I. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

 The Youth Centers in Moldova are very important institutions in the implementation of the youth policies at local and regional level. A youth center represents a services or a package of community services delivered to all categories of young people and has the main mission to provide information, guidance, counselling, education and leisure, contributing to young people’s social and professional integration. Youth centers are seen as institutions that play a major role in the youth policy promotion and therefore, these youth structures have been always reflected in the national policy documents (Programs of the Government, action plans of different ministries, national and local youth strategies, etc).

The development of Youth Centers dates early 2000s when the partnership between the donor community and the government has been established to ensure the access of youth to information and enhance their participation. The process of creation of youth centers involved many actors such as donors (UNICEF, World Bank, IOM, Social Investment Fund in Moldova and others), local public administration (rayonal councils and halls), as well civil society organizations that signed agreements and memorandums for their establishment, but also envisaged their sustainability by the local public authorities who had to take the ownership over these centers turned them into public institutions.

In 2006 the first regulations that described the role and the services that should be provided by the youth centers have been developed. However, these documents have not been approved by the government. The lack of clarity on the legal status of the youth centers has led to their disappearance over the time. While in 2007-2009 there were about 60 youth centers, in 2012 the number was reduced by about 50%.

Currently, some of the Youth Centers has the status of public institutions and are funded by the local public authorities. According to data provided by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in 2014 only 20 Youth Centers received financial support from local government budgets.

In view of the above, it is documented that the number of Youth Centers is decreasing, the funding sources are limited and the vagueness of their legal status does not guarantee their functionality and institutional durability. With the new National Strategy on Decentralization the local public authorities are entitled to decide on the funding of the Youth Centers. The lack of the regulations of the Youth Centers may lead to the situation when some of them will not be funded or closed, or limited financing only will be provided to sustain their activities, which will further deepen the institutional crisis of these centers and services provided to young people at local level overall.

 

II. PURPOSE

The purpose of this assignment is to develop the regulatory framework for the Youth Centers as on of the priority of the National Strategy for Youth Sector Development 2020. This will create the legal base for efficient functioning of the youth centers in providing quality services for young people and the space for their development at the community level.

 

III. OBJECTIVES

1. Analyze national and international practices on the functioning of the youth centers and identify proper mechanism of operationalization of these institutions in the Republic of Moldova;
2. Consult the stakeholders concerned in the development of documents;
3. Develop documents and regulatory package on:

• Legal status of the youth centers as an institutions providing services for youth;
• Minimum Quality Standards for youth services provided by youth centers:
  • Minimum Quality Standards for the accreditation of the provider of youth services
  • Minimum Quality Standards for the provision of at least 5 services
• Regulation and methodology for the accreditation of the providers of services for youth
• Regulation of functioning of the Agency for accreditation;
• Documents on the legal status and responsibilities of the employers of the institutions delivering services for youth:
  • Nomenclature and job description of personnel involved in the delivery of services for youth
  • Regulation on remuneration of employers based on performance of the institutions providing services for youth;
  • Deontological code of the employer of the institutions providing services for youth;
• Financial methodology and the draft law on amending / supplementing existing legislation on the financing of youth centers.

UNFPA is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Notice: There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

Interested candidates must submit in English the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• P11 form including past experience in similar assignments.
• Financial proposal (in USD) specifying fee per day. The financial offer should include all costs related to completion of the task under the current Terms of Reference. The financial proposal is not considered as criteria in the selection process and it is required only for reference purpose. In this regard, National Consultant should expect that the financial proposal will be negotiated and it shall not exceed the UNFPA rates.

The application should be submitted with the mark “National Consultants to develop the regulatory framework for Youth Centers” by 17^th of May, 2015, 23:59 (GMT+2:00) to the following address: UNFPA Moldova, 131, 31 August 1989 Street, MD-2012, Chisinau, or by email to jobs@unfpa.md

Detailed Job Description and template of Personal History Form (P11) are available at the UN Moldova website http://www.un.md. Only those short listed will be contacted.

Failure of candidates to submit a duly completed P11 form, as well as false representations on this form, shall constitute sufficient grounds for withdrawal of further consideration of the application. All information provided in the P11 form will be treated as strictly confidential.

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