Vacancy No: 061

Job Summary

• A key component is promoting strategic communication to counter misinformation and disinformation, enhancing public trust and the legitimacy of ECOWAS institutions.
• This includes capacity-building for staff, modernizing communication structures, and integrating digital tools, such as social media analysis, into institutional workflows.
• The project, following a Team Europe Approach, is co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union (EU), and Spanish Cooperation (AECID).
• It is implemented by GIZ and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission, spanning January 2024 to December 2026 with a financial volume of EUR 14.9 million.

Responsibilities
The Advisor – Communication and Digital Governance will:

• Develop regional and national strategies to combat online and offline disinformation.
• Facilitate multi-stakeholder platforms for fact-checking and public awareness.
• Create capacity-building tools for media, civil society, and government actors to enhance digital literacy and resilience to information manipulation.
• Provide technical input for policies on platform governance, content moderation, data protection, and algorithmic transparency.
• Support ECOWAS in aligning with continental and global standards, such as the Global Digital Compact.
• Engage with regional ICT regulators, civil society, and platforms to improve regulatory coherence and rights-based digital governance.
• Monitor global trends in generative AI, regulation, and information manipulation to inform ECOWAS responses.
• Promote local AI and innovation ecosystems to support democratic resilience and access to trustworthy information.
• Contribute to the organizational development of ECOWAS units focused on communication and digital governance.
• Support the development of long-term institutional frameworks for strategic communication, digital engagement, and platform oversight.

Tasks:
The Advisor – Communication and Digital Governance will:

• Provide strategic and technical advisory services to the ECOWAS Commission on countering misinformation and disinformation, enhancing institutional resilience, communication capacities, and public trust.
• Design and implement inclusive, gender-responsive digital governance frameworks and policy dialogues on platform accountability, algorithmic transparency, and digital rights within the ECOWAS context.
• Collaborate with ECOWAS directorates to strengthen internal coordination and policy coherence on digital governance and information integrity.
• Co-develop strategies for integrating emerging technologies, such as AI, into communication workflows, policy design, and data analysis.
• Develop and implement capacity-building measures for ECOWAS staff and regional partners, including training on strategic communication, AI literacy, fact-checking, and combating digital threats.
• Establish digital tools and data-driven approaches to monitor public discourse, analyze disinformation trends, and enhance ECOWAS’s digital outreach.
• Draft technical papers, analytical briefs, talking points, and background notes on disinformation, digital platform governance, AI, and innovation in the ECOWAS region.
• Coordinate with stakeholders (civil society, media, tech actors, development partners) to foster regional cooperation and multi-stakeholder dialogue on digital governance and responsible innovation.
• Participate in monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities for the Strategic Communication and Digital Governance component and contribute to reporting.
• Manage consultants, service providers, and vendors, ensuring quality and compliance with project objectives and GIZ standards.
• Support knowledge management by documenting good practices, success stories, and lessons learned in strategic communication, platform governance, and digital innovation in West Africa.
• Perform additional duties as required to support the overall OD project objectives.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
Qualifications:

• MSc/MBA in digital policy, political science, law, media studies, innovation, international relations, or a related field.

Professional Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in strategic communication, digital governance, or combating disinformation.
• At least 2 years of experience fostering partnerships with civil society, media, and regional institutions for early detection and rapid response to disinformation campaigns.
• Proven experience providing technical input for policy briefs and regional frameworks on information integrity and digital governance.
• Strong understanding of digital governance, AI policy, and platform regulation.
• Familiarity with West Africa’s political, digital, and media landscape and relevant policy/regulatory frameworks.
• Experience applying a gender-sensitive or intersectional lens to digital policy, communication strategies, or technology interventions, promoting inclusive approaches that address the impact of disinformation on women and marginalized groups.
• Experience facilitating regional dialogues and multi-stakeholder cooperation in a sensitive and inclusive manner.

Other Knowledge and Competencies:

• Professional proficiency in two ECOWAS official languages (English, French, or Portuguese).
• Strategic thinking with a strong grasp of the intersection of technology, governance, democracy, and human rights.
• Cultural sensitivity and experience working in multilingual, diverse regional environments.
• Commitment to gender equality, diversity, and inclusive digital development.
• Experience with international and donor organizations, including GIZ.
• Excellent skills in data analysis, copy editing, writing, research, oral and written presentation, interpersonal communication, and high integrity.

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