Project Summary:

In 2022, Moldova tapped into a historical opportunity – the candidate status for the EU accession, with conditionalities to be fulfilled in the justice, anticorruption, and public administration reform areas. At the background of the ambitious reform processes towards EU accession, Moldova’s development trajectory has been affected by the multidimensional crises underpinned by the war in Ukraine and its security and economic threats to the country. However, Moldova's primary vulnerability stems from its fragile internal state, including weak institutions and a divided society, which undermines its resilience to external challenges. Investing in Government capabilities to boost anticipation and prevention efforts is paramount for avoiding or reducing the impact of shocks and insecurities. 

The project will support the Government at the central and local levels to roll out the key reforms and strategies, namely Public Administrative Reform, Digital Transformation Strategy, Energy Sector Strategy, Social Assistance Reform "RESTART", Strategy of the Development of Agricultural Sector and Food Safety trough targeted technical advisory assistance – Digital Transformation Delivery Unit, Technology and Innovation Energy Sandbox, Public Administration Reform Expertise.

Objectives:

• National and subnational institutional capacities and policy frameworks for quality, resilient and inclusive service delivery are enhanced;
• Digital transformation is supported through applying technological solutions and reducing the digital divide for quality, resilient and inclusive public services delivery to all, especially vulnerable groups
• Public and private actors are enabled to implement efficient and innovative practices for sustainable natural resource use, climate resilience, low-emission, and green development.

Expected results:

• A Digital Delivery Unit, which will operationalize the Digital Transformation Strategy, will be established;
• Support in the implementation of the Public Administration Reform Strategy provided;
• An Energy Innovation and Technology Sandbox will be created within the Ministry of Energy to become the testing and experimentation environment for new energy technologies and innovations fitting to respond to calls for energy security and just energy transition;
• An Intelligence Unit for Policy Development will be created in the Prime Minister’s Office to inform decision-making processes and policy development in selected areas of complex and emerging challenges;
• A gender-inclusive Digital Literacy Programme, as part of the broader National Programme on building digital skills, will advance the digital literacy of women and girls within communities supported by the UNDP under “Tekwill in Every School”;
• A digital literacy course focusing on digital safety, English for IT and social media usage will be piloted in a number of selected schools within the “Tekwill in Every School” initiative.

Accomplishments:

• A Digital Delivery Unit was established within the Government of the Republic of Moldova as part of UNDP's support for the implementation of the National Digital Transformation Strategy;
• Chief Digital Officers were deployed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Energy to advance the Government's digital transformation agenda. These efforts were complemented by support provided through other UNDP projects for similar initiatives at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, contributing to the establishment of a coherent network of digital governance support;
• The Intelligence Unit for Policy Development within the Government of Moldova, established with support, has developed data-driven tools and dashboards to enhance transparency in public procurement, optimize social care delivery, monitor Moldova’s progress in EU accession, support social protection initiatives such as child protection and disability grading, improve external assistance coordination and budget tracking, and assess rural development programs;
• A digital literacy programme focused on building digital skills was implemented in partnership with the Moldovan Association of ICT Companies, engaging 403 participants, including 237 girls and women. This initiative aimed to bridge the digital divide by equipping participants with essential skills, such as English for IT, and fostering greater inclusion in Moldova’s rapidly growing ICT sector;
• The Local Public Administration Reform (LPAR) Advisory Team was established to support the State Chancellery in implementing the Public Administration Reform Strategy;
• The LPAR Advisory Team provided expertise for the adjustment and implementation of the Methodology for Voluntary Amalgamation, along with thematic advisory support in areas such as public finance, legal aspects, and public relations;
• The Methodology for Vision Building for amalgamated Local Public Authorities (LPAs) was developed by the LPAR Advisory Team and successfully piloted in two pioneering LPA clusters engaged in the voluntary amalgamation process. This initiative resulted in two strategic documents outlining an evidence-based and participatory vision for the consolidated local public authorities, addressing five critical domains: institutional structure, public services, public institutions, public property, and local budgets;
• Support was provided to the Ministry of Energy in drafting the Law on Regulatory Sandbox in the Energy Sector, designed to foster the growth and scalability of innovative technologies within a flexible legal framework. This framework enables real-world experimentation across various areas, including flexibility and balancing services, energy storage, integration of low-carbon gases into renewable gas networks, electromobility, collective self-consumption and renewable energy communities, smart grids, integration of renewable energy sources, and tariff setting.  
• Under this regulatory framework two pilot projects were initiated in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy:

1. Smart electricity metering. This pilot involves deploying advanced metering infrastructure to consumers, enabling real-time electricity usage measurement. The objective is to enhance energy efficiency and empower consumers with detailed energy usage information for better management. Following the pilot's initial progress, it received additional funding from the Italian Government, allowing for the expansion of smart metering deployment.
2. Differentiated tariffs. This pilot focuses on testing hourly differentiated tariffs for electricity consumers, aiming to incentivize more efficient energy use patterns and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid more effectively.