UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, a voice

The Republic of Moldova embraces an education policy aligned with European and international standards, addressing current challenges and the needs of the education system and its beneficiaries. In line with the objectives of the “Education 2030” Development Strategy (DS), the education system continues to face challenges related to the quality of human resources.
Speech therapists play a vital role in supporting children's language, cognitive, and social development, contributing to their inclusion in the educational process. Their work involves the assessment of speech and communication disorders, the development of individualized intervention plans, counseling for teachers and families, and interdisciplinary collaboration with other educational and medical professionals.

Currently, the existing standards for educational staff are either insufficiently detailed or fail to offer a clear working tool for evaluation, recruitment, and professional development. As a result, educational staff – including speech therapists – lack well-defined benchmarks for professional expectations, and performance evaluations and continuous professional development planning are often inconsistent.

Additionally, school principals face the absence of a clear and well-structured regulatory framework to guide them in the recruitment, selection, and integration of educational specialists. Without well-defined criteria and standardized procedures, the hiring process risks becoming subjective, and managerial accountability is weakened. This creates challenges in workforce planning, quality assurance, professional development, and public accountability.
Moreover, there is no unified framework for certain key positions within the education system that explicitly defines responsibilities, required competencies, authority levels, or performance indicators. This lack of regulation leads to ambiguities in role definition, task distribution, and integration into the institutional structure of schools. These gaps collectively reduce the coherence and quality of the educational process and hinder the efficient functioning of educational institutions.
Based on the above, UNICEF Moldova is seeking technical assistance for the development of Competency Standards for speech therapists.

How can you make a difference? 

1. Purpose of the assignment 

The consultant will support MER in strengthening the regulatory framework through the development of Competence standards for speech therapists.

2. Objectives of the consultancy

• Desk review research of the national legislation (MER regulations, orders, etc.)
• Development of Competence standards for speech therapists working in general education institutions and in the territorial units of the Republican Center for Psycho-pedagogical Assistance (CRAP)

3. Details of how the work should be delivered

The consultant will first conduct a comprehensive analysis of national legislation regarding the profile of the speech therapists, their roles, and responsibilities. The gaps or needs in current practice and regulations will be identified. The analysis will also include the national legislative framework in education, Standards for the Professional Competence of Personnel in General Education, Standards for the Professional Competence of Managers in General Education, job descriptions and other relevant documents. The new qualification standards as part of the National Qualification Framework of the Republic of Moldova that are in the process of finalization by the MER will also be considered.

To ensure that the competence standards are comprehensive, relevant, and implementable, this process will involve consultation with key stakeholders including practitioners, academic institutions, regulatory bodies, and education authorities and professional associations. The development of these standards will be guided by evidence-based practices and ethical principles, with a strong emphasis on cultural relevance and inclusivity. 

The final draft of the standards will be presented in a joint meeting with the representatives of UNICEF, MER, CRAP and other experts. CRAP will provide the necessary informational support during the process.  

All the deliverables shall be consulted with MER and UNICEF and updated accordingly.

4. Deliverables and delivery dates

* Exact deadlines will be mutually agreed upon contract signature.

All products and deliverables will be submitted in Romanian (summary report in English), as outlined in the above table. 

 5. Reporting requirements

The consultant will work under the guidance of the UNICEF Education Officer and in close collaboration with the CRAP staff. The consultant will report to the UNICEF Education Officer, who will regularly communicate, provide feedback and guidance on his/her performance and all other necessary support so to achieve objectives of the consultant, as well as remain aware of any upcoming issues related to company’s performance and quality of work. 

All activities and deliverables undertaken by the consultant shall be discussed and planned in consultation with the MER, CRAP and UNICEF. The consultant is expected to deliver each deliverable electronically. At each stage, the deliverable shall be sent to the Education Officer by email, with the CRAP management in copy.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• Advanced university degree in Psychology, Education, Social Sciences, or another relevant domain.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in educational psychology, in a school, university or any other child-focused organization.
• Experience in drafting regulations in education and in conducting desk reviews and research.
• High level of management and analytical skills (copies of previous works/projects to be provided).
• Relevant experience of working with the Government of Moldova and/or UNICEF or other UN Agencies will be an asset.
• Fluency in Romanian and working knowledge of English.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit here. 

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

 ToR_Speech Therapists_VA.docx

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

 Technical Offer_Speech Therapists.docx

 Financial Offer_Speech Therapists.xlsx

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

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.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (if applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.