January 2005 had adopted the organizational structure comprising of four Divisions (Youth, Sports, Administration and Finance, and TIC). However, since 2008, the Centre has undergone some structural modifications following the transfer of the ECOWAS Volunteers Programme (EVP) from the Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department of the Commission (CPAPS) to the EYSDC, under the Human Development and Social Affairs Department.

The EVP is centralized in organisation, but decentralized in its application to allow for flexibility and adaptation to the current realities of each country. The strategic directions, including the formulation of the overall vision, goals and objectives of the Programme, is the responsibility of the Regional Coordination Council (RCC), whose role, among others, is to ensure that the EVP becomes a genuine voluntary arm of ECOWAS.

Being a cross-cutting programme, the ECOWAS Volunteers Programme Regional Coordination Council (RCC) includes representatives of relevant departments of the ECOWAS Commission as well as other relevant stakeholders from beneficiary member States and partners. The EVP-RCC is chaired by the Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission. She is assisted by the Director of the Directorate of Education, Science and Culture (DESC) of the ECOWAS Commission and the Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), as Alternate Chairs of the EVP-RCC.

The executive arm of the RCC is the EYSDC in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), which serves as the Regional Office of the Programme. The programme’s regional coordination activities are managed by a Programme Officer under the Youth Division of the EYSDC. This role is currently played by an EVP Regional Coordinator under the direct supervision of the EYSDC Director, for effectiveness.

At the National level, the National Coordination Council (NCC) serves as the body through which national support and orientation are provided to the Programme. It is the “mechanism through which general advice and policy guidance as well as national administrative and institutional support are provided to the Programme and an understanding of volunteerism in the specific local or national context is attained.” This Council works towards the understanding and entrenchment of the Volunteer Programme in the member States where the Programme is implemented. It also serves as advisor to the country office, which is responsible for the administrative implementation of the Programme at the national level. The NCC is chaired by the Head of the ECOWAS National Office in the country. It is made up of Focal Points/Representatives of the various user ministries, Civil Society Organisations, United Nations Agencies and local youth associations involved in the implementation of the Programme in-country.

Successful candidates will be deployed to various host agencies/institutions under the Ministry of Education of Liberia

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 (English 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 31^st December 2022, via email to the address: Iib.envteacher@ecowasvolunteers.com (and CC: cdjs@ecowas.int) with the title: Application for the Post of National Volunteer Teacher in Liberia (COMPUTER or MATHEMATICS or BASIC SCIENCE as the case may be) on the subject line.

All applications without this subject title are automatically disqualified.

Applications received after the deadline will be disqualified.

An initial contract for 12 months will be offered with a basic Monthly Living Allowance (MLA) of 247.5 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.

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.

This position is considered a non-family ECOWAS national Volunteer position, with supervisory duties.

The position is open to ONLY Nationals of The Republic of Liberia, aged not more than 35 years by the date of recruitment.

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

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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