CFAs: School Connectivity Data Collection and Giga Meter Deployment (Tajikistan)

Deadline: 18-Sep-2026

UNICEF is seeking a local civil society organization in Tajikistan to support nationwide school-level data collection and Giga Meter deployment under the Tajikistan Digital Foundation Project. The initiative will strengthen broadband connectivity planning by collecting accurate data on public schools, including location, infrastructure, electricity, connectivity status and internet quality, with the results supporting connectivity gap analysis, investment prioritization and integration with the Ministry of Education and Science’s Education Management Information System (EMIS).

About the UNICEF Tajikistan School Connectivity Initiative

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is supporting efforts to improve digital connectivity for public schools across Tajikistan. The activity forms part of the Tajikistan Digital Foundation Project, which aims to expand access to digital services and strengthen digital skills. Within the education component, the project focuses on improving the conditions required for meaningful, sustainable and equitable broadband connectivity in public schools. Reliable school-level data is essential for determining where connectivity investments are needed. Information about school locations, infrastructure, electricity and existing internet connections will help identify connectivity gaps and prioritize future investments. Key Focus Areas The initiative covers several interconnected areas of digital education and connectivity planning, including: - Public school connectivity. - Broadband infrastructure. - Digital education services. - Digital skills. - School location and infrastructure mapping. - Connectivity status assessment. - Internet quality monitoring. - Connectivity gap identification. - Connectivity investment prioritization. - Giga data collection methodology. - Giga Meter deployment. - Data quality assurance and validation. - Integration with education information systems. - Sustainable school connectivity planning. Geographic Coverage The activity will cover public schools throughout Tajikistan, including: - Dushanbe. - Sughd. - Nohiyahoi Tobei Jumhuri. - Khatlon. - Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. The nationwide approach is intended to establish a consistent and comprehensive dataset covering primary and secondary schools. Why School Connectivity Data Matters Effective digital education planning depends on accurate information about schools. Although Tajikistan already has an established Education Management Information System (EMIS), information gaps related to school locations and connectivity conditions can make it difficult to plan broadband investments effectively. The new data collection exercise will help address these gaps by documenting important characteristics of individual schools. The information can then be used to: - Identify schools without adequate connectivity. - Assess existing infrastructure. - Determine electricity availability. - Understand the type and quality of internet connections. - Compare connectivity conditions across regions. - Identify investment priorities. - Support future broadband infrastructure planning. - Improve evidence-based digital education policies. What Data Will Be Collected? The selected organization will support the collection of school-level information for primary and secondary schools.

Expected information includes:

- School identification details. - Geographic coordinates. - Number of students. - Number of teachers. - Existing connectivity status. - Type of internet connectivity. - Electricity availability. - Relevant infrastructure characteristics. - Other indicators required under the Giga data schema. The use of a standardized data schema will help ensure that information collected across different regions is consistent and suitable for national connectivity planning. What Is Giga Meter? Giga Meter is an application used to measure and monitor internet connectivity quality at schools. Under this initiative, the application will be installed in schools that are already connected to the internet. The application will support collection of connectivity-quality information, including: - Internet speed. - Latency. - Connectivity performance. - Other relevant connectivity-quality measurements. This information will complement the broader school infrastructure dataset and provide a clearer picture of the actual quality of internet access. Role of the Selected Civil Society Organization The selected local civil society organization will provide field-level support for nationwide data collection. Its work will contribute to the development of a reliable national dataset for school connectivity planning. Key responsibilities are expected to include: - Supporting nationwide field data collection. - Collecting information from primary and secondary schools. - Using data collection tools aligned with the Giga methodology. - Recording geographical and infrastructure information. - Documenting school connectivity status. - Supporting Giga Meter installation in already connected schools. - Collecting connectivity-quality information. - Reviewing data for completeness and accuracy. - Supporting data quality validation. - Coordinating with relevant government and project stakeholders. Expected Results The activity is expected to produce several important outputs. Standardized School Data Collection Tools Data collection forms and tools will be prepared in accordance with the Giga data schema and methodology. This will help establish a standardized approach to collecting school connectivity information nationwide. Nationwide School-Level Dataset A comprehensive dataset will be developed covering primary and secondary schools across Tajikistan. The dataset will contain information on school identification, location, student and teacher numbers, connectivity and infrastructure. Giga Meter Deployment Schools that already have internet connectivity will receive the Giga