Project Description

The Republic of Moldova has undergone a profound socio-economic transformation since gaining independence in 1991. While the country has achieved sustained economic growth over the past decade, its economy remains relatively undiversified and highly vulnerable to external shocks, particularly those induced by climate variability. Agriculture continues to play a central role in Moldova’s economy, employing a significant portion of the population and contributing substantially to GDP. However, this sector is especially sensitive to climate extremes such as droughts, floods, and temperature fluctuations, which are becoming more frequent and severe.

Over the past 130 years, Moldova’s climate has become markedly warmer and drier. Scientific assessments and long-term meteorological data indicate a trend toward a semi-arid climate, with projections showing further reductions in precipitation and increased evaporation rates. These changes pose serious risks to water availability, agricultural productivity, forest health, public health, and infrastructure resilience. Moldova ranks among the most climate-vulnerable countries in Europe, and the medium- to long-term impacts of climate change are expected to intensify across social, environmental, and economic dimensions.

Despite these challenges, Moldova has demonstrated strong political commitment to climate action. The country submitted its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) in 2025, informed by the outcomes of the first global stocktake. It sets ambitious, legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 71% by 2030 and 75% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. It includes strong methane reduction goals and integrates adaptation priorities across agriculture, energy, forestry, health, transport, and water. The strategy is aligned with EU climate goals and Moldova’s accession process, supported by laws and national programs such as the LEDP 2030 and NCCAP 2030. Significant investments are planned in renewable energy, energy efficiency, public infrastructure, and forest expansion. Moldova emphasizes a just transition, gender-responsive planning, and inclusive stakeholder engagement. The country has established robust monitoring and reporting systems and is preparing for participation in international carbon markets.

Importantly, Moldova’s climate policy framework emphasizes inclusive and equitable climate action, prioritizing the involvement of vulnerable groups such as women, Indigenous Peoples, and low-income communities in decision-making and benefit-sharing. This reflects a commitment to a just transition, ensuring that climate resilience efforts do not exacerbate existing inequalities.

Institutionally, the Ministry of Environment (MoE) serves as the National Designated Authority (NDA) for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and is responsible for environmental protection, climate change policy, and natural resource management. The National Commission on Climate Change (NCCC), chaired by the Prime Minister, is mandated to coordinate climate policy implementation across sectors. However, both the MoE and NCCC face capacity constraints that limit their ability to effectively plan, coordinate, and monitor climate action.

To address these challenges, the GCF Readiness grant aims to strengthen Moldova’s institutional architecture for climate governance, enhance technical capacities, and improve knowledge management systems. The project will support the operationalization of the NDA and NCCC, mainstream climate priorities into national and sectoral policies, and develop a pipeline of bankable climate finance proposals. It will also promote the development and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned to inform future programming.

The Readiness support specifically targets four critical barriers:

1.    Limited capacity for coordination of climate action – including weak inter-institutional mechanisms and under-resourced climate governance bodies.
2.    Insufficient planning and mainstreaming of climate action – with climate risks not adequately integrated into national and sectoral development strategies or budgets.
3.    Limited financing, funding, and budgeting for climate action – with a heavy reliance on external donor support and limited capacity to develop bankable proposals.
4.    Inadequate data, knowledge, and information management – including outdated climate data, weak dissemination platforms, and limited access to evidence-based decision-making tools.

By overcoming these barriers, the project will contribute to Moldova’s ability to meet its national, regional, and global climate commitments, while building long-term resilience and sustainable development pathways. To support the implementation of Moldova’s climate commitments, targeted capacity building is essential across institutions, sectors, and communities. The Readiness grant includes several outputs that directly address institutional strengthening, gender-responsive planning, and climate-resilient technologies.

The National Climate Change Analyst will provide specialized technical and coordination support to strengthen Moldova’s institutional and sectoral capacities for climate resilience. He/she will work in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment’s National Designated Authority the Secretariat of the National Commission on Climate Change (NCCC).  

The assignment aims to ensure that adaptation actions are effectively coordinated, evidence-based, and aligned with national strategies such as the National Climate Change Adaptation Programme (NCCAP 2023–2030), as well as with Moldova’s international commitments under the UNFCCC and NDC 3.0.

Scope of Work

To strengthen national and sectoral capacities for adaptation planning and implementation, support integration of climate resilience into policy frameworks, and ensure operational coordination between the NCCC Secretariat and the sectoral working groups.

The Analyst will support the Ministry of Environment in operationalization of the National Commission on Climate Change (NCCC) by strengthening coordination, technical guidance, and monitoring of adaptation-related actions across government institutions. The assignment aims to facilitate the mainstreaming of  climate resilience into national and sectoral development planning, ensuring that policy frameworks and investments systematically address vulnerabilities to climate impacts. 

The Analyst will also contribute to the facilitatation of collaboration among ministries and agencies to integrate adaptation priorities into policies and projects, strengthen technical capacity within sectoral working groups, and enhance knowledge exchange on best practices. The role also backs to developing and maintaining robust mechanisms for tracking progress on adaptation, reporting results, and ensuring that Moldova’s approach to climate resilience is inclusive, gender-responsive, and consistent with international commitments.

The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies, as well as implementation of the effective internal control systems. More specifically:

1. Institutional Support and Coordination

• Provide day-to-day technical and organizational support to the NCCC Secretariat in planning, convening, and documenting meetings focused on adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
• Assist in maintaining effective coordination among sectoral ministries and institutions involved in adaptation, ensuring timely exchange of information and coherence of policies and measures.
• Contribute to the drafting of the NCCC’s annual work plan and its implementation, focusing on adaptation priorities and reporting processes; as well as to the development of other documents deriving from the Commission's activity (decisions, minutes of Commission meetings, reports and other documents) intended to be made public.
• Work closely with the NCCC Secretariat team, ensuring coherence between adaptation and mitigation workstreams.
• Provide orientation and ongoing support to focal points in each sector to ensure consistent understanding of adaptation and mitigation goals, tools, and reporting requirements.
• Participate in joint meetings or cross-cutting workshops convened by the Secretariat to enhance integration of adaptation and mitigation measures.

2. Policy and Technical Advisory Support

• Develop a policy alignment matrix to map how sectoral strategies, plans, and investments align with national climate goals and international commitments (e.g., NDCs, SDGs, EU accession).
• Support sectoral working groups (agriculture, water, forestry, health, disaster risk management) in developing, reviewing, and aligning adaptation strategies, methodologies, and guidelines with national priorities.
• Contribute to the preparation and review of technical documentation such as adaptation project proposals, climate-proofing criteria, and climate-resilient investment frameworks.
• Ensure adaptation measures are integrated into national and sectoral plans, budget programmes, and public investment projects.

3. Data, Monitoring, and Reporting

• Support the collection, analysis, and synthesis of sectoral adaptation data to inform decision-making and contribute to the development of the NCCC’s annual climate progress report.
• Contribute to the development and operationalization of adaptation indicators and metrics, in line with the monitoring and evaluation framework , provided for in Article 42 of Law No. 74/2024 on climate action.
• Assist in the preparation of national submissions and communications to the UNFCCC and other relevant international bodies regarding adaptation progress, including reporting to the EC, in accordance with GD no. 10/2024 and GD no. 1277/2018 (by ensuring the completion of Excel formats for reporting).
• Liaise with sectoral ministries, the State Hydrometeorological Service, Environment Agency and other key institutions to ensure consistent data flow and policy alignment.

4. Capacity Development and Knowledge Management

• Support organization of capacity-building sessions for government officials, local authorities, and other stakeholders on adaptation planning, risk assessment, and monitoring techniques.
• Facilitate joint progress reviews of the M&E framework for cross-sectoral climate actions and learning sessions to assess effectiveness and adjust strategies.
• Facilitate sharing of lessons learned, case studies, and best practices across sectors, and contribute to the preparation of policy briefs and technical notes.
• Support the Secretariat in identifying knowledge gaps and recommending research or assessments to strengthen evidence-based adaptation policymaking.
• Develop and maintain records on the national finalized and ongoing climate initiatives/projects, to ensure maintenance of the institutional memory in the sector.

5. Cross-Cutting Integration

• Organize joint planning workshops to co-develop cross-sectoral adaptation and mitigation projects (e.g., climate-smart agriculture, resilient infrastructure).
• Ensure that adaptation actions and recommendations incorporate gender equality, social inclusion, and the needs of vulnerable groups.
• Promote synergies between adaptation and mitigation measures, such as nature-based solutions or climate-smart agriculture, where appropriate.
• Engage universities, think tanks, and NGOs in cross-sectoral dialogues, research, and pilot projects.
• Coordinate with other GCF Readiness and UNDP technical experts to avoid duplication and ensure complementarity across outputs.

6. Other

• Support NCCC Secretariat coordination mechanisms and contribute to its annual work plan.
• Contribute to the development of consolidated progress reports summarizing both adaptation and mitigation achievements.
• Ensure timelly communication for real-time updates, document sharing, and collaboration (e.g., CCIKMP).
• Facilitate intersectoral coordination meetings and joint adaptation–mitigation synergies (e.g., nature-based solutions, sustainable agriculture).
• Maintain alignment with the GCF Readiness outputs (1.1.2, 2.2.3, 5.1.1, 5.1.2) and ensure consistency with EU accession requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned by NDA.

Key Results:

The assignment will enhance NCCC coordination and strengthen adaptation planning and reporting. The National Climate Change Adaptation Analyst will support the Secretariat in organizing meetings, ensuring effective information flow among sectoral institutions, and contributing to the implementation of the NCCC annual work plan. The Analyst will also facilitate capacity-building and knowledge sharing, ensuring that adaptation actions reflect gender equality, inclusion, and synergies with mitigation efforts.

Institutional Arrangement

The Analyst will work under the supervision of the Project Manager and the Climate Change, Environment and Energy Programme Lead and will ensure the provision of development services and products commensurate with the scope of the Programme and assigned area of responsibility of the highest quality and standards to national and local counterparts and clients through applying HRBA and GE approaches. To execute the duties the Analyst will work in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and the other relevant authorities.

The incumbent is expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies, as well as implementation of the effective internal control systems.

Competencies

Core Competencies

Achieve Results - LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline 

Think Innovatively - LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements  

Learn Continuously - LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback 

Adapt with Agility - LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible  

Act with Determination: - LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident 

Engage and Partner - LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships 

Enable Diversity and Inclusion - LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Development - Knowledge Facilitation    

• Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas.
• Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.

Business Management - Partnerships Management 

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Business Management - Communication 

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Business Management - Monitoring & Evaluation 

• Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; 
• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. 
• Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. 
• Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. 
• Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. 
• Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Digital - Design thinking 

• Solving problems by putting people at the center, visualizing ideas and making them tangible in order to improve them through and iterative process of developing and testing.
• Strong empathy skills, being able to put yourself “in someone else's shoes"", understand needs, abilities, preferences, motivations, (everyday) experiences from different perspectives as well as their cultural, social, economical and political contexts.
• Ability to identify and challenge assumptions, (cognitive and social) biases and dominant mental models by generating new perspectives and frames that help redefine the problem, solution and opportunity space.
• Being able to work with incomplete information, ambiguity and opposing views, needs and constraints and synthesize them into solutions that are viable, technically feasible and useful.

Digital - Solutions mapping

• Ability to engage and build rapport with vulnerable communities and get consent, facilitate participatory processes and navigate intricate power relations and cultural dynamics.
• Having the sensitivity and ability to identify grassroots solutions, capacities, assets, coping strategies that impacted communities have developed or used to address (emerging) development challenges.
• Being able to understand these solutions from a people's perspective and learn about the conditions that enable or prevent communities from developing such grassroots solutions or coping mechanisms.
• Understand how solutions and needs are paired, and how grassroots solutions can be used as an entry point to identify unaddressed or unmet development challenges and how to use these insights to inform policy design.
• Ability to reverse engineer solutions, understanding what aspects (artefactual, principles, conditions, configuration) can be scaled and how, being able to assess their potential to be transferred to other domains, regions or contexts and build a case for that.
• Ability to appreciate and integrate various sources of knowledge (academic, experiential, observational, traditional, indigenous) in problem solving processes. Set up structures and processes to collect ideas, solutions and facilitate matchmaking between supply and demand of solutions.

2030 Agenda: Planet - Climate    

• Climate Climate Strategies and Policy: Policy and Institutional Building.

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Minimum Academic Education   

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree) in Environmental Sciences, Climate Change, Public Administration, or related fields, etc. OR    
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s Degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience 

• Applicants with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of documented professional experience in projects related to climate change adaptation, environmental policy or climate-realed areas specifically in supporting project implementation.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems.

Additional desired skills and experience  

• Documented experience in supporting inter-institutional coordination mechanisms, such as technical working groups, commissions, or task forces involving two or more public institutions in the relevant thematic areas (climate change, environment).
• Demonstrated experience contributing to the analysis, development, review, or drafting of policies, strategies, action plans, including alignment with national climate objectives and/or international commitments (e.g. NDCs, SDGs, EU accession or approximation processes).
• Proven experience in data collection, analysis, monitoring, and reporting, including the use of indicators or metrics, preparation of analytical or progress reports, and completion of structured reporting formats for national, donor, or international reporting purposes.
• Demonstrated experience in providing support to the implementation of the international frameworks and conventions in the area of climate change at the national or/and international level. 

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in English and Romanian is required
• Working knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Russian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language is an asset.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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