Vacancy: Local Expert to the Ministry of Education, UNDP Moldova

Local Expert to the Ministry of Education

Vacancy Number: Pr12/00246

Location:	Chisinau, Moldova
Application Deadline:	16 Dec 2012, 23:59 (GMT+2:00)
Type of Contract:	Individual Contract
Starting date:	01 Jan 2013
Reference to the project:	EU High Level Policy Advice Mission to Moldova
Expected Duration of Assignment:	9 months with possibility of extension
Submission Instructions: Proposals should be submitted on-line by pressing the "Apply Now" button or by email to vacancies-moldova@undp.org, no later than 10 December, 2012. Requests for clarification only must be sent by standard electronic communication to the following e-mail: nelea.bugaevski@undp.org UNDP will respond by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.
Supporting Documents: Terms of Reference Individual Consultant Procurement Notice Personal History Form (P11) UNDP General Conditions of Individual Contract

Background

The overall objective of the project is to support the Government to implement its wider reform agenda, the Government Activity Programme and the National Development Strategy Moldova 2020, and in particular to assist the Government to develop the capacities required for the preparation, negotiation and implementation of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, and visa liberalisation.

The specific objectives are to: Strengthen the policy-making, strategic planning and policy management capacities of selected line Ministries and State Agencies involved in the negotiation and implementation of the Association Agreement and visa liberalization; Enhance stakeholders’ knowledge and awareness of EU policies, legislation and regulations in sectors strategic to the conclusion of the Association Agreement including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, and to the implementation of visa liberalization. The EUHLPAM will achieve these objectives through the continued delivery of an optimal mix of policy, legal and institutional advice ensuring that the Moldovan authorities have direct access to EU best practice and reform experience in order to strengthen policy design and implementation. The Mission is supported by nine local experts.

Scope of work

Main objectives in the period worked are:

to support the Ministry of Education on policy making and strengthening its capacity in promoting the reforms committed to the National Development Strategy “Moldova - 2020” and EU Integration and Accession agenda in respect with Moldova’s Association Agreement, Bologna Process and Lisbon Convention;
to provide advice and inputs to the MoE on development and implementation of legislation, strategies and plans connected to the reforms of all levels of the Education system – early development education, general primary and secondary education, secondary vocational and specialized education as well as higher education;
to support the institutional building capacity of MoE in regards to policy-making, strategic planning and policy management;
to help to the MoE to its elaborations with EU institutions and other international organizations working actively on development and implementation of reforms focusing on equal access to the quality education for all children, especially for those in need difficulties, development of deeper integration between education and labour market, development of lifelong education and training system.

Key Responsibilities:

The EUHLPA local expert at the MoE shall work under coordination of the EUHLPA high-level adviser and the MoE in the areas outlined in the description of responsibilities section. In particular, the local expert shall:

Conduct research, collect relevant documents and prepare background papers under the direction of the EUHLPA;
Perform research and analysis of national legislation and policies relevant to the implementation of the Education sector reforms;
Provide translations of relevant documents and legal texts from Romanian/Russian into English and vice versa;
Assist and translate in meetings with local counterparts;
Contribute to the drafting of policy and legal texts and recommendations for policy changes or legal amendments;
Provide input and assistance on the development of projects, activities and initiatives relevant to the work of the MoE;
Prepare debriefing and policy papers together with the EUHLPA and edit them in the Romanian / Russian language;
Advance the work of the project during the high-level adviser’s absence in Chisinau and make sure all emerging issues are dealt with promptly and accurately;
Perform other tasks as assigned by the EUHLPA.

Requirements for experience

I. Qualifications:

Knowledge of Education system, its structure and legal framework;
Excellent drafting and presentation skills;
Computer proficiency, including knowledge of MS Office products (Word, Excel, Power Point).

II. Education:

A Master's degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Social Science or other relevant field;

III. Experience:

Experience with working in international assistance projects;
Preferably 10 years of relevant professional experience in the field of Education, University or relevant institutions;
Experience in drafting strategies and action plans, including monitoring and evaluation tools;
Experience in strategic planning and analysis for policy;
Previous experience in public administration in Moldova would be an asset.

IV. Language:

Fluency in English, Romanian and Russian.

Documents to be included

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Proposal explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;

2. Financial proposal;

3. Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references or the duly filled Personal History Form (P11)

Financial proposal

The financial proposal shall specify a daily lump-sum fee in US Dollars (USD). Payments are based upon submission and approval of monthly time-sheets and reports. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must include a single all-inclusive daily fee. For this assignment an effort of 15 working days per month is envisaged.

Disclaimer

In case of discrepancies between the text published on the website and the contents of the supporting documents, the provisions, instructions and conditions included in the supporting documents (published as Adobe Portable Document Format files) shall prevail. In case of discrepancies between the English version and the Romanian and/or Russian versions of text, documents or other content published on this webpage, the English version shall prevail.

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