Project Coordinator for the EU-funded African Governance Architecture Support Project (AGA-SP)

Position: Project Coordinator

Duration of the mission: 38 months from December 2020,

Nature of expertise: Long term, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Technical Assistance (TA) to the African Governance Architecture Support Project (AGA-SP) will focus on the strengthening of the following AGA members: the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Pan-African Parliament, the African Peer Review Mechanism and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

Other members such as the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption, the African Union Commission, ECOSOCC & CIDO etc., are also involved in the project in order to enhance coordination and efficiency.

The project’s 4 specific objectives are:

1. To support the members in implementing norms, standards, decisions and recommendations of AGA Platform members and complied with by AU Member States: promotion and dissemination, ratification, domestication and implementation of AU Shared Values instruments

2. To enhance engagement of African citizens with AGA Platform members : access to national, regional and continental human rights institutions, African citizens’ awareness about AGA organs mandate and activities

3. To enhance synergy, coordination and complementarity amongst AGA Platform members and with other relevant actors (CSO, Regional institutions)

4. To strengthen effective and efficient management of AGA organs: improve human resource management, financial resources management, monitoring, evaluation, etc.

Job description

Under the responsibility of Expertise France, the role of the Project Coordinator, under the supervision of the Team Leader, will be as follows:

• Day to day operational and technical management of project;
• Financial and administrative management of project;
• Capitalization and dissemination;
• Provide the following tasks:

Administrative tasks:

• Installation of the AGA-SP/TA office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
• Finalisation of manual of internal procedures (Addis Ababa, Arusha, Banjul, Johannesburg, Maseru, Midrand and Paris);
• Finalise ToR templates for long/short-term experts;
• Contribute to actual ToR and subsequent publication/expert selection;
• Elaboration of report models according to EU visibility rules.

Financial management tasks:

• Accounting/financial monitoring, planning of activities with Backstopping Team;
• Draft financial reports in close collaboration with EF HQ Project Manager;
• Preparation of periodic financial planning of the program;
• Ensure cash management, bank account management, verification and recording in the accounting system of all the local expenses, compilation and analysis of the operation unit costs.

Technical and operational tasks:

• Support the Team leader in producing contractual technical report;
• Supervision/quality control of STE missions & reports;
• Adjust steering tools (Quality Management);
• Organise committee meetings, workshops, trainings, missions, study visits etc.
• Monitor project Timeline: activity schedule/work plan, missions, events etc.
• Design/implement standard procedures for all parties involved (document templates, ToR, travel orders, timesheets, assignment reports etc.)
• Preparation of TOC/Steering Committee and other relevant meetings
• Recruitment of interpreters and translators when required;§ Ensure overall coordination of the team (Addis/Paris/KE);
• Support the Team Leader in donor coordination locally.

HR management tasks:

• Contribute to recruitment of experts and tender applications;
• Contribute to finalisation of ToR for STE missions & activities;
• Identify/select STE in cooperation with beneficiaries, Core Team & HQ.

Knowledge management tasks:

• Finalise Monitoring & Evaluation Plan with support from M&E Consultant;
• Supervise general data collection (activity progress, successes and obstacles, M&E reports/log-frame indicators, lessons learned etc.);
• Produce periodic documents necessary to M&E Plan (quantitative/qualitative) with support from M&E Consultant;
• Ensure dissemination of information to all committee members & partners.

Requested Profile:

Qualifications and skills

• University degree in law, economics, public administration, political science, international relations or other domains relevant to the Project.
• Excellent organizational, communication, coordination and writing skills
• Proficiency in English and French
• Excellent computer literacy.

General professional experience

• At least 5 years of professional experience in development and implementation of institutional strengthening and capacity development programmes, including the mobilisation of short-term experts;
• At least 5 years of experience working for or with international administrations, organisations, institutions (preferably in Africa)
• Knowledge of Human Rights and international/public law would be an asset
• Very good knowledge and proven experience of project management and coordination with international institutions, good knowledge of EU administrative and financial procedures, human resource management, designing of legal and organisational framework (preferably within the AU);
• Sound knowledge of EU financial processes and reporting.

Specific professional experience

• At least 5 years of experience of implementing EU-funded technical cooperation projects;
• Good knowledge of the African Union organs (strategy, policies, activities, coordination etc.)
• Experience and/or knowledge of the African Union administration would be a strong asset;
• Good knowledge of African international policy and cooperation;
• Experience in multicultural projects and intercultural communication.