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UNESCO and the Zanzibar Correctional Facility (ZCF) joined forces to equip 32 correctional officers with practical digital and Artificial Intelligence skills, strengthening institutional capacity to deliver more efficient, innovative and responsive correctional services in Zanzibar.
UNESCO Dar es Salaam, in partnership with the Zanzibar Correctional Facility (ZCF), successfully conducted a three-day Capacity-Building Programme from 14 to 16 July 2026. The training aimed to equip 32 correctional officers from various departments, including Administration, Rehabilitation, ICT, Custody, and the Training College, with 21st Century Skills, Digital Pedagogy, Practical Digital Tools, and Artificial Intelligence competencies. This initiative was designed to enhance service delivery, institutional efficiency, and informed decision-making within the correctional services, while promoting the ethical and responsible use of AI.
Col. Khamis Bakari Khamis, Commissioner of the Zanzibar Correctional Facility, lauded the training as timely and essential for the digital transformation of correctional services. He encouraged participants to fully embrace and apply the newly acquired digital and Artificial Intelligence skills to work more efficiently, responsibly, and professionally. The program's core objective was to strengthen participants' ability to apply digital technologies and AI to improve workplace productivity, communication, knowledge management, and overall institutional performance.
The three-day program involved interactive presentations, practical demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and collaborative learning activities. Key topics covered included 21st Century Skills, digital workplace productivity, cyber safety, prompt engineering, AI-assisted research, responsible AI use, and the detection of AI-generated and manipulated media. A significant emphasis was placed on practical application, with participants using various AI-powered tools to improve report writing, official correspondence, information analysis, digital content verification, planning, and organizational efficiency, ensuring appropriate human oversight and ethical decision-making. Demonstrations also showcased offline AI solutions for secure institutional environments.
The training resulted in notable improvements in participants' confidence and capability to integrate digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence into their daily responsibilities. Officers reported gaining practical skills that would enable them to streamline administrative processes, enhance communication, support evidence-based decision-making, and improve the delivery of correctional and rehabilitation services. To ensure the initiative's sustainability, participants developed departmental action plans to integrate their new skills into their work, and a reusable UNESCO training package with practical learning resources was created for future capacity-building within the Zanzibar Correctional Facility.
This capacity-building initiative is an integral part of UNESCO's broader commitment to fostering digital transformation and promoting the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence across education and public institutions in Tanzania. UNESCO remains dedicated to supporting national efforts to strengthen digital competencies, encourage ethical AI usage, and drive innovation that contributes to inclusive and sustainable development throughout the region, enhancing operational efficiency and service delivery.