Within the cycle of the 2012-2015 WACSOF Strategic Plan, 12 different thematic groups have been identified as a basis for the classification of Civil Society activities. Several Working Groups were also established to address specific issues and processes with bearing on the regional integration and development agenda of the ECOWAS. Below is a summary of the Thematic/Working Groups, with targets and corresponding projects

Agriculture & Food Security
Focus on improving the interface of CSOs with the relevant authorities and institutions on securing key policy commitments towards addressing agriculture development and food security issues in West Africa

Environment and Climate Change
The focus here is on augmenting the contributions of regional and national authorities towards addressing famine and drought and other associated effects of environmental degradation and Climate Change. Facilitate CSO’s engagement with ECOWAS, governments, & institutions. Facilitation of CSO’s participation, formulation and implementation of Climate Change and environmental governance policy and programs in regional & global policy dialogue. Studies, research, capacity building, mobilization, empowerment of CSO’s, experts, institutions, governments and citizen to take action on climate change and environment. Monitoring and contribution with authorities and international bodies actions in order to hold actors accountable

Peace and Security
Seek to galvanize the civil society by deepening the practical involvement of CSOs in ensuring peace and stability in West Africa. Engage with ECOWAS in policies, research for peace and security. Coordinate CSO’s involved in peace and security for peace building network.

ICT and Infrastructure
WACSOF ensures that the Region is a part of the new technologically inclined world, thereby promoting and witnessing significant growth in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) across West Africa, through this the latest advanced technologies can be used to capture, analyse, and share information needed to promote a developed region and to boost the overall economic prosperity of West African states

Political Affairs - Democracy and Governance
Focus on achieving the goal of promoting and implementing better understanding of international standards on democracy and good governance in West Africa at all level including, public space, governments, civil society and actively involve civil society in actualizing them.

Humanitarian and Social Affairs
On humanitarian and social affairs, the focus of WACSOF is on civil society interface with ECOWAS, national authorities and institutions in facilitating the prevention of, and timely response to, Humanitarian issues in West Africa

Human and Peoples’ Rights
Very huge role in the promotion of global human rights standards in West Africa, making it a priority issue in the region.

Anti-Corruption
Corruption has a disproportionate impact on the poor and most vulnerable, increasing costs and reducing access to services, including health, education, and justice. The role of WACSOF is to ensure that civil societies in West Africa understand their role in holding government officials accountable and are equipped to be strongly involved in pressuring the State to take necessary actions against corruption to achieve a corrupt free working West Africa economy.

Education
WACSOF acting as umbrella for CSOS in West Africa is Focussed on achieving and encouraging CSOs in the region to be involved in advocacy, policy dialogues and other activities that will achieve the goal of an inclusive and equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for everybody in the West African Region.

Trade and Investment
Ensure that the role of civil society in the facilitation of a favorable business environment in the ECOWAS region is promoted so as to secure a viable investment and trading climate across the region for development

Migration and Freedom of Movement
Focus to facilitate a common understanding of the existing regional standards on migration and free movement among the relevant regional stakeholders and CSOs

Women and Gender
Engage ECOWAS and institutions on gender related issues in ECOWAS, authorities and national policies. Promote and Develop the capacity of CSO’s working around the themes of Women and Gender towards addressing human resource development gaps across the region.

Human Trafficking
WACSOF as an umbrella network of CSOs in West Africa has a role of ensuring that CSOs in the region engage in a broad variety of activities from lobbying and advocating on the issue of human trafficking and even providing direct support to the victims to achieve a safe and Human Trafficking free region.

Media
WACSOF has a role of encouraging and engaging the media to play an important role of storytelling and acting as an information dispenser by ensuring that rules and laws that act as a means of shutting down the freedom of speech and information of media teams, houses and CSOS in the region are peacefully protested and new policies that protect and promote the civic space of the media are implemented in order to achieve a stable, safe, integrated and informed region.

Health
In this area, the goal of the West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) is to enhance the role of civil society in the regional agenda aimed at improving health standards across the West African Region

Natural Resources & Economic Development
Enhance the role of civil society in promoting awareness on best practices related to energy, infrastructures, to natural resources exploitation and economic development. Engage ECOWAS, authorities and institutions in harmonizing natural resource practices in the region. Involve the civil Society in the value chain of wealth creation and distribution. Create condition of economical empowerment of the civil society.

Entrepreneurship - Youth Employment - Education
Secure the commitment of governments and relevant regional stakeholders on the promotion of entrepreneurship, youth development and employment generation programs and policies. Engage ECOWAS, institutions and governments to creation conditions and policies for effective environment of entrepreneurship development as corner stone of employment and economic development solution. Promote start ups, innovation and sustainable business creation and development in the region. Create conditions for innovation in education and adequation between education at all level and real and tangible conscious and economic development

Childs Right
The role of WACSOF is to ensure that CSOs in the West African Region engage in practices that promote the rights of children stipulated by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Similarly, WACSOF encourages CSOs to advocate for enactment and implementation of policies that would further promote the rights and welfare of the West African child.