Despite challenges to its mandate in Central Sahel, the organisation maintains a strong political mandate and proven expertise in conflict prevention, management, and peace mediation.

This Action is designed to strengthen the implementation of the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture (EPSA) at regional and national level, along the whole conflict cycle (conflict prevention, management, mediation and conflict resolution) whilst advancing the values of democracy and human security.

The EPSG project has four (4) specific objectives :

1. Based on ECOWAS’ early warning and response mechanisms, conflict prevention, crisis management and peace mediation in the ECOWAS region are strengthened.
2. ECOWAS’ contribution to a secure, democratic and human rights-based environment with a focus on member states in a post-conflict or democratic transition, has increased.
3. Electoral systems across ECOWAS member states to safeguard against election-related violence and promote democratic stability are enhanced.
4. The peace and security agendas for women and youth are implemented with improved coherence and effectiveness, both institutionally within ECOWAS and across targeted member states.

Expertise France will operate on specific objectives 1, 2 and 4 and more specifically on the four (04) below outputs in the following selected countries :

• 1 The capacities of “National Centres for the Coordination of the Response Mechanisms” (NCCRMs) and Peace Infrastructures to effectively execute early warning and early response measures are enhanced > in Guinea and Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
• 1. Reform processes by the security sector in line with rule of law, human security and accountability are strengthened > in Guinea and Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
• 2 Parliamentary committees, human rights institutions as well as civil society actors, and the media are strengthened in their democratic oversight role of the security sector in ECOWAS member states > in Guinea and Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
• 2 The implementation of the AU Youth, Peace and Security Agenda is strengthened in the ECOWAS region > in Guinea, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria

If the EPSG project will cover all ECOWAS Member States, with a special attention on countries in transition but also northern regions of coastal countries (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Ghana) affected by the spill-over effect of security crises in the Sahel, Expertise France will operate at Member state level and will support the implementation of the above outputs in Guinea, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.

Job description:

Under the supervision of Expertise France HQ (Peace, Stability and Security Department), the Project Manager is responsible for ensuring and supervising the implementation of the EPSG project. He/she will ensure that the project runs smoothly by providing overall leadership, management, supervision, and strategic vision for the implementation of the project, while managing staff and resources to ensure that the project meets its targets and deliverables on-time, within budget, and at a high level of quality.

In addition to overall supervision of all project activities, the Project Manager will be responsible for the direct implementation of outputs 1.1 and 4.2 in the Republic of Côte d’ivoire and of output 4.2 in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and in Nigeria.

These outputs will be implemented in Guinea by a National Coordinator based in Conaky who will operate under the supervision of the Project Manager. Outputs 2.1 and 2.2 will be implemented by a long-term expert under the supervision of the Project Manager. Additional experts can be mobilised for each output depending on the needs identified.

When the security situation allows, the Project Manager will conduct frequent and regular visits to oversee activities undertaken by Expertise France on the EPSG project in Guinea, in Nigeria, as well as in the northern regions of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, ensuring activities progress according to plan and meet quality standards. Alongside the supervision of activities, missions to Abuja will also ensure the representation of Expertise France and smooth coordination of the project with other members of the consortium, the EU delegation in Abuja and ECOWAS’ representatives when required.

Mission description

Project management

More specifically, the Project Manager will be expected to:

• Provide overall leadership, management, supervision, and strategic vision for the implementation of the project ;
• Ensure the operational and budgetary planning of the project, with the assistance of experts from the project components, short-term experts and service providers mobilised for certain specific activities ;
• Provide planning, implementation and monitoring of outputs for which he/she is responsible for direct implementation ;
• Manage monitoring tools to assess (1) the real-time progress of activities, including cross-sectoral activities such as recruitment, reporting, management, etc.; (2) achievement of indicators under the project logical framework; and (3) budget expenditure and running balance including corrective actions ;
• Hold overall responsibility for the timely and quality delivery of project at a high level of quality, contractually agreed with the European Union ;
• Ensure compliance with procedures for administrative and financial management, procurement and logistical handling of project activities ;
• Ensure reporting, good coordination and smooth exchanges and sharing of information between head office and the project teams, as well as with all stakeholders : consortium members, donor(s), national partners, technical and financial partners, etc ;
• Draft/consolidate/review periodic and final technical reports (narrative and financial) in compliance with donor guidelines ;
• Provide recommendations on project monitoring, improvement of practices, and on potential revisions of activities if needed ;
• Ensure compliance with the security measures defined in conjunction with the Expertise France security Department ;
• Ensure project visibility following the EU guidelines.

Staff management and Expert supervision

• The Field Project Manager is responsible for managing and coordinating the project team, composed of one National Coordinator based in Guinea as well as long-term and short-term experts ;
• He/she must be able to support the technical experts under his/her supervision in the diagnostic, implementation, monitoring and evaluation phases. He/she must ensure that the support provided by the international experts is fully adapted to EF procedures and the needs of the national partners and that the relationship is based on partnership and trust ;
• Ensure that experts deliver their assignments in a timely manner and as per the expected outputs ;
• Supervise the recruitment of experts or consultants and recruit EF project staff if needed.

Institutional representation & partnership

• The Project Manager represents the project, in dealings with the national authorities, members of the consortium, European Union representations, ECOWAS representations at regional and national levels, and all technical partners ;
• Represent EF in coordination and technical meetings, in governance bodies (technical and steering committees) of the consortium on all matters related to the project strategy and implementation ;
• Build up and maintain a collaborative dialogue with all the project’s stakeholders.