Project Summary:

The “Promoting agriculture development and quality employment for the most vulnerable” project supports Moldova in modernizing agricultural governance and employment services for rural populations. By strengthening digital systems and institutional capacities across the labour market and agriculture, the project advances interoperability, data governance and more inclusive, efficient public service delivery.

Overall, the project expands access to integrated employment and digital agricultural services for vulnerable groups while reinforcing national institutions and accelerating Moldova’s EU-aligned digital transformation and rural development agenda. The project integrates the human rights-based approach and the leave no one behind principle, promotes gender equality, and supports green and sustainable development.

Objectives:

• Expand labour market participation and modernize agricultural service delivery through strengthened institutional and digital systems, with a focus on vulnerable rural populations;
• Enhance access to integrated, user-centred employment and social protection services through digital modernization of NEA and MLSP systems;
• Improve farmers’ access to efficient, transparent digital agricultural services by strengthening institutional capacity for nationwide rollout of the Digital National Farmers Register (dNFR).

Expected results:

• A new interoperable NEA Management Information System (MIS) designed, piloted, and deployed;
• Automated, client-oriented job-matching and registration processes operational nationwide;
• Integrated case management tools linking employment, social assistance, and social services introduced;
• Strengthened analytical capacity for labour market forecasting, performance monitoring, and employer engagement;
• NEA staff nationwide trained to apply new digital tools and adopt updated protocols and workflows;
• dNFR operationalized nationwide through embedded technical support for MAFI and AIPA;
• Interoperable, user-friendly self-registration tools developed for farmers;
• Institutional procedures, governance frameworks, and staffing plans updated to support dNFR sustainability;
• Central and local staff trained to manage digital agricultural services in line with IACS standards;
• Inclusive outreach, advisory mechanisms and digital literacy tools established to support uptake among smallholders, women farmers, and rural youth.