UNECA MO IBRAHIM Leadership Fellowship Program for African Leaders 2022

Established in 2006, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation aims to support good governance and great leadership in Africa. The Foundation works to:

• Stimulate debate on good governance;
• Provide criteria by which citizens and governments can measure progress;
• Recognize achievement in African leadership and provide a practical way in which leaders can build positive legacies on the continent when they have left office;
• Support aspiring leaders for the African continent.

As part of its programme to support member States, ECA is partnering with the Mo Ibrahim Leadership Programme to promote leadership development through a practical and on-the-job fellowship. The programme is aimed at enabling young African professionals to develop leadership capacity in a large institution, gain knowledge of the functioning of the United Nations, have better understanding of Africa’s socio-economic challenges and contribute to the analytical, advocacy and policy advisory work of the Commission.
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation (the “Foundation”), is financing this Fellowship position in the ECA. The Fellow will perform the duties and responsibilities of the position at the headquarters of ECA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship Programme is a selective Fellowship that prepares the next generation of outstanding African leaders by providing them with unique work opportunities at the most senior level of prominent African institutions or multilateral organizations, whose mandate is to improve the economic and social prospects of Africa. The Fellowship allows talented individuals to increase and enhance their professional capacity, with the intention of contributing to the governance and development of their countries thereby creating a pipeline of future African leaders. The Fellow will work with the Bank for this purpose, for a period not exceeding twelve (12) months, and the Foundation will finance the costs associated with the position on the following terms:

DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Foundation Fellow will be mentored by the Executive Secretary of ECA and/or a designated Representative in the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES). With this guidance, the Fellow will work on the design and implementation of strategic assignments in support of the ECA’s mandate of contributing to the governance and development of member states.
As part of his/her general responsibilities, the Fellow will be expected to:
• Advise on and develop strategic initiatives to advance UNECA’s mission and objectives.
• Support the programmatic and administrative functions of OES
• Plan, develop, and implement strategies for promoting regional integration.
• Conceive, develop and promote innovations in UNECA development policies, including helping Africa to meet its special needs.
• Review activity reports and financial statements to determine progress and status in attaining objectives and revise objectives and plans in accordance with current conditions.
• Undertake other duties as assigned.

• Table of Content
• About United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
• MO IBRAHIM Leadership Fellowship Program
• Aim and Benefits of MO IBRAHIM Leadership Fellowship Program
• Requirements for MO IBRAHIM Leadership Fellowship Program Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

MO IBRAHIM Leadership Fellowship Program

Aim and Benefits of MO IBRAHIM Leadership Fellowship Program

• This position is NOT a regular position of the United Nations Secretariat/ ECA. The Fellow will work with the ECA for a period not exceeding twelve (12) months and the Foundation will finance an annual stipend which will be paid monthly by the ECA;
• The selected Fellow will sign a contract with the ECA before commencement of service in line with administrative instructions of the United Nations applicable to consultants;
• All expenses related to the Fellow’s official mission travel, including travel insurance will be met by the ECA;
• The Fellow cannot be employed on/ apply to any UN Secretariat Professional and above positions within six months of completion of a fellowship;
• If the Fellow is subsequently engaged by the ECA or any other UN Secretariat entity as a consultant or an individual contractor (IC), the Fellow’s 12 months of service at the ECA as a fellow will count towards the time limits on the engagement of consultants and ICs as per ST/AI/2013/4;
• The Fellow will cover his/her own medical insurance, child education and retirement plan arrangements;
• The Foundation will invite the Fellow to participate in its annual Forum;
• The travel costs for the assumption of duty and repatriation at the end of the appointment will be borne and paid out of the funds provided by the Foundation.

Requirements for MO IBRAHIM Leadership Fellowship Program Qualification

• The MO IBRAHIM Leadership Fellowship is for young female and male professionals, mid-career and executives alike who are nationals of ECA member States, residing anywhere in the world;
• Applicants must be under the age of Forty (40) years old on the date of application deadline (15 October 2021);
o Consideration will, however, be given to women under the age of Forty-Five (45) years old with children on the date of the application deadline;
• Applicants must not be employees of the United Nations Secretariat/ ECA.

Work Experience

Applicants should have at least 7 years of relevant work experience and must be able to demonstrate competency in professionalism, teamwork, client orientation, planning and organizing and leadership potential.

Applicants must also have proven:

 Experience in strategic planning and execution;
• Knowledge of negotiating and change management;
• Enhanced skills in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures;
• Experience in formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures;
• Ability to communicate and interact with officials at all levels of government and to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community;
• Experience in research/analytical work in a socioeconomic related area;
• Experience with working on African issues is an advantage.
• Ability to work in teams and simultaneously on several assignments.

Education Applicants for MO IBRAHIM Leadership Fellowship must hold at least a Master’s Degree or higher in Economics, Social Sciences, International
Development, Business Administration, Law, Finance, Engineering, or any discipline relevant to the work
of ECA./

Language
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this, fluency in either
English or French is required. Working knowledge of the other language is an advantage. Applications
must be in either English or French.
Other Skills
Sound knowledge of the Internet and basic software for word processing, spreadsheets, and
presentations is required.

Selection Criteria: The key competences are top notch professional experience in private sector and strong policy analytical skills at all levels and ability to run models.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Candidates must submit their applications via email, containing the following documents as PDF attachments (any other document/ attachment types will not be accepted). Large documents may be combined/ compressed into a zip file (.zip) if necessary. Please do NOT use any other file compression formats (e.g. RAR).

For more details, visit UNECA website.