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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to education 

The inclusion of children with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN) in Moldova has progressed over the last two decades, with a reversal of the trends of children with disabilities and SEN in mainstream schools and those in special residential institutions. At the beginning of the 2024/25 school year, more than 11.000 pupils with disabilities and SEN were enrolled in primary and general secondary schools, the majority of whom (95.1%) were educated in general educational institutions, and 4.9% in schools for children with intellectual or physical developmental disabilities.

However, the integration of children with disabilities and SEN in education remains a challenge, due to insufficient access to quality support services, lack of specialized skills of human resources in the education system, inappropriate physical infrastructure, limited access to assistive technology,  as well as the exclusive and discriminatory attitudes of the general public and the educational community towards the inclusion of all children with SEN, as is stated in 2024-2027 National Programme for Inclusive Education^[1].

According to the National Programme for Inclusive Education, by 2027, the share of children with disabilities and SEN included in preschool education is expected to constitute 5% of the total number of children at this education level, 3% of the total number of children/youth included in vocational education and training, and 2% of the total number of youths in higher education. 

In 2024, the Ministry of Education and Research, together with UNICEF, launched the social and behaviour change campaign “Learning Together” to advance inclusive education for children with disabilities and special educational needs. The campaign is designed to reduce stigma and discrimination experienced by children with disabilities, special educational needs (SEN), refugees, and ethnic minorities, while reinforcing their fundamental right to education.

Building on this foundation, and in alignment with the National Programme for Inclusive Education (2023–2027) and the Roadmap for the inclusion of refugee children in Moldova Education System, UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Education and Research in developing a long-term Strategy and costed implementation Action Plan (three years) for Social and Behaviour Change on Inclusive Education. This strategic framework will provide sustainable approaches to shift perceptions, strengthen positive social norms, and drive behavior change at the individual, community, and systemic levels.

How can you make a difference? 

1. Purpose of the consultancy

The consultancy aims to support the Ministry of Education and Research and UNICEF, within the National Programme for Inclusive Education, in developing an evidence-based Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Strategy and implementation action plan for three years to advance inclusive education. This strategy will address key psychological, social, cultural, and environmental drivers and barriers that influence behaviours, attitudes, and norms among educators, teachers, children, families, communities, and institutional actors. By fostering positive social norms, reducing stigma, and promoting inclusive mindsets and practices, the consultancy will help ensure equitable access to quality education for children with disabilities, special educational needs, refugees, and other vulnerable groups. The process will emphasize stakeholder engagement, national ownership, and alignment with international best practices, contributing to a sustainable, inclusive education system grounded in behavioural insights and system-level change.

2. Objectives of the consultancy

The objectives of this consultancy are:

Objective 1: To conduct a comprehensive desk review of existing evidence (studies, reports, literature, policies, and evaluations) related to inclusive education in Moldova, to identify barriers, enablers, and drivers that influence the Inclusion of children with disabilities, special educational needs, refugee children and ethnic minorities in the education system. Behavioural insights will be mapped using the COM-B model and/or the Social-Ecological Model to identify factors influencing individual and collective behaviours across multiple levels: individual, family, community, institutional, policy, and environmental. This will inform the design of context-relevant, evidence-based SBC interventions.

Objective 2: In close collaboration with UNICEF, the Ministry of Education and Research (MER), the Republican Centre for Psycho-Pedagogical Assistance, national stakeholders, civil society organisations for persons with disabilities and Alliance of Organizations for Persons with Disabilities of the Republic of Moldova, parents’ associations and development partners, develop an SBC Strategy and accompanying implementation Action Plan for SBC focusing on Inclusive Education. The strategy should align with the Development Strategy “Education 2030”, National Programme for Inclusive Education (2023–2027), as well as international and EU recommendations, and integrate with existing legal and policy frameworks in education, ECI/ECD, child protection and other related areas.

3. Deliverables

* Exact deadlines will be mutually agreed upon contract signature.

4. Work location and official travel involved

The work will be carried out mainly remotely, with in-country visits for in-depth interviews and stakeholder consultations.

All travel arrangements and expenses are covered by the selected consultant and should be included in the financial offer.

The consultant will report to the UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Officer, who will regularly communicate with the consultant and provide feedback and guidance on his/her performance and all other necessary support to achieve the objectives of the consultancy, as well as remain aware of any upcoming issues related to the consultant’s performance and quality of work.

The consultant is expected to deliver each deliverable electronically (in Word format) in Romanian language to the UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Officer, who will consult other UNICEF technical staff as needed. The final Strategy and Implementation Action Plan will be delivered in both languages, Romanian and English.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

• Advanced academic degree in Communication, Public Relations, Social science, Behaviour Change, Marketing, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of professional experience in the field of communication, social and behaviour change, public relations, etc.
• At least 5 years’ experience in developing (including experience in costing the activities) and implementing behaviour change communication initiatives targeting education, social and disability inclusion, and working with and for children with disabilities is important.
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis and access to fieldwork experience to support data collection.
• Fluency in Romanian and advanced knowledge of English is required. Knowledge of Russian is considered a strong asset.

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

For more details on the consultancy assignment and requirements, please refer to attached Terms of reference (ToR):

 2025 TOR_National Indiv Consultancy for Strategy on IE.docx

HOW TO APPLY: Your online application should contain the Technical and Financial Offers (templates below):

 Technical Offer_Strategy on IE.docx

 Financial Offer_Strategy on IE.xlsx

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 [Insert 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.