Project Summary:

With “Accelerating Digital Transformation in Public Sector Project”, UNDP Moldova aims to improve access to quality of public services and business conditions through accelerated digital transformation of government processes and business model(s) and promote innovation, as well as collaborative experimentation within the Government, in the private sector, internally in UNDP Moldova, and in collaboration with external partners.

The project is envisioned to serve as the platform of support to the Government of Moldova to move ahead with digital agenda of Moldova on all necessary dimensions.

UNDP Moldova, through this project, is strategically positioned as an integrator of programmatic solutions with innovative mindset, including bringing forward digital components in supporting accelerated delivery of the SDGs.

Objectives:

• Development of a National Vision/Strategy for the digital transformation of the Moldovan society – this includes the assistance to the Government to elaborate the vision and the Digital Transformation Strategy for Moldova up until 2030, in line with the commitment of the Government as part of the Association Agreement with EU and upcoming Moldova 2030 Strategy;
• Digitalization of the public services and solutions for citizens and the local private sector via engaging and encouraging participation of the private sector (especially of the very vibrant local ICT sector) and local innovators to play an active role in the digital transformation of the society;
• Testing portfolio approach to accelerating digital literacy, both in the public and private sectors, facilitate the inclusive digital transformation that considers gender, age, vulnerability and divide in digital access and digital literacy, including the building a network of the agents (implementers, influencers) of digital transformation of Moldova (agents of change);
• Building digital collaborative platforms for data and new evidence and use of such platforms to inform policy development and experimentation work with the Government of Moldova;
• Support transformative changes in the organizational and innovation culture in the public and private sectors and align all participants for the accelerated achievement of the Sustainable Development Agenda and national targets;
• Support the digitalization of Moldova that will contribute to improved governance by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of government processes, increasing transparency and public access to governmental information – and therefore promoting accountability and public participation, and improving an innovative delivery of public services, as well as impact evaluation and strategic support to scaling-up of the successful solutions.

Expected results:

• Shift in the mindset at the level of main stakeholders as measured by the degree of engagement of partners in various undertakings achieved and methods used for public policy development and evaluation overtaken;
• Establish and enhance a functional dialogue between the Government, private sector and civil society around digital transformation;
• Accelerate the digitalization in the public sector through adoption and adaptation of new digital solutions that effectively respond to the current (emerging) needs of end-users;
• Enhance innovation coming from the private sector and transferred to the public sector;
• Promote identification of the digital solutions through a competitive process that will help private sector companies to work together with the Government and population to offer and adapt the existing solutions to the needs of end-users, and making them gender sensitive;
• Private sector companies are co-funding the testing of the new digital solutions;
• Digital solutions contribute in a measurable way towards increased participation and inclusion of most vulnerable, women and girls in particular;
• Tested solutions are taken over by partners and successfully scaled up nationally;
• Digital literacy, supported by innovation and data- driven culture in central and local Governments, is implemented; digital literacy is gender-responsive;
• Digital technologies that are user-centered and gender-responsive are implemented in a coherent manner in central and local Governments and across sectors;
• Innovative digital solutions co-designed and tested with internal UNDP portfolio/programs, etc.
• Portfolio of partners diversified, and resource mobilization targets achieved.

Accomplishments:

• A memorandum of understanding was signed between UNDP Moldova and the Government of the Republic of Moldova to accelerate the country's digital transformation;
• A Digital Readiness Assessment launched in partnership with the Government of Moldova and with both UNDP Digital Office in New York and the Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development from Singapore;
• Based on the Digital Readiness Assessment findings and in partnership with the International Telecommunication Unit, a Digital transformation Compact for Moldova was developed;
• Technical assistance was provided to the Government for the development of the Digital Transformation Strategy for the Republic of Moldova 2023-2030;
• A Digital Readiness Assessment was developed for the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
• Three use-cases developed on the use of data in the fields of energy, agriculture, and road safety for the Data to Policy Navigator platform, created to support decision makers in the structural integration of data into government policies;
• A data hackathon was organized to encourage the development of data-driven digital solutions in the fields of agriculture, road safety and energy;
• Seven digital innovation competitions were held, and 12 small ICT companies were supported in the development of innovative solutions, such as MobiSign, MWallet, Pinky CyberSafe®, Lumos, Fagura, Dron Assistance, etc.;
• Digital Public Goods were promoted among local entrepreneurs and the development of the opencode.md platform was supported;
• A data-driven traffic accident visualization platform was developed for the benefit of drivers and relevant public institutions. Two operators of the National Public Security Inspectorate were trained to use the services and functionalities of the information system of the State Road Administration;
• 35 schools across the country were equipped with modern technologies and more than 70 thousand students were trained in the professions of the future to encourage digital literacy among teenagers;
• Technical assistance was provided to 25 schools throughout the country in the process of developing comprehensive strategies for the digital transformation of educational institutions;
• A national network of Media Digital Ambassadors for digital transformation was created.