| Project Detail |
Project Development Objective
Project Development Objectives (PDO) Statement
38. The Project Development Objective is to improve the labor market orientation of selected higher education
institutions and the quality assurance mechanisms.
PDO Level Indicators
39. The following PDO level indicators would be used to measure the outcomes specified in the PDO statement:
• share of students of selected higher education institutions enrolled in Bachelor and Master’s programs of
government’s priority areas;
• perception of employers about the labor market orientation of selected higher education institutions’
programs;
• new Master’s programs accredited based on the revised curriculum; and
• the status of the registration of NAQAER in EQAR.
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B. Project Components
40. The proposed Project would be implemented over a period of five years (from 2020 to 2025), organized around
three components, which are described below, and financed by an International Development Association (IDA) Credit
of EUR 35.7 million (US$39.4 million equivalent). The Project design includes systemic interventions in the areas of higher education quality, financing and management, as well as a targeted program to be implemented by selected
universities and pedagogical colleges to address some of their most pressing needs in labor market orientation.
41. Even though the proposed Project would not finance the GoM’s initiatives to consolidate the network of public
universities, all planned project activities would be implemented in full alignment with these initiatives. No institutions
that will be integrated into others’ structure because of the consolidation shall benefit from the targeted interventions
to be supported by the proposed Project (see description of Component 2 below).
42. The systemic interventions proposed under Component 1 would be transformational and complement the GoM’s
efforts toward an improved higher education system that is more efficient, affordable and of better quality. It would
support fundamental activities such as the improvement of the system’s quality assurance mechanisms, as well as its
overall capacity to collect, analyze and use data to inform decision.
43. The proposed Project would support the modernization and enhancement of key elements of the system’s quality
assurance mechanisms, such as the development of qualification standards that would guide the subsequent revision
of the curricula and accreditation of academic programs. It would also support the registration of NAQAER in EQAR,
which is a pre-requisite for the recognition of diplomas issued by Moldovan universities in Europe.
44. Project Component 1 would also support the piloting and implementation of a new performance-based higher
education financial model that is meant to increase the system’s efficiency and lead to a budget planning paradigm
shift, by driving universities to focus on results and performance, rather than on inputs. Moreover, it would support
the development and implementation of an electronic admission system that would optimize existing outdated
processes and bring in additional efficiencies for both students (applicants) and universities.
45. Additionally, the proposed Project would support the development of a unique higher education management
information system and a multi-functional labor market information system. While the former would strengthen the
higher education system’s capacity in planning and monitoring and evaluation, the latter would be paramount for
addressing the needs of both employers and job seekers, including university graduates, who currently struggle to
find reliable information on skills and job vacancies.
46. In addition to the activities mentioned above, the proposed Project includes a targeted package that would
benefit public universities that offer academic programs in four priority areas identified by the GoM as well as
pedagogical colleges. The priority areas are engineering, information technologies, health (medicine) and pedagogy.
In total, the MoECR expects that 15 institutions (9 public higher education institutions and 6 pedagogical colleges)
would be eligible for benefitting from the targeted interventions. These institutions would go through a strategic
prioritization exercise to identify their needs and prioritize them for financing through the Project, provided that their
proposals meet the selection criteria and requirements for evaluation acceptable to the World Bank. |
