[Closed] Migration and Local Development (phase 1)

Status:Closed
Duration:2015 – 2018
Budget:3,274,000 USD
Donor:Switzerland 
Coverage:38 villages and towns from the Republic of Moldova
Beneficiaries:300,000 inhabitants from 38 municipalities that involved about 40,000 migrants in local development
Focus Area:Inclusive Growth
Partners:State Chancellery of Republic of Moldova, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Project Document:
Final Report:Migration and Local Development (phase 1) - Final Report
See more information about the project on the transparency portal.

Project Summary:

United Nations Development Programme in Moldova launched the Mainstreaming Migration into Local Development Project (short title – „Migration and Local Development” (MiDL) aimed at engaging migrants for sustainable local development.

The Migration and Local Development Project is part of a multi-year intervention “Moldova – Making the Most of Migration” of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and shall be implemented during 2015-2018 in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Moldova, local public authorities, local NGOs, private sector, and people, including migrants originating from target communities.

Overall, 38 villages and cities from the Republic of Moldova are part of the project.

Objectives:

The main objective of Migration and Local Development Project is to assist communities affected by migration to benefit from improved essential local services (namely water and sanitation, health, social and education services), and have access to income-generating opportunities (employment reintegration and business development support).

Considering the specific local development context and needs, the project sets two Outcomes:

  • Outcome 1: Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection and Family and the National Employment Agency have mandates, capacities and resources to provide qualitative employment reintegration services to all returnees.
  • Outcome 2: Local public authorities have the capacities and resources to engage with community members, including migrants, and to promote know-how transfer from abroad with the view to improving local essential services and offering opportunities for income-generating activities.

Expected results:

  • The Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection and the National Employment Agency  have the necessary policy, institutional, budgetary frameworks for provision of employment reintegration services;
  • Reintegration focal points from the Territorial Employment Agencies have all necessary tools, knowledge and skills to provide quality employment reintegration support to returnees, in close coordination with relevant stakeholders;
  • Local public authorities have necessary knowledge, skills and tools to engage with community members, including migrants to design and provide better services (water and sanitation, health, education and social services) and income-generating initiatives;
  • Migrants, together with local public authorities have the capacities, models and skills to create and manage innovative support mechanisms and Home Towns Associations (HTAs) at district/town/community levels for knowledge and skills transfer, local services improvement and income-generating activities;
  • The population and stakeholders are aware about migration potential for local development.

Accomplishments:

  • At policy level - the project supported the development of the National Employment Strategy and the Matrix of Actions for 2017-2021 mainstreaming labour migration issues. The Strategy was developed with the support of UNDP and ILO, in a participatory manner (actions for 2017-2018 fully implemented);
  • Also, the National Employment Agency (NEA) and its territorial offices (TEA) play a central role in the employment reintegration process of returned labour migrants. More specifically, NEA/TEAs reintegration focal points have the knowledge and skills, and basic necessary tools to provide support to returned migrants seeking a job in Moldova;
  • An innovative Diaspora engagement model was successfully developed and tested based on a five pillar mechanism (evidence based policies, strong local institutions, innovation, transparency and participation;
  • For the first time in Moldova, but also in the region, local governments changed their usual approach and thinking, making concrete efforts to transform migration from a problem into an opportunity at local level, also engaging and bringing on board migrants as their sustainable partners;
  • 38 local governments from Moldova successfully implemented the new model and established the first 38 Hometown Associations from the country, being followed by other 101 local communities, as a spillover effect;.
  • The practical applicability of this new mechanism of mainstreaming migration in local policies was proved, via strengthening the role of LPAs, engaging migrants in local planning and jointly contributing to a sustainable local development through 55 local projects implemented on the whole territory of Moldova. The success of the model was recognized by the Moldovan Government, via approval of the Government Decision No. 725 of 2017 that recommends for its wide replication on the whole territory of the country to all local governments from Moldova;
  • The project provided seed investments for supporting the implementation of 55 development interventions in 38 municipalities throughout Moldova;
  • For the first time, Moldova witnessed massive mobilization of contributions from migrants for improving local infrastructure in their native communities. Overall, 10,000 persons invested 3.5 mln MDL collected for public service improvement projects in their native villages and cities;
  • The provided seed funding (in the amount of $1,19 mln) co-generated local investments in the amount of $1,33 mln, whereby achieving a 211% financial multiplication effect and reaching $2,52 mln of total investment;
  • The supported investment interventions ensured the access to improved local infrastructure, public services and income generating opportunities for over 316 thousand beneficiaries (specifically targeting women, children and vulnerable groups).
YearsBudgetDelivery
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
201573,625 USD73,625 USD
2016794,925 USD794,925 USD
20171,166,490 USD1,171,186 USD
20181,245,541 USD1,352,049 USD