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For every child, the right to education

Since 2023, the Ministry of Education and Research, UNICEF, and implementing partners have supported the establishment of around 100 EduTech Labs in schools across the Republic of Moldova as part of the response to the refugee situation and efforts to strengthen inclusive and quality learning opportunities, particularly facilitating school inclusion of refugee children. EduTech Labs are safe spaces that provide access to formal online learning, non-formal education activities, Romanian language support, remedial classes, digital skills development, psychosocial support, and social cohesion activities for refugee and vulnerable local children.

The 2025–2026 support related to EduTech Labs aims to ensure that these spaces gradually transition from externally supported projects to sustainable, school-managed educational resources. A key deliverable for this objective is the development of the EduTech Lab Institutionalisation Guide, which will document operational models, management arrangements, activities and tools used by EduTech Labs to support school enrolment and inclusion of refugee and vulnerable local children.

A practical guide has been developed by UNICEF’s implementing partner to document the EduTech Labs model, including detailed descriptions of formal, non-formal, and extracurricular activities delivered within the Labs. The guide outlines operational modalities (full-day and half-day models), planning approaches, training modules for teachers and facilitators, feedback and complaints mechanisms, as well as monitoring and evaluation instruments. While this document represents a valuable foundation, it was not originally designed to serve as a comprehensive operational manual for use within the Moldovan education system. In light of the ongoing transition of EduTech Labs into formal school structures, accompanied by revised institutional roles and functions, the guide requires substantial review and contextual adaptation.

Specifically, the current version does not sufficiently reflect the national regulatory, institutional and financing frameworks governing schools in the Republic of Moldova. To ensure operational relevance, sustainability and scalability, the guide must be aligned with national education policies, regulations, school management practices and existing funding mechanisms. Governance arrangements, pedagogical approaches and implementation tools also need to be harmonised with system-wide standards and capacities.

A comprehensive revision and adaptation process is therefore required to transform the existing guide into a practical, context-specific operational manual. The revised manual will support schools, local authorities and implementing stakeholders to integrate and manage EduTech Labs effectively within the national education system. The institutionalisation process should support schools to integrate EduTech Lab activities into existing educational and managerial structures; assume leadership of activities; integrate selected extracurricular and non-formal activities into school operations; and maintain inclusive educational practices beyond project funding.

To support this process, UNICEF seeks to hire a National Consultant with strong expertise in education policy, educational management and school governance to review, adapt and contextualise the EduTech Lab Institutionalisation Guide.

How can you make a difference?

Terms of Reference - 2026 TOR_Nat Indiv Consultant_ETL Guide_VA.docx

1. Scope of work

The purpose of the consultancy is to adapt and contextualise the EduTech Lab Institutionalisation Guide so that it can serve as a practical operational manual for schools, local education authorities and relevant partners. The adapted guide should be clearly aligned with the national education context, policy and regulatory framework, school management practices, quality assurance arrangements, reporting requirements and financing mechanisms, thereby facilitating the sustainable institutionalisation of EduTech Labs within general education institutions.

Under the supervision of the UNICEF Education Officer and in coordination with MER and implementing partners, the consultant will carry out the following tasks:

Review and mapping. Conduct a structured review of the draft EduTech Lab Institutionalisation Guide, including its proposed operational models, management arrangements, activity descriptions, tools, monitoring instruments, feedback mechanisms and sustainability provisions. Map the draft guide against relevant national education policies, regulations, school governance arrangements, school planning processes, reporting requirements, quality assurance procedures and financing mechanisms, and prepare concise summary notes with practical recommendations for adaptation.
Adaptation and restructuring. Adapt and restructure the guide, as needed, based on the agreed recommendations, ensuring that it reflects national education policies and regulations, school governance structures and management practices, quality assurance mechanisms, reporting requirements, feedback and complaints mechanisms, financing modalities and realistic arrangements for school-level implementation. The adapted guide should include feasible institutional models, clear roles and responsibilities, guidance for school planning and implementation, practical tools or annexes, and provisions supporting inclusion, child rights, child safeguarding, accessibility, gender responsiveness, language learning, digital learning, psychosocial wellbeing and social cohesion.
Alignment with school practice. Ensure that formal, non-formal, extracurricular, remedial, inclusion, digital learning, Romanian language support, psychosocial support and social cohesion activities are described in a way that is compatible with existing national education frameworks, school practices and available institutional capacities. Review and refine the language, structure and format of the adapted guide to ensure that it is clear, user-friendly and appropriate for submission to MER and for practical use by school-level stakeholders.
Stakeholder engagement and validation. Support consultation and validation of the adapted guide with relevant stakeholders, including MER, school representatives running EduTech Labs, local education authorities, UNICEF and implementing partners. This will include developing a simple stakeholder engagement approach, preparing consultation materials, facilitating or co-facilitating structured consultations or written feedback processes, documenting feedback in a concise feedback matrix, integrating agreed comments and identifying any issues requiring further decision, clarification or follow-up.
Finalisation and reporting. Finalise the guide in Romanian, in an appropriate format aligned with national standards for normative documents, to facilitate endorsement and approval at ministerial level. Prepare a concise summary activity report, of up to 2 pages, in English, describing the work completed, key adaptations made, stakeholders consulted, feedback received and any outstanding recommendations for further institutionalisation or implementation support.

Indicative stakeholder engagement timeline:

By 24 July 2026: Agree with UNICEF on the stakeholder engagement approach, including stakeholders to be consulted, consultation format, key questions and expected inputs.
By 31 July 2026: Share summary notes and proposed adaptation recommendations with UNICEF to support internal review and preparation for stakeholder consultations.
1–7 August 2026: Conduct targeted consultations or written feedback processes with MER, selected schools, local education authorities, UNICEF and implementing partners on the proposed adaptations and practical feasibility of the guide.
By 12 August 2026: Consolidate stakeholder feedback in a feedback matrix and agree with UNICEF on comments to be reflected in the final draft guide.
By 17 August 2026: Submit the final draft guide reflecting agreed stakeholder inputs for UNICEF and MER review.
18–28 August 2026: Support final validation, integrate any final comments and prepare the concise English summary activity report.
By 31 August 2026: Submit the final approved guide and summary activity report.

Several tasks may be undertaken in parallel, with adaptation work beginning during the review and consultation period and final adjustments made after UNICEF confirms the stakeholder feedback to be reflected in the guide.

The assignment does not involve direct contact with children or access to child-level personal data; consultations will be conducted only with adult and professional stakeholders.

2. Deliverables and deadlines

Work Assignments Overview	Deliverables/Outputs	Delivery deadline (in weeks/months) and input days to complete the deliverable
Review the draft EduTech Lab Institutionalisation Guide and identify areas requiring adaptation.	Summary notes with recommendations for adapting the guide	31.07.2026 (3 working days)
Adapt the guide based on the agreed proposals for adaptation.	Adapt the guide based on the agreed proposals for adaptation.	10.08.2026 (10 working days)
Final draft guide.	Final draft guide.	31.08.2026 (2 working days)

3. Payment schedule

Payment will be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

Advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in Education, Education Policy, Educational Management, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field
Minimum 7 years of professional experience in the national education sector covering education policy, governance, and management.
Proven experience working with national education legislation, policy development, or educational reform processes.
Proven experience developing or reviewing methodological guides, regulations, frameworks, or policy documents for the education sector.
Excellent analytical, report-writing, and policy drafting skills.
Fluency in Romanian. Good working knowledge of English, including the ability to review and edit technical documents.
Relevant experience working with Governmental institutions, international organizations, UN agencies, NGOs, and/or development partners is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

Curriculum Vitae (CV) including records on past experience in similar projects/assignments and concrete outputs obtained
Cover Letter, outlining why the consultant is the most suitable for the work, including previous relevant experience
A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) - Financial Offer_ETL Guide.docx

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates from targeted underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

National Individual Consultant to adapt the EduTech Lab Institutionalisation Guide (Chisinau, Moldova), 3 months