Oxfam is recruiting for Head of ECOWAS Advocacy and Influencing Desk
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Contract type: Fixed term (1 year) renewable.
Internal Job Grade: C1, National terms and conditions
Reporting to: Regional Influencing Manager – WAF
Staff reporting to this post: None
Annual Budget: N/A
Job Description
Team Purpose:
To work as part of West Africa platform team, which works to realize the vision of a region free from chronic vulnerabilities and inequalities, where each citizen enjoys her/his rights for assistance in crisis situation and where sovereign resources drawn from extractive industries, a fair taxation system and inclusive farming development are sufficient and fairly redistributed, bringing an end to extreme inequalities, vulnerability and poverty.
In collaboration with our country programs, we identify and work with networks of social movements, CSOs and their coalitions and alliances, West African institutions and governments to influence, develop and implement key international and regional policies, programs, pledges and human rights instruments.
The Regional Platform is created in order to:
Provide strategic leadership, management and accountability
Achieve regional impact through regional programming according to the West Africa Oxfam Regional Strategy
Connect learning and capacity building processes across the region and provide cost-effective capacity building to countries
Job Purpose – Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities
The main concept is investing in strategic locations to work with and engage regional institutions and / or influencing hubs, ECOWAS for this position. A unique selling point (USP) of Oxfam is its ability to work with others to make change happen by influencing different layers / levels involved in change. For this to happen, Oxfam in general and in the region, needs to transform our country and regional programs to focus more on influencing while optimizing and building on its long-term development and humanitarian works.
The Head of ECOWAS advocacy and influencing desk will have the overall objective of leading West Africa and country team’s engagement with ECOWAS and its organs as well as facilitating Oxfam’s engagement with ECOWAS.
The specific objectives of this position are:
Exchange intelligence, information, data, or knowledge with ECOWAS to inform their development policies and strategies as well as Oxfam work at national, regional, pan African and global levels
Facilitate participation of regional and national CSOs in policy definition and support citizens monitoring and influence.
Strengthening influencing capacities of CSOs by providing information on current policies and processes.
Facilitate collaboration with ECOWAS in line with our programs to improve alignment and create synergy.
Lobby ECOWAS to develop and implement policies and strategies that are gendertransformative and address the root causes of poverty and inequalities in the region and in countries.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and Management:
Serve as a member of the Influencing team of the west Africa regional platform, and as adviser to the program platform team on engagement with the ECOWAS commission and related institutions relevant for the campaign and policy objectives of Oxfam’s regional strategy
Collaborate with the Oxfam Nigeria team that will host the position and ensure the synergy of Oxfam Nigeria’s influencing agenda with the regional one.
Participate in the design of the new program orientation in Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal as influencing hubs.
Lead policy development on issues relevant to ECOWAS in collaboration with thematic teams, and advise the OI Regional Director on sign-off for relevant internal and external campaign products and policy positions
Facilitate a high level of collaboration between Oxfam affiliates and country teams and regional platform on ECOWAS-targeted advocacy and campaigning
Support Oxfam colleagues (Country teams, regional platform colleagues and global Campaign teams) to engage the ECOWAS and its organs
As delegated by the OI West Africa regional Director, act as spokesperson including giving media interviews on OI agreed positions.
Participate in Oxfam International Advocacy and Campaigns teams as appropriate
Facilitate partnership and alliances with regional civil society organizations and building coalitions in issues around fighting inequalities
ECOWAS:
Develop and maintain key relationships with ECOWAS and its organs, and relevant country representatives’ missions
Maintain high level of expertise on ECOWAS processes and strengthen Oxfam’s relationship with West African Civil Society Organizations.
Develop and implement coalition-based strategies for advocacy on ECOWAS
Act as target manager between OI and ECOWAS and advise the regional platform and countries on all engagements with the ECOWAS commission
Civil Society:
In collaboration with the regional program team, facilitate partnership and alliances with regional civil society organizations and building coalitions in issues around fighting inequalities
Implement strategies for engaging and partnering with CSO coalitions and networks around ECOWAS affairs.
Facilitate exchange and coordination of the CSO working on ECOWAS policies and practices, and represent Oxfam on the network of NGOs working with ECOWAS
In collaboration with influencing and programs team, provide advice, support and technical assistance to CSO coalitions working on ECOWAS affairs
