Project Learning Environment Analyst

Please note the appropriate Tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure that you are holding the applicable contract as defined below:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or whose contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Background

During 2024 – 2027, UNDP and UNICEF will jointly implement the Project “Advancing Quality Education and Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All”, funded by the European Union.

The overall objective of the joint project Advancing Quality Education and Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All is to contribute to human capital development in the Republic of Moldova, improving quality and relevance of education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, for better matching the labour market demands. To achieve this, the Program will target the following specific objectives:

1. Strengthen institutions and system for teacher and school leaders' professional development and support the implementation of education policies to enhance quality of teaching and learning (Development Strategy “Education 2030”.
2. Improve equitable access for all children to quality education, promoting the development of an inclusive, digital, and resilient education system.
3. Upgrade learning environments through renovation of selected school infrastructures and facilitate the development of the 21st century skills, contributing to better education opportunities for pupils/students and improved efficiency of the school network.

Under this joint Project, UNDP will support professional development of teachers, promote life-long learning opportunities for adults, and be responsible for implementing interventions under the Specific Objective number 3 mentioned above, that aims at increasing quality, relevance, and efficiency of learning. More specifically, it will support Ministry of Education and Research in enhancing the learning environments and improving the teaching-learning conditions by setting up modern learning spaces, improvement of school infrastructure of 10 model/aspirational schools. It will also aim at redesigning existing STEEAM learning spaces to facilitate better learning, provision of modern technologies and teaching-learning resources and support the roadmaps for continuous development of digital learning space. The activities will ease the accessibility of students from remote areas to the model/ aspirational schools through access to transportation means and development of an integrated national system for school bus management.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Learning Environment Analyst will be part of the Project Management Team (PMT) and will, under the overall supervision of the Project Manager, be responsible for managing the successful implementation of the project activities. The Project Learning Environment Analyst will interact closely with short-term experts. The incumbent will ensure the provision of development services and products (commensurate with the scope of the project) of the highest quality and standards to national counterparts. More specifically, he/she will:

Project Planning, Design & Coordination:

• Ensure practical coordination of assigned areas of project activities (physical learning environment, digital solutions, private sector engagement).
• Design, plan, and monitor project activities; ensure high‑quality concept papers, ToRs, proposal outlines, and agreements.
• Contribute to annual activity and procurement work plans and budgets; ensure close monitoring of activities and disbursements.
• Contribute to preparation of qualitative work plans and financial progress reports; support preparation of procurement/contracting and financial delivery reports.
• Provide regular reports to the Project Manager and flag any deviations from work plans.
• Support resource mobilization efforts and project development.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting:

• Establish monitoring and evaluation systems; set up progress review mechanisms with implementing partners.
• Ensure timely submission of financial and activity reports and harmonized reporting on key performance indicators.
• Support selection, capacity assessment, contracting, monitoring, evaluation, and audit of recipients.
• Guide service providers and grant recipients on results‑based implementation; provide continuous feedback and corrective measures.

Compliance, Policies & Quality Assurance:

• Ensure alignment with UNDP policy, programme management procedures, and gender equality mainstreaming.
• Apply UNDP programming tools and policies (Results Management Guide); continuously update knowledge of UNDP programming practices.

Coordination, Communication & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Maintain close coordination with project partners to ensure synergies and avoid overlaps.
• Support organization of training, workshops, and capacity-building activities with stakeholders (government, private sector, NGOs, donors, academia).
• Contribute to the dissemination and visibility of project achievements; support mechanisms for information exchange at local and national levels.

Facilitate Knowledge and Capacity Building, Knowledge Sharing & Best Practices:

• Identify, synthesize, and document best practices and lessons learned from the project and implementing partners.
• Organize training, workshops, and capacity building activities in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia.
• Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on project related issues. Support establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDP’s engagement in this area.
• Promote advocacy on development trends and opportunities to collaborate in coordination with the project partners, stakeholders, and UNDP communications staff.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Learning Environment Analyst contributes to the effective and efficient implementation of the activities related to improving learning environment, through a range of actions contributing to the design, planning, management and monitoring of project activities. The incumbent applies and promotes the principles of results-based management (RBM), as well as a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Project Learning Environment Analyst works in close collaboration with the Project Team, and other project teams in the Country Office (CO) for effective achievement of results, anticipating and resolving complex programme/project-related issues and information delivery.

The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies, as well as implementation of the effective internal control systems.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Direction and Strategy

• System Thinking:
  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
• Entrepreneurial Thinking:
  • Identify and seize opportunities to service and add value to clients, create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners, develop clear service offers responding to client needs in line with UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate.

Business Development

• Knowledge facilitation:
  • Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas.
  • Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.
• Human-centered design:
  • Ability to develop solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process.
  • Knowledge and understanding of human centred design principles and practices.

Business Management

Communication:

• Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Digital

• Design thinking:
  • Solving problems by putting people at the center, visualizing ideas and making them tangible in order to improve them through and iterative process of developing and testing.
  • Strong empathy skills, being able to put yourself "in someone else's shoes", understand needs, abilities, preferences, motivations, (everyday) experiences from different perspectives as well as their cultural, social, economical and political contexts.
  • Ability to identify and challenge assumptions, (cognitive and social) biases and dominant mental models by generating new perspectives and frames that help redefine the problem, solution and opportunity space.
  • Being able to work with incomplete information, ambiguity and opposing views, needs and constraints and synthesize them into solutions that are viable, technically feasible and useful.
• Digital product design:
  • Ability to design digital products which are user-centred, intuitive, functional and achieve desired outcomes.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Education/Pedagogy, Business Administration, Economics, Public Policy, Management, or other related fields relevant to the position is required, or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s Degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master`s degree.

Experience:

• Applicants with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in managing projects/initiatives in the field of education, employment, education public policy, digitalization in education.

Desired Skills:

• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Knowledge and experience in relevant thematic area – education/ pedagogy, economics/employment, digitalization.
• Experience in networking and partnership development;
• Experience of working on project implementation for international organization, UN Agencies, development organization, consulting company, or NGO.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in Romanian and English is required.
• Working knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Russian, Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language is an asset.

Professional Certificates:

• Additional training and certification in project management would be an advantage.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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