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.
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:
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
- 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
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.
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.