Consultant to draft the final RAM country Report - Moldova

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Social and Human Sciences Sector (SHS)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Social and Human Sciences

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 06-DEC-2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Background

UNESCO has the mandate to promote the development of science and technology from an ethical and human rights approach. Under this framework in November 2021, UNESCO developed the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which the 193 Member States adopted by acclamation at the 41st session of its General Conference, and spearheading its implementation by the Member States through innovative tools and methodologies, such as the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) and the Ethical Impact Assessment (EIA). Through the application of these tools, UNESCO is changing the business model that drives AI, going beyond principles to develop a range of concrete and practical solutions to ensure fair, inclusive, sustainable and equitable outcomes of AI.

The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (PJMF) has played a pivotal role in supporting UNESCO’s efforts to position ethics as the cornerstone of building AI governance. Through the implementation of two projects (2023 and 2024), UNESCO has facilitated a multistakeholder process of evidence gathering through national consultation and the deployment of RAM in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, and Türkiye in the first phases and in the ongoing phase in Angola, Djibouti, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Moldova, and Oman. The partnership also advances key knowledge products that will further reinforce capacity-building efforts on the ground and empower stakeholders to navigate the complex AI landscape.

Long Description

The goal of the project—Scaling Inclusive, Human Rights-Based Ethical AI Governance (2025)—which started in early 2025, is to consolidate the results delivered to date, build on the achievements made, expand the reach and depth of diagnostic and policy development efforts, and deploy globally the tools, methodologies, knowledge and experiences from the recent efforts of building AI governance ecosystem. The actions will be organised around three main pillars/expected outcomes: a. empowering civil society, b. expanding and deepening engagement with countries for ethics of AI through RAMs and other tools; c. producing new knowledge on AI governance.

Through its Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), successfully implemented in several countries, UNESCO has gathered firsthand evidence, and specific RAM recommendations have informed the development of national AI policies, such as the Draft Kenya National AI Strategy published in January 2025. Since the RAM was published in 2023 and used worldwide, valuable feedback has been gathered on its content and application. Through the Scaling Inclusive, Human Rights-Based Ethical AI Governance (2025) project, UNESCO is mobilising key national stakeholders – policymakers, the private sector, civil society, and the academic community – for a multistakeholder effort to conduct the Readiness Assessment in seven countries. The aim of this consultancy is to draft the final country report for one of these seven countries, reflecting the results obtained through UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM).

Overview of the Functions of the Post

The Consultant will work under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences Sector (ADG/SHS) and under the direct supervision of the Head of Ethics of AI Unit at UNESCO Headquarters.

The outputs and activities the Consultant will engage in are:

The Consultant will be responsible for drafting the final RAM policy-oriented country report for one of the seven participating countries. The report will be aligned with UNESCO’s RAM framework and based on the evidence gathered through its deployment and the outcomes of the national consultations. It will reflect the state of the art regarding AI in the country, identify key policy priorities, and provide recommendations for the ethical and inclusive governance of AI.

The outputs and activities the Consultant will engage in are:

• Leading the data curation and analysis based on the completed RAM questionnaire and national consultation inputs, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the country’s potential for AI development, institutional and regulatory readiness, and existing gaps.
• Drafting the final policy-oriented RAM country report (in English), based on the outcomes of the RAM and the multistakeholder national consultations. The report will:
  • Follow the format provided by UNESCO;
  • Include qualitative and quantitative information, relevant data visualisations, and examples of good practices;
  • Feature policy recommendations regarding regulatory and institutional reforms, and capacity-building priorities, using the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence as an overarching framework;
  • Ensure alignment of the country report with national AI policy timelines and priorities, and with the broader objectives of the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI to promote coherence and integration with ongoing national AI policy efforts;
• Preparing a diagnostic summary that consolidates the validated results of the RAM and highlights key findings emerging from the national consultations.
• Collaborating closely with UNESCO’s Ethics of AI Unit to incorporate feedback and finalise the report for publication and presentation.
• Conducting a RAM country report launch event at the end of Month 3.
• Coordinating logistics with the government and UNESCO HQ for the RAM country report launch event.
• Providing material for the country report launch event (speeches, TPs, social network posts, etc.).
• Providing key insights and data about the country for the observatory country page.
• Engaging in a discussion meeting with the UNESCO HQ team for next steps, identifying future potential engagement on RAM.

The duration of the contract is three months (until March 30th, 2025). The consultant may work remotely and shall attend missions in person related to the project implementation. The exact dates are to be confirmed by the Secretariat in due course.

Deliverables and Timeframe

Month 1 by 31 January 2026 

Upon submission of monthly report on activities

Month 2 by 28 February 2026

Upon submission of the draft RAM country report and the draft diagnostic summary.

Month 3 by 31 March 2026

Upon submission of:

• The final version of the RAM country report and the final diagnostic summary.
• Brief report on the RAM country report launch event.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• University degree in the governance of artificial intelligence, ethical and social implications of artificial intelligence or digital technologies, law and technology, computer science, data science, computational social science, or other related fields.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five years of professional experience in AI ethics, governance, and policymaking, particularly in conducting research and producing policy-oriented reports. A PhD can count as work experience.
• Demonstrated experience in leading multi-stakeholder consultation processes and synthesising diverse inputs into coherent, policy-oriented documents.
• Proven experience in developing and/or revising assessment methodologies, policy tools, or governance frameworks, particularly in the context of AI ethics or digital governance.
• Experience in coordinating international projects, including organising expert groups, managing contributions from multiple stakeholders, and ensuring high-quality deliverables.

Long Description

Skills and competencies

• Very good understanding of artificial intelligence's ethical, legal, social and governance issues and related digital technologies, particularly in the Moldovan context.
• Excellent knowledge about the dynamics of governance of AI, including policies, legislative and regulatory frameworks, institutional mechanisms, organisational structures and processes, and initiatives by different stakeholders in this field. This includes broad familiarity with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and UNESCO’s AI Readiness Assessment Methodology, as well as the ability to translate lessons learned and good practices into practical guidance for policymakers.
• Proven ability to conduct high-quality policy research, synthesise complex information, and produce clear, concise, and impactful reports or toolkits.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple interrelated deliverables within tight deadlines.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge (spoken and written) of English.  

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced university degree (PhD) in the governance of artificial intelligence, ethical and social implications of artificial intelligence or digital technologies, law and technology, computer science, data science, computational social science, or other related fields.

Work Experience

• Experience conducting research and analysis and/or implementing programmes/projects on the ethical, legal, social and governance issues of artificial intelligence and related digital technologies is strongly desirable.
• Prior experience producing policy-oriented publications for international organisations or government agencies.

Languages

Knowledge of another UNESCO official language (French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, or Chinese).

APPLICATION PROCESS

An up-to-date CV must be submitted instead of the Employment History form (Word file) to the “My Employment History Form / My Documents” section of the online application. The candidate must add the following elements at the end of the file, each one in a separate page:

• A one-page statement laying out how their qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment and explaining how they would approach the work.
• The financial proposal should indicate the consultant’s salary expectations in US dollars, quoted on a deliverable basis for the period of the assignment.

Only applications with the above-requested information can be considered.

Please note that the consultant's salary expectations must be expressed in gross amounts. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties in accordance with local laws. UNESCO will not reimburse any taxes, duties or other contributions for which the Individual Specialist may be liable in respect of any payments made to him/her under the terms of this contract.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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