Since 2013, the UNDP has supported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to build its institutional capacity for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating Romania’s development cooperation programme. For example, the UNDP has assisted the MFA to conduct the Thematic evaluation of the electoral assistance provided by Romania, as part of a bigger series of evaluation and audit exercises. Most notably, this evaluation acknowledged Romania’s experience and expertise in the electoral assistance field and encouraged a strategic vision and planning for ODA.

The UNDP has also supported the MFA in developing a strong and coherent brand identity for Romania’s development cooperation programme, RoAid, and in increasing Romania’s visibility as an active partner in ODA.

In the context of EU celebrating 2015 as the European Year for Development (EYD2015), the UNDP has been designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania as the implementation partner for the EYD2015 National Work Plan. The general objective of the work plan is to inform and raise public awareness of the Romanian citizens about Romania`s and EU development cooperation programmes and to stimulate their active participation in international development. The work plan comprises a large variety of communication, education and awareness raising actions specifically designed to target various audiences (young professionals, media, students and academia, civil society).

The activities engage ODA partners and stakeholders (NGOs, line ministries, universities, media outlets and goodwill ambassadors) and focus around social media communication campaigns such as: Tell if forward, public debates and side events at important cultural festivals in Romania such as “One World Film Festival”, “World Press Photo” or the “European Film Festival”, art exhibitions such as: “At the borders of the EU” during Eurosfat conference and international development career orientation talks in universities such as “Leave your mark” in Cluj-Napoca. An important action of the EYD2015 national work plan is supporting NGOs and academia to implement local and national education, information and awareness raising campaigns through a national call for project proposals (grants scheme). Seven grants have been allocated via a call for proposals to NGOs in order to implement EYD2015 communications campaigns.

Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNDP helped create a Mobility Fund for Government experts to facilitate the quick transfer of Romanian experts and expertise to partner countries.

In 2013, the Fund was used to support electoral management, cross-border police cooperation, public order, and food safety, mainly directed to cooperation initiatives between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

At the strategic level, UNDP assisted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with revising its ODA strategy and legal frameworks, as well as with advocacy efforts directed to building political support for approval of the new law.