Faced with persistent food and nutritional insecurity, the accelerated degradation of natural resources, the poor performance of agricultural production systems, and the growing effects of climate change, ECOWAS adopted a regional framework in 2015 to promote climate-smart agriculture, in line with the ECOWAP guidelines. Within this context, the West Africa Agroecology Programme (WAAP), implemented since 2018, has served as a strategic lever for the transition towards more resilient, productive, and sustainable agri-food systems. Based on agroecological principles and the optimization of ecological processes, the program has fostered the emergence and dissemination of innovative agroecological intensification practices, strengthened the capacities of stakeholders, and developed partnerships between research, training, extension services, and agricultural professional organizations.

The achievements of the PAE (Agroecology and Environment Action Program) have highlighted the transformative potential of agroecology, while also emphasizing the need to strengthen its capitalization and scaling up to accelerate the transition of West African food systems. It is within this context that the DeSIRA+AO initiative, led by the ECOWAS Commission through ARAA (Agroecology and Agriculture Research Association), was launched with financial support from the European Union and the AFD (French Development Agency). Based on an integrated research-innovation approach, this new phase aims to promote large-scale agroecological innovations through multi-stakeholder partnerships involving research, professional organizations, and the private sector. The initiative seeks to support the development and adoption of appropriate technologies, strengthen support mechanisms and market access, improve the regulatory environment, and consolidate links with public policies in order to contribute significantly to the sustainable transformation objectives of ECOWAP (Economic Community of West African States).

It is within this framework that the recruitment of an Administrative and Financial Manager for the DéSIRA+ West Africa project, based in Lomé, is planned. The detailed terms of reference are available for download at the following address: https://bit.ly/4w2Ptqc

1. 1. Roles/Responsibilities

He/She will be responsible for:

1. Financial management

• Prepare the annual budgets for the Project and ensure their integration into SAP;
• Ensure the overall budgetary and financial monitoring of the Project;
• Ensure that the Project's accounting is maintained in accordance with applicable standards and procedures;
• Ensure the availability of funds necessary for the execution of activities;
• Prepare disbursement and tranche payment requests to the AFD;
• Produce the Project's periodic financial statements and financial reports;
• Perform monthly bank reconciliations;
• Monitor the Project's cash flow;
• Supervise the physical and digital archiving of administrative, accounting and financial documents;
• Participate in the development of PTBAs and procurement plans.

1. Fiduciary monitoring of beneficiaries and grant management

• To ensure the administrative, financial and accounting monitoring of beneficiaries and implementing partners;
• verify the compliance of expenses submitted by beneficiaries;
• Analyze the financial reports of the beneficiaries and produce consolidations;
• Organize fiduciary monitoring and follow-up missions with beneficiaries;
• Develop tools and procedures for financial monitoring of subsidies;
• Identify fiduciary risks and propose corrective measures;
• To ensure capacity building for beneficiaries in administrative, financial and accounting procedures;
• Supporting beneficiaries in the preparation and justification of their expenses.

2. Procurement

• Ensure the preparation and monitoring of the Project's procurement plans;
• Prepare consultation and contract files in conjunction with the relevant department of the ARAA;
• Ensure compliance with applicable procurement procedures;
• Supporting beneficiaries in their procurement procedures;
• To ensure the administrative and financial monitoring of contracts;
• Participate in the work of evaluation committees when required.

3. Audits and internal control

• Organize and coordinate the annual audits of the Project;
• Ensure that the necessary documents and information for audits are available;
• Ensure follow-up on the implementation of audit recommendations;
• Contribute to strengthening the Project's internal control system;
• Prepare for any mission involving control, verification or supervision of technical and financial partners.

4. Coordination and reporting

• Produce quarterly, semi-annual and annual financial reports;
• Participate in Project coordination meetings;
• Contribute to technical and narrative reports on financial and fiduciary aspects;
• To act as the interface with technical and financial partners on administrative and financial matters;
• Perform any other task within his/her skills as assigned by management.

1. 2. Qualifications, experience, skills

A. Academic qualifications

• Hold a Master's level university degree (minimum BAC+5) in finance, accounting, management, auditing, management control, or equivalent field;
• A professional certification in accounting, auditing, internal control or procurement would be an asset;
• Excellent command of one of the 3 working languages ​​of ECOWAS (French, English, Portuguese). Knowledge of a second language is an asset;
• Excellent command of computer tools and financial management software, particularly Excel and SAP.

2. SKILLS

1. Administrative and financial management:

• Solid mastery of the financial and budgetary management of projects financed by international donors, including the AFD and the EU;
• Ability to produce and analyze consolidated financial reports;
• Good command of grant management mechanisms and fiduciary monitoring of partners;
• Mastery of internal control procedures and fiduciary risk management;
• Ability to manage multiple partners and funding agreements simultaneously.

2. Transfer of contracts:

• Good command of the procurement procedures of international organizations and donors, in particular the AFD and the EU;
• Experience in preparing, monitoring and executing contracts;
• Ability to support and train partners on procurement procedures.

3. Audit and compliance:

• Good knowledge of project audit and control procedures;
• Ability to ensure compliance of expenditures and procedures;
• Good knowledge of AFD and/or EU fiduciary requirements.

4. Coordination and communication

• Excellent writing and analytical skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural and regional environment;
• Ability to coordinate multiple stakeholders in different countries;
• Excellent training and partner support capabilities

C. Required professional experience and CV evaluation criteria

1. Professional experiences

The candidate must provide evidence of proven experience, presented in their detailed CV and supported by certificates:

• At least eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in the administrative and financial management of development projects;
• Proven experience in managing multi-stakeholder and multi-country projects;
• Proven experience in fiduciary monitoring of grants or beneficiaries;
• Significant experience in procurement financed by international donors;
• Experience in organizing and monitoring project audits;
• Practical experience with SAP;
• Experience in projects funded by the AFD and/or the European Union;
• Experience within regional ECOWAS projects would be a major asset.

2. Language skills

• Ability to express oneself perfectly in at least one of the three official languages ​​of ECOWAS and knowledge of a second language would be an asset.

• 1. Location, duration of the mission
• The Administrative and Financial Manager will be based in Lomé, Togo, at the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (ARAA) of ECOWAS;
• The assignment will last for the entire duration of the Project, following a six-month probationary period. However, the consultant's contract will be signed for renewable 12-month periods, subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory performance, and the Project's needs.
• The position is full-time.
  2. Other conditions
• The Consultant must adhere to the objectives and values ​​promoted by ECOWAS;
• The Consultant must work in accordance with the principles and guidelines established within ARAA;
• The Consultant is required to refrain from any situation which could put him/her in conflict of interest within the framework of the mission which would be assigned to him/her.
  3. Application file

Application files consist of:

• A cover letter including the candidate's email address and telephone contact, and specifying the date of availability;
• A recent curriculum vitae detailing professional experience and similar assignments;
• Three professional references (first and last name, current and past positions, email and telephone contact details);
• Certified copy of the highest diploma;
• Copies of work or service certificates, listed in the curriculum vitae and attesting to the experience acquired.
• The signed declaration of integrity, eligibility and environmental and social responsibility (according to the model provided in Annex 1);
• The signed Consultant Security Commitment Letter (according to the model provided in Annex 2).

All documents must be grouped into a single PDF file with the following mention: “CANDIDATE NAME–RAF-DESIRA-SCI020-2026”.

The eligibility criteria for AFD financing are specified in Article 1.3 of the "Guidelines for Procurement financed by the AFD in foreign countries" February 2024, available online on the AFD website:http://www.afd.fr.

1. 1. Application submissions

Applications must be submitted no later than July 21, 2026, at 23:59 GMT, via download through the following link: https://bit.ly/4ejOITN

1. 2. Selection method

The consultant will be selected according to the individual consultant selection method in accordance with the Guidelines for Procurement of AFD-Financed Projects in Foreign Countries, February 2024. A shortlist of no more than six (6) candidates will be drawn up to continue the selection process. In the event of a tie, the candidate with the highest score based on experience criteria will be selected. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the process.

1. 3. Request for additional information

Interested consultants can obtain further information by writing to the following email addresses: procurement@araa.org cc : ctienon@araa.org; azonou@araa.org with the object "RAF-DESIRA-SCI020-2026".

ARAA reserves the right not to follow up on this call for applications.                                                                                                                                                                         

Appendix:

Appendix 1: Declaration of integrity, eligibility and environmental and social responsibility;

Appendix 2: Letter of Commitment – ​​Consultant Security.

Annex 1: Declaration of Integrity, Eligibility and Environmental and Social Responsibility

Job title: Recruitment of an Administrative and Financial Manager for the DéSIRA+ West Africa project (the "Contract")

A: ECOWAS Commission ARAA (the "Project Owner")

1. We acknowledge and accept that the French Development Agency (AFD) finances the Project Owner's projects only under its own conditions, which are determined by the Financing Agreement that binds it directly or indirectly to the Project Owner. The Project Owner retains sole responsibility for preparing, implementing, and executing the procurement process. Consequently, no legal relationship can exist between the AFD and our company, our consortium, or our subcontractors. Depending on whether the contract is for works, supplies, equipment, intellectual services (consultants), or other services, the Project Owner may also be referred to as the Client, Contractor, or Buyer.
2. We attest that neither we, nor anyone acting on our behalf, are responsible for any damages or omissions.[1]Neither any of the members of our group, nor any of our subcontractors, are in any of the following situations:

2.1      To be in a state or subject to bankruptcy, liquidation, judicial settlement, safeguard, cessation of activity proceedings, or to be in any similar situation resulting from a procedure of the same nature;

2.2      Having been subject, within the last five years, to a final administrative sanction, a final conviction handed down by a competent authority, or any other out-of-court resolution^[2]having in particular an extinguishing effect on public action, either (i) in the country in which we are established, (ii) in the country where the Contract is performed, (iii) in the context of the award or execution of a contract financed by the AFD, (iv) issued by an institution of the European Union or (v) issued by a competent authority in France, for:

1. facts of Prohibited Practices, as defined in Article 6.1 below, or for any offence committed in the context of the awarding or execution of a contract (in the event of such a sanction, conviction, or termination out of court, we have the possibility of attaching to this Declaration of Integrity additional information, such as a compliance program, to justify that we (or the person acting on our behalf, the member of our group, or our subcontractor) consider that the sanction, conviction or termination is not relevant in the context of the Contract, if applicable);
2. acts of participation in a criminal organization, terrorist offenses or offenses related to terrorist activities, child labor, or other offenses related to human trafficking;
3. (ii) having created an entity in a different jurisdiction with the intention of evading tax, social security or any other legal obligations applicable in the territory where its registered office, central administration or principal establishment is located, or (ii) for being an entity created with the intention of evading such obligations;

2.3      Having been subject to a termination pronounced at its exclusive fault during the last five years due to a serious or persistent breach of its contractual obligations during the execution of a contract, provided that this termination has not been contested by it which is in progress or which has given rise to a court decision reversing the termination at its exclusive fault;

2.4      To be subject to an ineligibility measure taken by one of the multilateral development banks signatory to the mutual recognition agreement of April 9, 2010^[3](in the event of such a measure of ineligibility, we may attach to this Declaration of Integrity the additional information which would allow us to consider that this measure of ineligibility is not relevant in the context of the Market), if applicable;

2.5      Not having fulfilled our obligations relating to the payment of its taxes or social security contributions according to the legal provisions of our country of establishment, or those of the country of the Project Owner;

2.6      Having produced false documents or having been guilty of false statement(s) in providing the information required by the Project Owner in the context of this procurement and award process.

3. We attest that neither we, nor anyone acting on our behalf2, nor any member of our group, nor any of our subcontractors, nor our direct or indirect shareholders, nor our subsidiaries, acting with our knowledge or consent:
   1. is not directly or indirectly targeted, controlled by, or acting on behalf of or for the benefit of any person or entity targeted by individual sanctions measures adopted by the United Nations, the European Union and/or France;
   2. is not directly or indirectly targeted, controlled by a targeted person or entity, or acts on behalf of or for a person or entity targeted by sectoral sanctions measures adopted by the United Nations, the European Union and/or France;
   3. is not ineligible for the implementation of the project due to any other international sanctions measure imposed by the United Nations, the European Union or France.
4. We attest that neither we, nor anyone acting on our behalf2, nor any of the members of our group, nor any of our subcontractors, are [nor have been (in the event of refinancing of a contract already awarded)] in any of the following conflict of interest situations:

4.1      Being a shareholder controlling the Project Owner or a subsidiary controlled by the Project Owner, unless the resulting conflict has been brought to the attention of the AFD and resolved to its satisfaction;

4.2      Having business or family relationships with a member of the Contracting Authority's services involved in the procurement process or the resulting supervision of the Contract, unless the resulting conflict has been brought to the attention of the AFD and resolved to its satisfaction;

4.3      To control or be controlled by another candidate, bidder or consultant, to be under the control of the same company as another candidate, bidder or consultant, to receive from another candidate, bidder or consultant or to award to another candidate, bidder or consultant directly or indirectly subsidies, to have the same legal representative as another candidate, bidder or consultant, to maintain direct or indirect contact with another candidate, bidder or consultant allowing us (i) to have given, and/or to give access to information contained in our respective applications, offers or proposals which is likely to distort competition, (ii) to influence them, or (iii) to influence the decisions of the Contracting Authority;

4.4      Being engaged for an intellectual services mission which, by its nature, is or could be incompatible with the mission envisaged on behalf of the Client;

4.5      Having prepared oneself, being or having been associated with a natural or legal person who has prepared specifications, terms of reference and other documents which have been used in the context of the procedure for awarding this Contract, and which contain provisions likely to favor a candidacy, offer or proposal;

4.6      Having access or having had access, having prepared oneself, being or having been associated with a natural or legal person who has access, had access, or prepared specifications, plans, calculations, studies and other documents which have not been communicated to all candidates, tenderers or consultants in the context of this procurement, and which thus confer an undue competitive advantage;

4.7 In the case of a procedure for the award of a contract for works, equipment or supplies, to be recruited ourselves, or to have to be recruited (or for one of the companies to which we are affiliated to be, or to have to be recruited), to carry out the supervision or control of the services within the framework of the contract.

5. If we are a public institution or a public company, in order to participate in a competitive bidding process, we certify that we enjoy legal and financial autonomy and that we are managed according to the rules of commercial law.
6. In the context of the awarding and execution of the Contract:

6.1      Neither we, nor anyone acting on our behalf, can do so.²Neither any member of our group, nor any of our subcontractors, have committed or will commit any Prohibited Practice as defined in the document entitled "General Policy of the AFD Group on the Prevention and Fight Against Prohibited Practices", available on the AFD website[4].

6.2      Neither we, nor anyone acting on our behalf, can do so.², neither any of the members of our group, nor any of our subcontractors, will acquire or supply [have acquired or supplied (in the event of refinancing of a contract already awarded)] equipment nor intervene [have intervened (in the event of refinancing of a contract already awarded)] in sectors under embargo of the United Nations, the European Union or France.

7. We commit to, and we commit that anyone acting on our behalf2, any member of our group, any subcontractor commits to:

7.1      to comply with environmental standards recognized by the international community, including international conventions for environmental protection, and in particular to take all reasonable measures to avoid or limit the negative effects on vegetation, biodiversity, soils, groundwater and surface water, and on people and property, resulting from pollution, noise, vibrations, traffic and other effects resulting from our activities, in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable in the country where the Contract is carried out.

7.2      to implement environmental and social risk mitigation measures when indicated in the environmental and social management plan provided by the Project Owner, and to ensure that emissions, surface discharges and effluents produced by our activities comply with the limits, specifications or requirements applicable to the Contract.

7.3      respect workers' rights relating to wages, working hours, rest and holidays, overtime, minimum age, regular payments, compensation and benefits in accordance with standards recognized by the international community, including the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), consistent with the laws and regulations applicable in the country where the Contract is carried out; indicate these elements in a document attached to the employment contracts of our employees and available to the Client; and respect and facilitate workers' rights to organize and implement a grievance management mechanism for direct or indirect workers.

7.4      to implement practices of non-discrimination and equal opportunity, and to ensure the prohibition of child laborchildren and forced labor.

7.5      maintain a file for each local staff member recording the hours worked by each person, the type of work, the wages paid and the training undertaken, and ensure that these files are available at all times so that they can be examined by the Contracting Authority and authorized government representatives, in compliance with the laws and regulations applicable to the protection of personal data in the country where the Contract is being carried out.

8. We ourselves, anyone acting on our behalf2, the members of our group, our subcontractors, our direct or indirect shareholders, and our subsidiaries, authorize the AFD to conduct investigations, and in particular to examine the documents and accounting records relating to the award and execution of the Contract, including, but not limited to, our internal processes and procedures related to compliance with international sanctions imposed by the United Nations, the European Union and/or France, and to have them verified by auditors appointed by the AFD.
9. We declare that we have paid, or will pay, commissions, benefits, fees, gratuities or expenses in connection with the procurement or performance of the Contract to the following third party(ies) (such as an intermediary/agent)(*):

(*) : If no amount has been paid or is due to be paid, indicate "None".

10. We undertake to communicate without delay to the Project Owner, who will then inform the AFD, any change in circumstances with regard to the points above.including in the event of any sanction or embargo measure adopted by the United Nations, the European Union and/or France following our signature of this Declaration.

Name :___________________________________________________ Inasmuch as :________________________

Duly authorized to sign for and on behalf of[5]:_____________________________________________________

Signature :______________________________________________________________________________________

Date:___________________________________________________________________________________________

Appendix 2: Letter of Commitment – ​​Consultant Security

Job title: Recruitment of an Administrative and Financial Manager for the DéSIRA+ West Africa project, the "Market"

HAS :ECOWAS Commission ARAA (the "Project Owner")

I have reviewed the security context and assessed the associated risks within the framework of the execution of the Services Contract.Administrative and Financial Manager for the DéSIRA+ West Africa project

I acknowledge that my personal safety and that of the property entrusted to me for the execution of the Contract remains my sole responsibility.

I undertake to take the measures I deem necessary and sufficient to ensure my own safety and that of the property for which I have been responsible.

I commit to respecting the ECOWAS and ARAA security guidelines.

Name :_____________________________________________________________________________

Signature :__________________________________________________________________________

Date:_______________________________________________________________________________