Project Manager at Smart Africa (Deadline: 05/12/2025)
Terms of reference for recruitment of Project Manager, Smart Africa
Digital Academy – DTfA/ WARDIP SOP-1
- Position: Project Manager, Smart Africa Digital Academy -DTfA/ WARDIP SOP-1
- Duration: Fixed Term, renewable
- Location: Kigali, Rwanda
- Deadline: 5th December ,2025 at 5:00 PM Kigali (GMT+2) time
- I. Context and Background
Africa is reshaping its narrative from one of poverty to progress, showcasing impressive
economic growth, technological innovation, and a young population. Nevertheless, digital
transformation faces obstacles such as limited access, insufficient investments, and a
digital divide, which also offer opportunities for growth through better accessibility,
efficiency, and job creation
The Smart Africa Alliance, established through the Smart Africa Manifesto, is a
collaborative effort among African nations, the African Union, the Economic Commission
for Africa, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the International
Telecommunications Union, the private sector, and academic and research institutions.
This initiative, driven by African Heads of State and Government, aims to propel
sustainable socio-economic development across the continent by leveraging Information
and Communications Technologies (ICT) to transition Africa into a knowledge-based
economy. Originally endorsed by African leaders in 2014, the Smart Africa Manifesto has
since garnered the support of 39 African countries, representing over one billion
population, with the goal of placing ICT at the core of both national and continental socio
economic development efforts. This involves increasing ICT access, enhancing
transparency, efficiency, and openness through ICT adoption, fostering advanced
telecommunication technologies, empowering the private sector, and utilizing ICT for
sustainable development.
The Alliance promotes digital transformation by building digital infrastructure, supporting
entrepreneurship, fostering innovation, developing human capital, driving digitization, and
advocating the development of policies and regulations that support the growth of the digital
economy and digital technologies. Recognizing the need for strong capacity building efforts to
achieve AU’s goals for digital transformation, the Alliance established the Smart Africa Digital
Academy (SADA), adopted during the Smart Africa Alliance ninth Board Meeting Resolution 5, as
a vehicle to implement its capacity building and skills development activities across member
states, through the establishment of national digital academies.
SADA ensures that policymakers, business leaders, and the wider African population develop the
digital skills and knowledge necessary to participate in the digital economy and take advantage
of new opportunities. SADA recognized the importance of strong policies and regulations and the
need to equip policymakers and regulators to design and implement effective digital policies and
regulations. Through collaborative efforts with the World Bank and GIZ, SADA has, in its
phase 1, trained over 8000 beneficiaries, out of which over 5000 are Africa’s Policy and
Decision makers. SADA has also implemented National Digital Academies across 12 African
countries.
Visit https://sada.smartafrica.org/ for more information about the Smart Africa Digital Academy - II. Digital Transformation for Africa/ Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (DTfA/ WARDIP) SOP-1
The DTfA/ WARDIP SOP-1 is a regional project with financing from the International
Development Asociaton (IDA) covering two continental entities, AU and Smart Africa, one REC,
ECOWAS and four countries, The Gambia, Guinea. Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania. The DTfA/
WARDIP SOP-1 aims to increase broadband access and usage in participating countries and to
advance the integration of digital markets in Western Africa.
The project is designed around the three distinct but interconnected layers of the SDM
framework. The three market layers are (i) a single connectivity market, removing
barriers to regional telecom infrastructure and services deployment; (ii) a single data
market, enabling the secure exchange and processing of data across borders; and (iii) a
single online market, allowing the access and delivery of public and private services
online and digital trade across borders.
At the continental level the project will support AU´s strategic vision of creating an SDM
in Africa by 2030 through the development of appropriate policies and regulations for
coordinated digital transformation in Africa. A key element will be a comprehensive
training program open to policy and decision makers as well as regulators from all
countries in Africa to be implemented by Smart Africa through its Smart Africa Digital
Academy (SADA). The training will ensure that participants are updated on digitalization
and address the new policies and regulations underpinning single digital markets, with
focus on agile regulation, data economy and green digital. This will also foster common
knowledge, competencies, and peer-learning to design and implement digital policies and
regulations. - III. The Smart Africa Digital Academy for Policy and Decision makers (SADA-CBDM) – A
Subcomponent of the WARDIP-SOP 1
The subcomponent of the WARDIP-SOP1 project to be implemented by Smart Africa aims at a
rapid-scaling of the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) program at both regional and
continental levels by leveraging on the existing SADA -CBDM implementation, AReg4DT program,
and developing a replicable implementation model that caters for the specific needs and the
regional context. The overall aim is to establish a new generation of policymakers and regulators
across Africa, who are individually knowledgeable on how to harness the potential of green and
inclusive digital transformation through new approaches to policy and regulation, and who
collectively contribute to the establishment of a Single Digital Market in Africa. With this aim, the
scale-up will reach 30,000 unique policymakers and decision makers from all countries in Africa,
with a core group of 5,000 being trained in person towards creating a safe, inclusive and
sustainable single digital market for Africa, with a participation level of females at 40%. The use
of self-paced learning and train-the-trainer approaches are both aimed at further enhancing the
reach of the program to propagate new knowledge and new practices across the entire ecosystem
including the private sector, academia and in some cases the general public.
In line with the vision of Smart Africa, the program aims to provide foundational knowledge and
competencies for the current and future digital policy makers to design, draft and implement
digital policies and regulations required to promote a vibrant (i.e, competitive), safe, inclusive
and sustainable (i.e., affordable and green) digital transformation that will, in turn, foster the
creation of a secured Single Digital Market in Africa with focus on Agile regulation, the data
economy and green digital.
SADA invites suitably qualified candidates to indicate their interest in the implementation of the
SADA component of the WARDIP-SOP1, as Project Manager.
IV. Duties and Responsibilities
The Project Manager will provide project management, coordination and administrative support
towards the effective and timely implementation of the Project. The project manager will be
responsible for implementing the activities within the Scale up phase, in alignment with the
current SADA implementation, as well as organizing and coordinating the interventions planned
under the subcomponent SADA on the DTfA/ WARDIP SOP-1
Therefore, the Project Manager will have the following key responsibilities: - Project Planning and Oversight:
Prepare and submit a detailed and comprehensive project work plan and ensure adherence to
the project schedule.
Oversee the project’s implementation, providing financial, administrative, and technical guidance
in line with Smart Africa Alliance and World Bank guidelines, policies, and practices.
Prepare periodic reports on progress based on the Smart Africa and World bank governance
structures.
Present Project Updates to the continental project coordination committee - Technical Support:
o Contribute to the development of technical reports and other project deliverables.
o Assist in the formulation of plans, terms of reference, and strategies for all project
components
o Design and create databases to facilitate project activities - Quality Control:
o Ensure the overall quality control of content creation and delivery.
o Ensure collaboration with accredited institutions. - Consultant Recruitment:
o Coordinate the recruitment process for consultants involved in the project, in
accordance with the project’s documents and World Bank procurement regulations. - Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E):
o Contribute to the development of standardized M&E tools for data collection, quality
monitoring, and analysis.
o Regularly report on approved project indicators to ensure effective M&E.
o Monitor the effectiveness of the training implemented and give feedback. - Logistics and Event Management:
o Manage logistics and coordinate project activities and events - Stakeholder Engagement:
o Create the continental project coordination committee
o Organize and facilitate meetings with project stakeholders, ensuring the successful
implementation of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan. - Others:
o Lead and coordinate the delivery of the overall project team.
o Supervise and provide support to the implementation team, including coaching,
technical capacity building.
o Any other duties as assigned by the Supervisors.
IV. Position requirements
A. Education - A bachelor’s degree in the field of Education, Business Management, Engineering fields,
Computer Science - A Project/Program Management Certificate would be a plus.
- A master’s degree in project/Program Management, Business Management, Business
Administration, will be an added advantage.
B. Experience - Ten (10) years’ experience in the management and implementation of digital development
projects; - Demonstrates sound technical knowledge of Africa’s digital development and in particular
digital skills landscape. - Proven ability to develop and sustain highly effective relationships with development partners
and other stakeholders, adopting a highly inclusive and collaborative approach, and building
strong networks with a wide range of stakeholders. - Experience in effectively leading and managing large teams, as well as complex and technical
projects of similar nature, size, and scope. - Demonstrated experience in the development and management of development partner funded
programs/projects. - Familiarity with policies and procedures of donors would be an added asset, and prior
experience of World Bank-funded projects an added advantage. - Staff supervisory experience and demonstrated excellent team management, leadership,
communication and organizational skills. - Experience working with project or programs financed by International Finance Institutions
such as The World Bank, African Development Bank or European Investment Bank is a
requisite. - Experience in preparing technical specifications, requests for proposals, and terms of reference.
- Experience in project supervision of consultants and contractors.
- Experience in staff supervision, demonstrates team management, leadership, communication
and organization skills - Training and/or relevant experience in project monitoring and evaluation.
C. Knowledge/Skills required - Advanced ability to conceptualize, plan and implement ideas and concepts clearly and
concisely orally as well as in writing. - Demonstrated experience in developing programs and projects proposals
- Organization and Planning Skills
- Leadership and Problem-solving skills
- Well-developed Interpersonal Skills Creativity/Innovation skills
- Excellent written and verbal English and French communication skills
- Strong analytical and evaluating skills with the ability to generate reports
- Self-starter, flexible and can work independently.
- Team spirit, respect for diversity and confidentiality.
D. Duration of the Assignment
The role is expected to have a duration of three (3) years renewable subject to funds availability
and performance.
E. Reporting
The Project Manager will report to the Director – Digital Infrastructure, Skills and Empowerment
Directorate.
F. Location
Kigali, Rwanda.
G. Application Instructions
Candidates should send the following documents to the following email address:
hr@smartafrica.org, and copy Robert.gatsinzi@smartafrica.org with mention of “Project Manager – SADA” in the subject line: - A detailed CV
- A one-page cover letter with a motivation statement in relation to the responsibilities and
requirements for this position.
The deadline for submitting applications is 5th December,2025 at 5:00 PM Kigali (GMT+2) time.
Only selected candidates for interview will be contacted.
Any late application will be automatically rejected.
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