SCHOOL CONNECTIVITY PROJECT
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Malawi Government through the National ICT Policy of 2013 has a
deliberate policy statement whose objective is to ensure that all its citizens
access ICT services which are a catalyst for socio economic development. In
line with this policy, the government has put up initiatives to include compulsory
ICT curriculum in the education system in the county.
This document responds to the government initiative of promoting ICTs in schools
and proposes projects to be undertaken in order to connect public school in the
country with internet as well as provide ICT infrastructure to the schools.
Connecting schools provides many benefits including access to an ever-
growing volume of educational information, opportunities for collaboration and
the use of online applications.1 It is important for students and teachers to learn
information and communication technology skills to enable them to participate
in the evolving knowledge society. School connectivity also enhances
educational administration through the electronic exchange of forms, data and
other information. It also achieves cost efficiencies by automating manual tasks
and reducing expenses associated with textbook printing and distribution. It is
under this background that the MACRA through the Universal Service
1. Stosic Lazar; the Importance of Educational Technology in Teaching. Internal journal of Cognitive Research
in Science, Engineering and Education. Vol 3, No. 1, 2015
Page 1 of 8
Department would like to embark on a school connectivity project aiming at
addressing ICT access in the education system especially in rural secondary
schools. As a scale up we intend to partner with the government of Malawi as
the construct the new day secondary schools.
The project cost is approximately MK 606,699430.
2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND JUSTIFICATION
Internationally ICT has been recognized as an enabler for social and economic
development of any country affecting all development sectors including
education. Internet in particular has been used to enhance teaching and
learning in schools globally. However, with the latest statistics which indicate a
general internet penetration of 31%, the education system in Malawi has not
benefited from this ICT revolution especially those in rural areas. Apart from the
internet unavailability, this can be attributed to lack of ICT infrastructure and
high computer illiteracy levels among teachers and students. It is against this
background that school connectivity program is being proposed. As this will act
as an immediate solution to make sure that students and their teachers utilize
computers and internet connectivity in their lessons.
3.0 OBJECTIVES
MAIN OBJECTIVE
To promote universal access to ICTs in the Malawi Education System
especially in rural areas.
Page 2 of 8
Specific objectives
1. To install and equip computer labs with ICT equipment in public
secondary schools.
2. To connect rural public secondary schools with internet and establish a
hotspot in rural schools.
3. To build capacity of teachers and students in ICT skills.
4. To enhance security of the existing computer labs in rural public
secondary schools.
5. To provide extended support to surrounding schools and communities to
benefit from the Computer Lab.
6. To provision of alternate sources of energy where necessary.
7. To raise awareness of the project in the communities where the projects
are located
4.0 PROJECT SCOPE:
This project will be implemented throughout Malawi in public secondary schools
through provision of Computers and Internet connectivity and also improving
existing facilities to be used for computer labs. Further, the project will enhance
security of school computer labs.
As part of building capacity of the users, the project will also train teachers and
students in basic ICT skills as a way of sustaining the project in future. The project
further seeks to absorb new graduates as ICT officers in the schools who shall be
responsible for managing the computer labs where the projects have been
implemented. It is hoped that this will make the ICT training and usage of labs an
ongoing phenomena.
5.0 FUNDING MODEL
The project will be funded through Universal Service Fund. The project further will
collaborative partnerships with the telecom operators and the private sector on
the provision of internet to the schools and ICT equipment for the targeted
schools.
Page 3 of 8
6.0 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
In order to successfully implement the project, Universal Service Department will
work with relevant identified stakeholders to effectively implement the project.
The approach to be taken will be a consultative process, where stakeholders’
involvement will be emphasized from the onset of the project.
The actual implementation of activities will be undertaken by various
stakeholders as highlighted in table 1 below:
Table 1: Stakeholder Engagement
No INSTITUTION RESPONSIBILITIES
1 Ministry responsible for ICT Policy direction
2 Ministry of Education Identification of schools
Identification of training needs
Coordination of similar projects
3 MACRA- Universal Service Needs assessment
Department Financial and Technical support
Coordination of activities
Monitoring and evaluation
4 Beneficiary Schools Identification of structure
Management of the labs
Security of the project structures
Identification of training needs
Utilizing the computer labs
5 Telecom operators Internet connectivity.
In order to enhance the relationships with the stakeholders the following
Committees will be put in place:
a) Project Steering Committee comprising of various stakeholders including
officials from MACRA (Universal Service Department), Telecom operators, MoICT
and Ministry of Energy and Mining will coordinate the activities of the project.
b) School and Community Management Committee: to oversee the project
at the Rehabilitation Centre.
Page 4 of 8
7.0 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Page 5 of 8
OBJECTIVE ACTIVITY PROCESS KEY PERFORMANCE TIMEFRAME
DELIVERABLE INDICATORS
To identify (i)Preliminary stakeholder Meetings Project sites identified Sep 2020
project sites discussions with Education
Officials MoICT Official Project proposal
(ii)Schools verification
(iii)Consultations with
service providers
To identify (i)Bid documents-ITA, Bid Publishing ITA Contractor(s) Sep –Oct 2020
Contractor (US Submission identified
operator) (ii)Bid Evaluation Report
(iii)Contract Negotiations training institute
and Award Contract identified
(iv)Identify training institute
(to follow recommended
procurement procedures as
above)
Implementation (i)Installation & (i)Equipment in Schools provided with Oct 2020 – June
commissioning of the place computers and 2021
equipment internet connected
(ii)Preparation & distribution (ii)Distribution of
of promotional materials materials
Training & (i)Identification of the ICT (i)List of ICT Training conducted in Jan 2021
capacity officers under the GOM officers the schools
building internship program. (ii)Training reports
(ii)Train trainers, & students
on site
(iii)Organization of related
events
(iv)Develop online content
Monitoring and (i)Monitoring of school lab (i)Progress reports Monitoring reports July 2020 – June
Evaluation usability 2021
(ii)Preparation of Project (ii) Impact
closure report assessment reports
(iii)Impact assessment
Monitoring and Site visits M&E reports Annual Report July 2020 to June
evaluation Stakeholder meetings 2021
Report writing
Page 6 of 8
8.0 INDICATORS
No Objective Indicators Output/Target
1 To install and equip computer labs with Number of rural public 8 schools
ICT equipment in public secondary schools with labs and Southern Region
schools. equipped with ICT. Central Region
Northern Region
Eastern region
2 To connect rural public secondary Number of schools computer 8 schools
schools with internet and establish a labs connected to the Southern Region
hotspot in rural schools. internet Central Region
Number of rural secondary Northern Region
schools Hotspots established Eastern region
3 To build capacity of teachers and ICT officers identified under 1 ICT Officer placed in each
students in ICT skills. the internship program. beneficiary school.
Training institute identified 2 training institutions identified.
Training for trainer of trainers
Number of student trained 200*8=1600 students trained.
on ICT skills 800 teachers trained
Number of teachers trained
on ICT skills
4 To facilitate renovation of existing
Number of existing computer
computer labs in rural public secondary 8
labs renovated
schools and where necessary facilitate
construction of school computer labs.
Page 7 of 8
5 To provide extended support to 100 per school X 8
Number of beneficiaries
surrounding schools and communities to
outside mainstream public
benefit from the Computer Lab. 800
secondary schools
6 To provision of alternate sources of 8
All schools connected to
some firm of energy
7 To raise awareness of the project in the 2 per school x 8
Community Awareness
communities where the projects are 16
programs(Campaigns)
located
8 To plan scale up new schools to have Scale up plan in place
All new designs for schools
compute labs have a computer lab
Page 8 of 8
