UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) launched Giga in 2019, an initiative to connect every school to the internet. Giga is anchored in the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation’s finding 1A which states that by “2030 every adult should have affordable access to digital networks”. According to the ITU, nearly 3.7 billion people remain unconnected from the internet, and by extension, unconnected to digital products and services that could dramatically improve their lives. Approximately 29% of 18–24-year-olds globally, do not have digital access (~360m people) and thereby lack access to the same information, opportunity and choice as their more-connected peers. Unless things change, a big part of this rapidly growing group of young people is in danger of being left behind, excluded from the modern digital world. Giga enables universal school connectivity and provides support in three broad areas: (1) High level engagement and governance around school connectivity; (2) Technical assistance to map schools’ location and connectivity status; and connectivity infrastructure; (3) Procurement and market access interventions. Giga has been engaged in discussions with Sri Lanka since 2021. The Ministry of Education has recently signed the letter of interest and expressed its willingness to move forward with implementation. To accelerate the deployment of Giga in Sri Lanka, we require the services of a Education and Technology Specialist who will support implementation of the initiative.

Under the overall guidance of UNICEF Sri Lanka Chief of Education in close collaboration with ICT/T4D Section in UNICEF Sri Lanka and the global Giga Country Engagement Lead, the UNV will carry out the following key tasks:

Plan, coordinate, and lead Giga activities in Sri Lanka:

Support the liaison between the Government of Sri Lanka, ITU, regional offices, UNICEF Sri Lanka CO, the Giga HQ team and key sector ministries.

Support the development of the Giga workplan and the establishment of a Giga steering committee to ensure that progress is made on the work plan.

Support the costing of key Giga initiatives and the preparation of relevant, linked communication and materials.

Oversee development and quality assurance during planning and deployment of Giga based initiatives; participate in establishing and maintaining standards, documentation and support mechanisms.

Develop relationships with counterparts in relevant institutions and the private sector in Sri Lanka:

Develop partnerships and networks with key line ministries (education, ICT, USF etc.), local ISPs, innovators in the connectivity space, NGOs, the private sector, local media, and academia to advance Giga in Sri Lanka.

Support the establishment of data sharing agreements with the Telecommunications sector (MNOs and ISPs) and manage these relationships to ensure the smooth and continued sharing of data.

Ensure partner support to the project and facilitate timely communications.

Support Giga country prioritization strategy in the South Asia Region:

Conduct an analysis of other countries in the South Asia region, evaluating their potential for Giga’s expansion based on various metrics such as connectivity needs, government openness to data sharing, infrastructure status, and UNICEF presence in collaboration with the UNICEF South Asia Regional Office.

Produce a ranked list of countries with a rationale for prioritization.

Lead stakeholder mapping in Sri Lanka and other high priority countries in the region:

Maintain and update existing stakeholder map for Sri Lanka, identifying key players, their roles, influence levels, and interrelations within the connectivity project as the project evolves.

Highlight strategies for effective engagement and collaboration with these stakeholders.

Share Sri Lanka’s experience with stakeholder mapping in ROSA and contribute to similar initiatives in other high-priority Giga countries in the South Asia region, in collaboration with the UNICEF South Asia Regional Office. This mapping will provide a strategic foundation for country-specific engagement plans.

Provide technical support to Giga related activities in Sri Lanka:

Work with relevant government divisions to collect, clean, and classify the required data for Giga activities. Support relevant government counterparts to re-incorporate cleaned and validated data back into the respective government registries.

Support the deployment of software tools for real-time monitoring of internet connectivity in schools.

Work with the Giga team to adapt the developed tools to the needs of Sri Lanka, and coordinate and mediate between all key stakeholders to achieve the results.

Identify and compile lessons and results from previous connectivity initiatives in Sri Lanka, especially those related to school connectivity, and integrate these insights into Giga programming and planning.

Knowledge Management and advocacy activities including progress reporting, project communications, risk management and lessons learned in Sri Lanka:

Support the generation of partner-oriented communication materials, including clear concept notes and budgets.

Identify, gather, synthesize and share lessons learned from the deployment of Giga activities. Incorporate the lessons learnt into broader knowledge development, planning and management efforts including insights from other countries through the global and regional networks.

Share regular updates with the Giga HQ team.

Document the success story of Sri Lanka. Compile a comprehensive report detailing Giga’s journey in Sri Lanka, highlighting key milestones, challenges overcome, strategies employed, and lessons learned. Include quantitative and qualitative data to underscore the project’s impact on local communities and education. Articulate a clear Theory of Change based on the Sri Lanka experience, outlining how specific actions led to desired outcomes. This document should serve as a blueprint for replicating success in other countries.

Help produce advocacy materials with the Giga HQ team. Advocacy plans should include objectives, key messages, target stakeholders, engagement strategies, and a timeline for action and can be shared with other top priority Giga countries in the region as lesson learned for capacity development process.

Contribute to Sri Lanka CO Education and ICT/T4D teams to map and integrate Giga into ongoing digital learning initiatives.

Align Giga activities to Education Strategy for Digital Transformation Strategy.

Support development of UNICEF SL’s digital learning plan for the future.

Collaborate and contribute to ongoing digital learning initiatives in Sri Lanka CO.

Builds and maintains partnerships

Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical-awareness

Drive to achieve results for impact

Innovates and embraces change

Manages ambiguity and complexity

Thinks and acts strategically

Works collaboratively with others

tech startups, business, management consultant or a relevant field. Exposure to international settings would be an advantage.
Proven experience in strategic planning, stakeholder analysis, and advocacy in the context of international development or connectivity projects.

Experience with ICT hardware, mobile phones and web-based technologies, particularly designing or deploying tools appropriate to low-bandwidth environments preferred.

Experience working with or managing relationships with telecommunications sector, MNOs and ISPs, and / or government counterparts in Sri Lanka

Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex information into actionable insights.

Familiarity working with quantitative and qualitative statistics and government data is desired: census, EMIS, location data, etc.

Strong familiarity with the cultural and political context of Sri Lanka. Knowledge of the South Asia region’s socio-political and technological landscape strongly preferred.

Excellent oral and written skills with the ability to produce clear, persuasive, and visually compelling reports.

Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development.

Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.

Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.

Have affinity with or interest in internet connectivity, technology for development, and the UN System.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.