Ref.
2026/PMSE/16185
Job offer type
Experts
Type of contract
Service contract
Deadline date
2026/09/23 23:55
Duration of the assignment
Short term
Contract
Freelancer
Duration
5 weeks (approximately 25 working days)
Project management support Expert (M/W)
Departement Economie Durable et Inclusive - EDIN > Pôle - Politiques Economiques et Commerciales
Published on : 2026/09/14
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
LIBERIA
MONROVIA
Mission description
Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the Expert will provide hands-on project management and coordination support during a six-week start-up period to help the PSD Liberia team move efficiently into implementation.
The assignment will focus in particular on strengthening the project’s operational systems and supporting the timely launch and follow-up of activities. This will include preparation of the first Steering Committee, consolidation and launch of partner support plans, coordination of expert missions, support to the recruitment of project staff and experts, and preparation of donor reporting and related management documentation.
The Expert will work closely with the Project Manager, project leadership, component leads, technical staff, the ILO team, Government counterparts, implementing partners, experts and development partners.
Key responsibilities:
Objective 1 – Strengthen project planning, coordination and start-up
· Support the project leadership in translating the inception-phase work into a practical and prioritized implementation plan for the coming months.
· Support preparation of the first Project Steering Committee, including agenda development, coordination with participants, collection of inputs, preparation of briefing materials and follow-up of decisions.
· Support the onboarding of Outcome 2 implementing partners, including coordination of introductory sessions, clarification of project requirements, roles and responsibilities, implementation arrangements, reporting requirements and coordination mechanisms.
· Support the development and establishment of practical consortium management rules and coordination arrangements, including roles and responsibilities, decision-making and escalation processes, information-sharing, planning and reporting requirements, and internal coordination mechanisms.
· Strengthen internal planning, coordination and tracking mechanisms across project components and workstreams.
· Identify operational bottlenecks and propose practical solutions to support timely implementation.
Objective 2 – Support implementation and follow-up of partner support plans
· Consolidate and operationalize support plans for institutional and private-sector partners, ensuring clear activities, responsibilities, timelines, deliverables, indicators and follow-up arrangements.
· Establish or strengthen practical implementation tracking tools for partner support plans.
· Support regular follow-up with partners to identify delays, bottlenecks and required decisions or adjustments.
· Coordinate internally with technical teams and experts to ensure that partner support is coherent with project priorities and available resources.
Objective 3 – Coordinate recruitment, onboarding and expert mobilization
· Support the recruitment of project staff and short-term experts required for implementation.
· Contribute to the preparation and review of Terms of Reference, profiles, recruitment schedules and selection documentation.
· Support coordination of recruitment processes with relevant Expertise France functions and project management.
· Develop and maintain an overview of planned and ongoing expert missions and recruitment processes.
· Support the preparation and organization of expert missions, including coordination of schedules, deliverables, logistical requirements and stakeholder availability.
· Track expert deliverables and support the timely collection, review and filing of outputs.
Objective 4 – Support donor reporting, project documentation and management information
· Support the project team in the preparation and consolidation of the annual donor report, including coordinating inputs from technical teams and partners and ensuring consistency and completeness across components and workstreams.
· Consolidate and quality-check progress information against planned activities, outputs, indicators, timelines and resources, identifying gaps or inconsistencies for follow-up with the relevant teams.
· Support the preparation and consolidation of narrative sections, results updates, management summaries and supporting reporting materials required for the annual report.
· Identify outstanding information and inputs required for the annual report and follow up with the relevant staff, partners and experts to ensure timely completion.
Deliverables and indicative level of effort
|
Period |
Level of effort |
Key activities |
Main outputs |
|
Weeks 1–2 |
10 days |
Project start-up and implementation planning; development of consortium management rules; launch of Steering Committee preparation; onboarding of Outcome 2 implementing partners; consolidation of partner support plans; tracking of expert missions and recruitment. |
D1. Project Management and Start-up Package: Prioritised implementation and action tracker; consortium Management Guidelines; Consolidated partner support plan tracker; Expert mission and recruitment trackers |
|
Weeks 3–4 |
10 days |
Continued implementation follow-up; launch and monitoring of partner support plans; coordination of expert missions; support to recruitment and onboarding of staff/experts; preparation and consolidation of inputs for the annual donor report; finalization of Steering Committee materials. |
D2. Steering Committee Package, including: Agenda and supporting documentation; Consolidated technical and management inputs; Presentation/briefing materials; Decision and action-point tracker prepared for follow-up [review and finalization of existing tools] |
|
Week 5 |
5 days |
Support to the organization and delivery of the first Project Steering Committee, including final coordination and briefing materials; follow-up of decisions and action points; finalization of annual reporting inputs; consolidation of priorities and arrangements for the next implementation period. |
D3. Annual Reporting and Transition Package, including: |
|
Throughout |
Integrated within 25 days |
Day-to-day coordination, troubleshooting, stakeholder follow-up, management notes and coordination with consortium partners. |
Ongoing project management support |
|
Total |
25 days |
5 weeks, starting in early October 2026 |
3 main deliverables |
Project or context description
Project name and description: Private Sector Development in Liberia (PSD Liberia)
Liberia’s private sector holds significant potential for driving economic growth, decent job creation, and poverty reduction. However, this potential remains untapped due to structural weaknesses in economic governance, a challenging business environment, and an unfavourable investment climate. These systemic constraints, combined with underdeveloped value chains in the cassava, fisheries, and wood sector, limit opportunities for inclusive and sustainable economic transformation.
At the same time, these issues present clear entry points for targeted interventions under this Action, aiming to improve economic conditions, strengthen key value chains, and support private sector growth and create the business environment and investment climate in which they can flourish.
The Overall Objective of the Action is to contribute to increase the competitiveness, inclusivity and environmental sustainability of cassava, aquaculture and wood processing value chains for enhanced decent job creation, economic growth, and competitiveness of Liberian MSMEs. The Action also takes into consideration strategic approaches aimed at addressing structural barriers to decent work opportunities for all Liberians, including Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), thereby facilitating their active involvement and contribution to Liberia’s labour market.
The Specific Objective (outcome) of the Action aims to ensure that MSMEs, with a focus on enterprises owned by women, youth and persons with disabilities, within the three targeted value chains increase their productivity and production quality so they can offer decent and inclusive job conditions while committing to environmental sustainability standards. However, this may occur only if the general ecosystem, including access to skills and business development services, is improved, therefore requiring policy dialogue at all stages of project implementation, involving the public and private sector, and EU and Liberian MSMEs.
The Action will focus on the two main areas of intervention and the related challenges: private sector development and value chain development (cassava, aquaculture and wood).
Three outcomes for the implementation of the Action have been defined as follows:
· Outcome 1: Improved business regulatory frameworks and institutional capacity development for a more conducive business and investment climate in line with sustainable and inclusive international standards
· Outcome 2: Supported value chains are more competitive, productive and better integrated into domestic and international markets.
· Outcome 3: Enhanced capacity of national stakeholders for creating employment and improved access to decent work opportunities for all, including marginalised groups (youth, women and persons with disabilities) for better skills, livelihoods and workplace accountability in line with International Labour Standards.
Required profile
Professional Experience
· At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in project management, programme coordination or implementation of international development/cooperation programmes.
· Demonstrated experience managing or supporting complex, multi-stakeholder donor-funded programmes, preferably financed by the European Union.
· Proven experience in project planning, coordination, implementation monitoring and preparation of programme reporting.
· Demonstrated experience working with Government institutions, private-sector organizations, development partners and international organisations.
· Experience coordinating experts, consultants and/or technical assistance assignments.
· Proven experience supporting recruitment, onboarding and mobilisation of project staff and external experts.
· Experience working in challenging stakeholder and implementation environments, with strong diplomacy, problem-solving and relationship-management skills.
· Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa is required; experience in Liberia or West Africa would be a strong asset.
· Experience with private-sector development, business climate reform, investment promotion or related PSD approaches would be an asset.
· Previous work experience with Expertise France is a strong asset.
Technical Competencies
· Strong project management and coordination skills, with the ability to translate plans into clear actions, responsibilities, timelines and deliverables.
· Strong experience in implementation monitoring, action tracking and results-oriented follow-up.
· Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple parallel priorities and deadlines.
· Good understanding of donor-funded project management and reporting, particularly EU-funded programmes.
· Strong stakeholder-management, facilitation and communication skills.
· Excellent drafting and consolidation skills, including preparation of reports, meeting documents, briefing notes and management summaries.
· Ability to work independently while coordinating effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
· Good understanding of private sector development and/or market systems approaches would be an advantage.
Languages
· Excellent command of written and spoken English is required.
· Knowledge of French would be an asset.
Additional information
Applications must include:
- A curriculum vitae (CV) presenting relevant experience (maximum of 5 pages);
- A Technical Proposal demonstrating a clear understanding of the assignment, relevant expertise, a credible approach to the efficient delivery of the expected results, and a detailed budget (maximum of 3 pages);
- 2 professional references.
Submission of an application does not constitute any contractual obligation.
Expertise France is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from qualified Liberian professionals, women, and candidates from diverse backgrounds.
Selection criteria for applications
The selection process for candidates will be based on the following criteria :
- Candidate’s training/skills/experience
Deadline for application : 2026/09/23 23:55
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.