Ref.
2024/CDPFDTEDALZ/10693
Job offer type
Field staff jobs
Type of contract
CDDU
Activity sectors
Business facilitation and regional integration
Deadline date
2023/02/26 23:59
Contract
Employee
Duration
6 mois
Senior Programme Manager - European Technical Assistance Facility in support of the AfCFTA (M/W)
Departement Economie Durable et Inclusive - EDIN > Pôle - Politiques Economiques et Commerciales
Published on : 2024/02/12
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
GHANA
ACCRA
Mission description
A Project Management Unit (PMU) will oversee the implementation of the Team Europe Technical Assistance Facility and the execution of activities. Each implementing partner agency (Expertise France, GIZ and FIIAPP) will be represented in the PMU.
Expertise France is looking for a Senior Programme Manager who will ensure the appropriate planning, supervision and technical inputs of all activities undertaken by Expertise France under this Facility. The Senior Programme Manager will be integrated in the PMU and based in Accra.
He/she will work closely with the project managers of the other implementing partners (GIZ and IFAPP), under the supervision of the Facility's Programme Director.
The ideal candidate will display a commitment for African regional integration and possess both strong management skills and technical abilities. He/she will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, good knowledge of trade facilitation and regional integration. He/she will be familiar with African Union policy frameworks, and will have a proven experience with Regional Economic Communities and/or private sector organisations, in line with the trade and industry agenda.
Mission statement:
In close collaboration with the Project Management Unit based in Accra, the Senior programme manager will be responsible for the overall steering of the work and activities led by Expertise France under this project. Based in Accra, with frequent missions in AU countries and occasionally to Paris and Brussels, he/she will:
- Contribute to PMU activities
- Ensure the management and smooth running of the Expertise France project team (monitoring and control, strategic planning, effective communication, strong leadership, problem solving, evaluation and definition of objectives, resource management).
- Manage the experts and agents recruited by Expertise France;
- Develop, manage and adjust the activities undertaken by Expertise France under this Facility:
o Develop and update management tools (action plans, monitoring and financial tracking tools, etc.)
o Identify a pool of potential partners, experts and service providers to be involved in the implementation of activities;
o Draft the ToRs and involve short-term experts where appropriate;
o Ensure quality control and appropriate implementation of activities ;
o To provide, when possible, technical assistance, training and capacity-building activities in its area of expertise;
- Be responsible for appropriate administrative and financial management in accordance with Expertise France procedures and in collaboration with the project assistant;
- Contribute to contractual progress and annual reports and to Expertise France’s internal reporting in the strict respect of deadlines :
o Consolidation of inputs;
o Ensure regular high-quality reporting on project activities to Expertise France and proper collaboration with local authorities and partners ;
o Ensure appropriate monitoring of the Facility’s indicators and contribute to knowledge management (lessons learned, best practises) and dissemination ;
- Contribute to communication and visibility actions; and
- Perform any other task requested by Expertise France.
Project or context description
Context
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), conformed by 54 of the 55 African countries, is the first step to achieve the objective of a continental single market. The AfCFTA is expected to boost intra-African trade, to promote structural transformation and to generate significant employment opportunities in Africa, especially for women and young people. Despite the high political momentum and the strong economic rationale, realising the AfCFTA will require strengthening institutional capacities to complete negotiations and to implement and honour the agreements, with the active involvement of the private sector and effective cooperation between stakeholders at continental, regional and national level.
Description of the Facility
In this context, the Team Europe Technical Assistance Facility to support of the AfCFTA and continental economic integration (EU-TAF) aims to respond adequately and dynamically to the evolving priority needs related to the negotiations and implementation of the AfCFTA, as well as to complementary continental economic integration issues. The facility will thus contribute to an inclusive and sustainable AfCFTA by providing technical assistance (TA) to AfCFTA stakeholders, thereby strengthening their human and institutional capacities in priority areas (i) to take full advantage of the rules-based AfCFTA, (ii) to address its challenges, and (iii) to enforce their rights and obligations.
The EU-TAF facility is designed as a tool of the Team Europe initiative to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). With funding of €24.5 million, this programme covers the period from 2022 to 2024 (with the possibility of extension) and is funded by the EU and EU Member States, and implemented jointly by GIZ, Expertise France and FIIAPP.
The Facility provides adequate technical assistance responding in a responsive and flexible manner to requests from the AfCFTA Secretariat, the African Union Commission and AU specialised agencies, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), AU Member States, continental and regional private sector organisations and other potential partners working towards the implementation of the AfCFTA and African economic integration.
Required profile
Qualifications and skills:
· University degree (Masters or equivalent) in International Studies, International Development, Trade Facilitation, Economics, Public Policy, Public Administration or other relevant postgraduate degree. An additional relevant professional degree or certificate will be an added advantage.
· In-depth understanding of trade agreements
· Familiarity with African Union policy frameworks, relevant experience (in relation to trade support and industrial development) with regional economic communities and private sector organisations,
· Demonstrated ability to interact with all institutional levels as part of high-level exchanges
· Excellent reporting and writing skills
· Excellent management and interpersonal skills, high flexibility, ability to work under pressure
· Strong analytical skills, ability to work in a multicultural environment;
· Ability to manage and work in a team;
· Fluency in English and French; fluency in other AU official languages is an asset;
· Frequent international travel expected.
Professional experience
· Proven experience of 7 years or more in Africa, including :
o Project management experience
o Experience with trade policy stakeholders, or
o Experience in advising organisations and providing technical assistance, or
o Experience with one of the following actors: AfCFTA Secretariat, African Union Commission, African Union specialised agencies, RECs, African Union Member States or regional or continental private sector organisation.
· Professional experience as a negotiator or technical adviser in international trade negotiations would be an asset, ideally with at least three (3) years in support of or within a national, regional, continental or international organisation.
· Proven experience of working in a multicultural environment
Applicants with AU member states citizenship are strongly encouraged to apply.
Additional information
Documents to be submitted with your application:
· CV (EU format)
· Cover letter
Deadline for application : 2023/02/26 23:59
Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :
- democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
- peace, stability, and security ;
- climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
- health and human development ;
In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results.