Sustainability Criteria Assessed Within Educational Project Proposals: Case Study from the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

In many cases, public funding for education is quite tight, and projects can help by leveraging additional funds. Therefore, educational institutions need to write projects to meet their strategic needs and to contribute to the development of the education system as a whole. Writing and implementing projects offers multiple benefits for institutions, communities and direct beneficiaries (e.g. pupils, students, teachers). Article 134 of the Education Code of the Republic of Moldova stipulates that educational institutions are financed from several sources, either from the state and local budgets that provide the basic funding for pre-university and vocational education or from extra-budgetary sources [1]. Institutions are encouraged to raise additional funds through grants, token fees for educational services and other external sources. Writing and implementing educational projects is essential for the modernization and development of educational institutions. Projects provide access to additional resources, improve educational infrastructure and quality, promote inclusion and prepare students for the challenges of the labor market. In addition, projects contribute to an innovative, sustainable and competitive educational environment. By actively participating in projects, institutions strengthen their role as agents of change in the education community. An essential step in project cycle management is evaluation. The evaluation of a project is vital to determine its relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability. Without proper evaluation, a project may risk not achieving its objectives, consuming resources inefficiently or failing to deliver long-term benefits. For example, in the field of education, a project initiated in the Republic of Moldova must be aligned with national strategies such as “Education - 2030” [5], Sustainable Development Goals [3], Education Code (No. 152/2014), and international funding programs. In this logic, sustainability criterion plays a decisive role in assessing educational projects’ long-term viability and are applied in various ways around the world. In the Republic of Moldova and other countries, this criterion helps to ensure that projects contribute to education that fosters long-term development by being integrated into local policies and strategies. To demonstrate sustainability, institutions must carefully plan funding, integrate results into institutional structures and respond to the needs of beneficiaries and the community. This research answers the question: How are educational project proposals evaluated? Do any changes occur at the level of the educational institution from one call for project proposals to another? What should educational institutions pay attention to in a project proposal submission process? In this context, the situation in the Republic of Moldova was analysed as a case study. CZU: 378(478):005.8; JEL: H100, H118, H121