CALL FOR APPLICATIONS : Programme Assistant (PA)

March 9, 2023

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

UNIT: Project Coordination and Management Unit (PCMU)

“Regional Hub on Climate Action Transparency for Central African States

POSITION TITLE: Programme Assistant (PA)

REFERENCE : 02_2023/HuRTAC/DERNADR/CEEAC

LOCATION: Douala – Cameroon

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Full-time individual performance contract

DURATION: 1 year fixed-term contract (renewable)

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: 15 /04/2023

START DATE: 15/05/2023

Terms of reference

  1. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE :

The Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) is the executive body of the regional economic integration instrument in Central Africa. Its constitutive treaty of 18 October 1983 was the subject of a revision signed on 18 December 2019 and ratified to date by all 11 countries of the sub-region. It covers all the activities of public institutions, private companies, civil society and the populations of the region in a dynamic and integral perspective based on five pillars: peace and security; the common market; the environment and natural resources; regional planning and infrastructure; gender and human development. Economic growth, social well-being and the preservation of nature are built through the regional integration that ECCAS is developing among its eleven member countries.

Humanity is facing one of the crucial challenges of the present times, namely climate change and the degradation of the earth’s resources, which threaten the human living environment and undermine the economic development efforts of countries, especially those of the developing world.

To address this crisis, under the aegis of the United Nations, three major environmental conventions were adopted in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to which all ECCAS member states[1] have adhered. Each of these States is committed to its implementation. In view of the ever-increasing threats and in order to strengthen climate action, the parties to the UNFCCC adopted the Paris Agreement in December 2015, which unlike the Kyoto Protocol, is binding on all parties that commit to it, through a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which is due to be renewed and made more ambitious every five years. This was the exercise that all the countries of Central Africa had just carried out

Aware that the implementation of the NDCs implies profound changes for our economies which must take low-carbon development trajectories and aware of the difficulties that ECCAS member states are enduring in the implementation of the existing Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) framework under the UNFCCC and which must now face more requirements linked to the implementation of the Paris Agreement, With a strengthened Transparency Framework under the UNFCCC, the ECCAS Commission has obtained resources from the Climate Action Transparency Initiative (CATI), administered by UNOPS, for the creation of a Regional Climate Action Transparency Hub (ReCATH) for Central African States, with a view to assisting Member States in the establishment of comprehensive and sustainable MRV systems and to encourage the exchange of experiences among States. Its objectives are to :

1. Create a centre of expertise for climate action transparency

2. Assess the needs and priorities of each country

3. Building capacity in the Congo Basin

4. Create a network of national experts and officials

5. Disseminate tools and guidelines to support transparency

6. Supporting resource mobilisation

This Hub is a collaborative approach involving the Congo Basin countries and various institutions and technical and financial partners supporting Climate Action Transparency.

For the management of this new initiative in Central Africa, the ECCAS Commission has created a Hub Coordination and Management Unit based at the CAPC-AC in Douala, Cameroon. As part of the staffing of this Unit, the recruitment of a  Programmes Assistant.

In this regard, the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States invites motivated nationals from ECCAS member states to apply for the position of Programme Assistant.

  1. OBJECTIVE :

The objective is to support the Head of Programmes in the execution of the tasks and contribute to the strategic developments of the project in line with the Hub’s objectives. He/she will support the Head of Programmes in the preparation of TORs, reports and ensure technical liaison between countries.

  1. MISSION :

The Programme Assistant is responsible for the follow-up of studies, preparation of Prodocs and TORs in relation to the project objectives. To this end, he/she will :

  • Provide technical liaison and help desk support for the countries;
  • Develop and maintain an online presence (web/portal) ;
  • Gathering feedback on engagement from the Hub team and wider experts;
  • Support the programme manager and coordinator;
  • Provide feedback to managers on your own level of involvement in the work of the hubs;

He/she will work in direct and close collaboration with the programme coordinator in order to monitor and report on technical progress, the engagement of experts and the development of technical documents.

  1. DETAILS OF THE MISSION :

Under the general supervision of the Regional Hub Coordinator, and the direct supervision of the Head of Programmes, he/she is responsible for the coordination and control of activities, the monitoring of studies, the preparation of pro docs and TORs in relation to the project objectives.

In this capacity, he (she) carries out the following activities

  • Support in the regular monitoring of commitments (activities, objectives and
    targets, reporting) and their proper execution;
  • Contact and liaise with country focal points and experts;
  • Compile and prepare the Hub’s briefing and presentation materials and documentation for meetings.
  • Assist in the organisation of meetings held by the Hub (e.g. steering committee, working groups, etc.) and provide secretarial support during and prior to meetings, including note taking, etc.
  • Maintain calendar/schedules; monitor changes and communicate relevant information to the Hub Coordinator;
  • Develop and maintain an online presence to ensure exchange of experience and expertise on the web portal;
  • Include a library/knowledge base of available and appropriate systems and tools – models, tools, data analysis, etc. Role of the IT strategy ;
  • Support the Head of Programmes and the Coordinator to continuously improve the competence, consistency and motivation of the hub team and experts;
  • Prepare TORs, work plans and technical progress reports (to ECCAS and ICAT), engagement with technical experts and development of technical documents and funding applications;
  • Support in the preparation of reports to donors ;
  • Identify areas to increase engagement and improve outcomes;
  • Support for the development of new funding proposals;
  • Monitoring the implementation of the recommendations made by the external experts ;
  1. CANDIDATE PROFILE:

The candidate for the position of Programme Assistant should have a specialised background in project management, business development or environmental science, meeting the following criteria and references

  • Hold at least a higher degree in project management, business development or environmental sciences at the level of BAC+5;
  • Successful professional experience in a similar position of at least 3 years, preferably in projects funded by international donors;
  • Good knowledge of the UNFCCC process and the Paris Agreement
  • Have a good understanding of analytical and thematic transparency in adaptation, mitigation and support;
  • Good communication and engagement skills;
  • Good skills in IT systems development/design and experience in working with IT companies;
  • Good project management skills;
  • Experience in the use of standard office software (Word, Excel, Email, Power point, Access) and a perfect command of at least two accounting and financial management software;
  • Ability and predisposition to work in a multicultural team
  • Female applicants strongly encouraged
  1. PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
  2. Proactivity and adaptability
  • LANGUAGES

● A working knowledge of French and English is essential.

● Knowledge of another language (Spanish, Portuguese) is desirable.

Motivated candidates are invited to submit their application (in the first instance): CV (with three references) + cover letter to the President of the ECCAS Commission, at the following email address

No later than April 15, 2023

[1] Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, CAR, DRC, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Chad,

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