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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, education

The Republic of Moldova embraces an education policy that is consistent with the European and international education standards that responds to the current issues and needs of the education system and its beneficiaries. Aligned with the objectives of the Development Strategy “Education 2030” (DS), the education system still faces challenges related to the quality of the professional development system for teachers. These include an absence of a well-defined training framework, limited use of peer review among educational and managerial staff, and a lack of structured framework for implementing a mentoring system to support teachers. One of the key goals of the DS is to restructure human capital development mechanisms to align with the demands and needs of the labour market. UNICEF Moldova, with the financial support of the European Union, supports the Ministry of Education and Research (MER) in implementing a comprehensive set of activities aimed at overcoming some of these challenges and achieve the goals of the DS. These activities are part of the Programme Advancing Quality Education and Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All and contribute to human capital development, improving quality and relevance of education and lifelong learning opportunities. Among other objectives, the programme focuses on strengthening institutions and systems for teacher and school leaders' professional development.

How can you make a difference? 

1. Purpose of the assignment 

The consultant will support MER and INEL in the development of the framework of competence standards for mentors, a training program that will focus on building the competencies outlined by the standards and a course to equip mentors with practical knowledge, tools and strategies to ensure that they are fully equipped to guide and support their mentees.

2. Objectives of the consultancy

• Elaboration of Competence Standards for Mentors 
• Development of a Training Program for Mentors and a training course to support with the implementation of the Competence Standards for Mentors 

3. Details of how the work should be delivered

The consultant will first conduct a comprehensive analysis of international practices and experiences regarding the mentor profile, mentor competencies, mentoring practices and programs in education, roles, and responsibilities. The experience of 3-4 countries will be analyzed, including Romania's roadmap to building the mentoring system and ways of enhancing its effectiveness. The analysis will also include the national legislative framework in education, including the Regulation on mentoring, Standards for the Professional Competence of Personnel in General Education, Standards for the Professional Competence of Managers in General Education. The final draft of the Competence Standards for Mentors will be presented in a joint meeting with the representatives of MER, UNICEF, INEL and national mentors for public discussion. Next step will be the development of a Training Program for Mentors to support with the implementation of the Competence Standards for Mentors. The design of the program will generally include the common elements such as competencies, learning outcomes, units of content, teaching and evaluation strategies, resources etc. The length of the course will be 96 academic hours, of which 24 hours of direct contact and 72 hours of independent work. The training course will be developed in accordance with the Training Program for Mentors and will aim to support with the implementation of the Competence Standards for Mentors. The course will also comply with the professional and personal development needs of mentors. INEL will provide the necessary informational support on the mentors needs. All the deliverables shall be consulted with MER, INEL 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 UNICEF Education Specialist and INEL 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, INEL 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 INEL management in copy.

6. Performance indicators for evaluation of results: 

The performance of work will be evaluated based on the following indicators: 

• Completion of tasks specified in ToR
• Compliance with the established deadlines for submission of deliverables
• Quality of work 
• Demonstration of high standards in cooperation and communication with UNICEF and counterparts

7. Payment schedule

The payment will be linked to the following deliverables upon satisfactory completion and acceptance by UNICEF:

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered for failure to meet deadlines.

8. Work location and official travel involved

The work may require local travel and will be organized by INEL and/or MER, based on the needs of the assignment. The UNICEF office will facilitate introductions to key informants

11.  Support provided by UNICEF

UNICEF will regularly communicate with the consultant and provide feedback and guidance and necessary support to achieve objectives of the work, as well as remain aware of any upcoming issues related to the performance and quality of work. UNICEF will provide an initial package of relevant documents and available research, and an initial list of relevant experts and counterparts to work with. UNICEF will also request relevant data – as agreed upon with the consultant – from relevant government counterparts. 

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

• Certified mentorship with university degree in Education, Social Sciences, or another relevant domain
• At least 3 years of experience in trainings, organization, and management of relevant professional activities in the education field 
• High level of management and analytical skills (copies of previous works/projects involving organization of trainings 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_Nat Indiv Consultant for the development of Competence Standards for Mentors_VA.docx

HOW TO APPLY: Your online application should contain the Technical and Financial Offers (templates below). Please secure the Financial Proposal *.pdf document with a password on document view; the password will be requested only from technically qualified candidates.

Technical Offer_Mentors.docx

 Financial Offer_Mentors.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.