The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P167790) Higher Education Project (P167790) EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA | Moldova | Education Global Practice | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing | FY 2020 | Seq No: 5 | ARCHIVED on 23-Jun-2022 | ISR51768 | Implementing Agencies: Ministry of Education and Research, Republic of Moldova through the Ministry of Finance Key Dates Key Project Dates Bank Approval Date: 05-Mar-2020 Effectiveness Date: 15-Sep-2020 Planned Mid Term Review Date: 31-Mar-2023 Actual Mid-Term Review Date: Original Closing Date: 31-Dec-2025 Revised Closing Date: 31-Dec-2025 pdoTable Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) The Project Development Objective is to improve the labor market orientation of selected higher education institutions and the quality assurance mechanisms. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No Components Table Name 1 – Improving the Quality Assurance Mechanisms:(Cost $10.30 M) 2 – Improving the Labor Market Orientation through Targeted Interventions:(Cost $27.80 M) 3 – Project Management:(Cost $1.30 M) Overall Ratings Name Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Moderate Moderate Implementation Status and Key Decisions The project is progressing satisfactorily despite delays at the onset of implementation, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic challenges, and the new ones imposed by the war in Ukraine. Positive progress is now being observed, with the following key activities underway: 1. Preparation for the Quality Assurance Agency to be registered in the European Quality Assurance Register (Component 1), which is fundamental for the recognition of diplomas issued by Moldovan universities in Europe; 2. Contract signing with the selected institutions under the Higher Education Improvement Program (Component 2) to raise the labor market relevance of the trainings in the selected areas of Pedagogy, Engineering, IT and Medicine; and 3. Initiation of a Graduate Tracer Study by the National Institute for Economic Research. The project remains on track towards achievement of the Project Development Objectives. 6/23/2022 Page 1 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P167790) Risks Systematic Operations Risk-rating Tool Risk Category Rating at Approval Previous Rating Current Rating Political and Governance High Moderate Moderate Macroeconomic High Moderate Moderate Sector Strategies and Policies High Moderate Moderate Technical Design of Project or Program Substantial Moderate Moderate Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Substantial Substantial Substantial Sustainability Fiduciary High Substantial Substantial Environment and Social Moderate Moderate Moderate Stakeholders High Substantial Substantial Other -- Moderate Substantial Overall High Moderate Moderate Results PDO Indicators by Objectives / Outcomes To improve the labor market orientation of selected higher education institutions IN01150868 ►Share of students of selected higher education institutions enrolled in Bachelor and Master's programs of government's priority areas (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 15.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 The total number of students enrolled in Bachelor's and Master's programs of government priority areas for all Moldovan higher education institutions for 2020/2021 was collected based on the reports submitted by the higher education institutions to MoER. Once the higher education institutions will be selected under Comments: Component 2 of the Project, the share of students of selected higher education institutions enrolled in Bachelor's and Master's Programs of Government priority areas will be calculated and included as baseline. IN01150870 ►Perception of employers about the labor market orientation of selected higher education institutions' programs (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target 6/23/2022 Page 2 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P167790) Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 25.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 On March 28, 2022, the contract was signed with the firm to conduct the survey to calculate the baseline Comments: for this indicator. To improve the quality assurance mechanisms IN01150867 ►New Master's programs accredited based on the revised curriculum (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 This indicator measures the increase in the share of new Master's programs accredited based on the Comments: revised curriculum. IN01150869 ►Registration of NAQAER in EQAR (Text, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target NAQAER is not NAQAER is not NAQAER is not NAQAER is registered Value registered in EQAR registered in EQAR registered in EQAR in EQAR Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 On May 6, 2022, the application was sent to ENQA and EQAR. Comments: Intermediate Results Indicators by Components 1 - Improving the Quality Assurance Mechanisms IN01150896 ►Higher education qualification standards developed and revised (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 29.00 55.00 300.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 Currently, 55 qualification standards are developed in 4 fields of study (administrative sciences - 3 standards, economic sciences - 26 standards, law - 4 standards, manufacturing and processing Comments: technologies - 23 standards). On March 25, 2022, the procurement process has been launched to hire institutions/companies to develop qualification standards in 14 fields of study. IN01150898 ►Bachelor and Master's programs updated in accordance with the qualification standards developed and revised through the Project (Percentage, Custom) 6/23/2022 Page 3 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P167790) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 30.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 Currently, there are 370 Bachelor's programs and 400 Master's programs. The percentage of Bachelor's and Master's programs updated in accordance with the qualification standards developed and revised will Comments: be calculated starting from the second semester of 2023. IN01150901 ►Higher education students benefiting from systemic interventions in quality, information systems and financing (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 47,287.00 47,287.00 91,000.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 Data was collected from documents submitted by the Higher Education Department of the MoER. The developed financing formula is being implemented in 14 higher education institutions, according to Government Decision no.343/2020 dated June 10, 2020, on approval of the Methodology for budgetary Comments: financing of higher education institutions. The total number of students in the 14 higher education institutions is 47,287 of which 20,948 students are financed from the budget. IN01150903 of which are female students (Number, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 28,372.00 28,372.00 53,000.00 IN01150905 ►Staff of MoECR, NAQAER and higher education institutions trained in higher education quality assurance through the Project (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 230.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 An international consultant has been hired and will provide training to 200 specialists of higher education Comments: intuitions in quality assurance from June 21 to June 25, 2022. IN01150907 ►New financial model (Text, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target New financial model has New financial model has New financial model New financial model is Value been developed, but has been developed, and is has been developed, implemented system- not been piloted yet under pilot and is under pilot wide Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 The developed financing formula is being implemented in 14 higher education institutions according to the Government Decision 343/2020 dated June 10, 2020, on approval of the Methodology for budgetary Comments: financing of higher education institutions. IN01150909 6/23/2022 Page 4 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P167790) ►Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) (Text, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target HEMIS is operational HEMIS does not exist and its data is used for Value HEMIS does not exist HEMIS does not exist planning or decision- making Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 On November 15, 2021, an IT specialist has been hired who currently is developing the ToRs for the Comments: development of HEMIS. The ToR for HEMIS development is to be ready in July 2022. IN01150911 ►Unified electronic higher education admission system (e-Admission) (Text, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target There is no unified There is no unified There is no unified electronic higher electronic higher electronic higher e-Admission system is Value education admission education admission education admission operational information system information system information system Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 On November 22, 2021, an IT specialist has been hired who currently is developing the ToRs for the Comments: development of the e-Admission system. The ToR is to be ready in July 2022. IN01150912 ►Labor Market Information System (LMIS) (Text, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target LMIS is operational and its data is used for Value LMIS does not exist LMIS does not exist LMIS does not exist planning and decision- making Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 In March 2022, an international and local consultant have been hired who currently are analyzing and Comments: working on the ToR for LMIS system development. 2 - Improving the Labor Market Orientation through Targeted Interventions IN01150897 ►Laboratories of selected higher education institutions equipped (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 9.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 Currently, the project proposals have been evaluated and the selected institutions are to be announced. Comments: IN01150899 ►Higher Education Improvement Programs approved in accordance with the criteria established in the Project Operations Manual (Percentage, Custom) 6/23/2022 Page 5 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P167790) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 90.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 Currently, the project proposals are evaluated. After the selection of the institutions, it will be calculated the percentage of higher education improvement programs approved in accordance with the criteria Comments: established in the HEIPOM. IN01150902 ►Students benefiting from direct interventions to enhance learning (Number, Corporate) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 49,000.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 Currently, the project proposals are evaluated. After the selection of the institutions, it will be calculated the number of students benefitting from direct interventions to enhance learning, based on the HEIP’s Comments: beneficiaries data. IN01150904 Students benefiting from direct interventions to enhance learning - Female (Number, Corporate Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 29,000.00 IN01150906 ►Partnerships between universities, pedagogical colleges and employers established through the HEIP (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 15.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 Currently, the project proposals are evaluated. Comments: IN01150908 ►Share of women enrolled in STEM programs developed or improved through the HEIP (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 20.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 Currently, the project proposals are evaluated. Comments: IN01150910 ►Research or academic programs contributing to climate change adaptation or mitigation developed or improved through the HEIP (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.00 6/23/2022 Page 6 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P167790) Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 Currently, the project proposals are evaluated. Comments: 3 - Project Management IN01150900 ►Project beneficiaries reporting that effective engagement processes have been established (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 30.00 Date 01-Oct-2019 14-Dec-2021 06-May-2022 31-Dec-2025 The procurement process to hire a firm to conduct a survey with Project beneficiaries to determine if effective engagement processes have been established has been launched. Currently, the bids received Comments: are being evaluated. Performance-Based Conditions Data on Financial Performance Disbursements (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed P167790 IDA-65420 Effective USD 39.40 39.40 0.00 0.43 37.10 1.1% Key Dates (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Orig. Closing Date Rev. Closing Date P167790 IDA-65420 Effective 05-Mar-2020 19-May-2020 15-Sep-2020 31-Dec-2025 31-Dec-2025 Cumulative Disbursements 6/23/2022 Page 7 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Higher Education Project (P167790) Restructuring History There has been no restructuring to date. Related Project(s) There are no related projects. 6/23/2022 Page 8 of 8