- Alex Högback
- Tusu Tusubira
Intermediate
Event Organizer(s)
Initiative
Description
School connectivity involves more than simply providing Internet access to schools; it is about developing connectivity models that are financially, operationally, and politically viable in real-world environments. This course is designed to equip policymakers, government officials, regulators, and ICT professionals with the knowledge and tools to critically assess, design, and adapt operating models. It explores the impact of different delivery structures, such as government-led programmes, public-private partnerships, telecom-driven models, community-based approaches, and hybrid configurations on the scale, equity, cost-efficiency, and long-term sustainability of school connectivity initiatives.
Over the course of five weeks, participants will analyse case studies and model typologies, unpack the roles and incentives of key stakeholders, and explore how governance structures, financing arrangements, technology choices, and institutional capacities can influence the success and sustainability of school connectivity initiatives. Through interactive sessions, peer support, and practical exercises, the course will assist participants in designing resilient, context-appropriate models that ensure lasting impacts for schools.
This course is designed for professionals who are leading the charge to connect schools in their countries:
- Policymakers and strategic leaders from Ministries of ICT, Education, Finance and Planning, etc. who are guiding national digital education efforts
- Regulators and public agency staff working on universal service/access, infrastructure rollout or digital inclusion initiatives
- Programme managers and technical advisors who oversee national or regional school connectivity programmes.
The course is particularly well-suited to senior and mid-level professionals looking for actionable, context-sensitive strategies to design, adapt and sustain meaningful school connectivity solutions.
The course is open to professionals from the target population who meet the following criteria:
- Hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject and have at least five years' professional experience
- Ability to learn and participate in discussions conducted in advanced-level English
Applicants will need to complete the application questionnaire and submit an up-to-date CV, a letter of recommendation from their employer and/or a motivation letter explaining how the course relates to their current role and goals.
Government officials and policymakers from developing countries, and especially women professionals, are encouraged to apply.
Selection will be carried out by the course organisers based on the above entry requirements and a holistic review of your application materials.
Please note that the cohort will be limited to 30 participants to ensure a high-quality, interactive learning experience.
By the end of this course, participants will have the knowledge, tools and confidence to design and improve school connectivity strategies for their own contexts. More specifically, they will be able to:
- Compare a range of school connectivity operating models, from government-led and public–private partnerships (PPPs) to telecoms company-driven and community-based approaches, and evaluate their trade-offs in terms of equity, cost-efficiency, and ability to scale.
- Analyse the roles, incentives and mandates of key stakeholders, including ministries, regulators, telecoms providers and donors, to design effective coordination and governance mechanisms.
- Evaluate the long-term sustainability of school connectivity initiatives, including their financial, operational, institutional, and environmental dimensions, in order to identify risks and avoid common failure points.
- Identify context-specific constraints, such as geography, infrastructure gaps, and political and economic dynamics, which shape the success or failure of delivery models in different countries or regions.
- Formulate an adaptive school connectivity strategy tailored to your local or national environment — one that balances ambitious education goals with practical implementation realities.
This course combines self-paced learning with live, instructor-led sessions. These sessions are designed to encourage individual reflection and strong peer collaboration.
Each week, participants will:
- Review short readings or videos to prepare, along with engaging in asynchronous instructor-moderated online discussions
- Join live Zoom sessions to explore key ideas, unpack case studies and work in small groups.
- Build part of a country project proposal.
- Give and receive feedback from peers on their evolving ideas.
This course is not just about learning content; it's also about building a peer support network of professionals who are tackling similar challenges in different countries. The face-to-face sessions are critical for this. They create an environment of trust and collaboration, facilitating the kind of conversations that can lead to lasting partnerships.
Participants are encouraged to participate fully, support others, and ask for support in return.
This course emphasises practical application, peer learning and reflective engagement, and is tailored to the needs of adult learners working in policy, regulation and implementation roles. Assessment is based on an evolving Country Project Proposal, which participants will develop in stages throughout the six-week course. This will be informed by live sessions, self-paced materials, and collaborative activities.
Participants must achieve a minimum total score of 70% to successfully complete the course and receive an ITU certificate. This score is based on the following components:
Country project proposal: 40%
This is a cumulative project developed over six weeks. Each module adds a new layer, including typology critique, governance design, sustainability risk planning and contextual adaptation. The final deliverable synthesises all these elements into a policy-oriented proposal for the participants' country or institutional context.
Active participation: 40%
This is based on attendance, active participation (includes camera on throughout the session and engagement in the discussion), contributions to group work, and meaningful engagement on the collaborative platform (e.g. commenting on peer drafts between sessions). This approach reinforces accountability and shared learning.
Peer review of final proposals: 20%
Each participant will be assigned a peer's project proposal to review using a guided rubric. Scores will be based on the quality and constructive nature of the feedback provided, as well as engagement with the feedback received.
Total: 100%
Week 1 - Wednesday, Apr 15, 2026
Introduction to model typologies
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify and describe the key operating models for school connectivity (government-led, PPP, telco/operator-driven, NGO-led, NREN-led and community-based)
- Compare the trade-offs in terms of equity, cost-efficiency and reach
Week 2 - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2026
Actor roles, incentives and governance
Learning Outcomes:
Analyse stakeholder mandates and incentives
Design coordination mechanisms and accountability structures for multi-actor delivery
Week 3 - Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026
Sustainability dimensions and diagnostics
Learning Outcomes:
- Distinguish between financial, operational, institutional and environmental sustainability, and the factors that influence each, including technology lifecycle/TCO implications and delivery/contracting choices
- Apply diagnostic tools to identify failure points and risks
- Formulate mitigation strategies for common sustainability risks, including lifecycle O&M and financing gaps, as well as emerging incentives such as connectivity credits
Week 4 - Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Model adaptation lab (integration week)
Learning Outcomes:
- Diagnose contextual constraints (e.g. infrastructure, geography, institutional capacity, political economy)
- Adapt a model and define a realistic rollout pathway
Week 5 - Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Finalisation and evaluation
Learning Outcomes:
- Strengthen proposals through peer feedback
- Demonstrate applied learning through a final, coherent country proposal
Tutors
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.
