NUPSSP Blueprint › Program Design › Sectors & Discipline Mapping
Where academic supply meets government demand
Sectors & Discipline Mapping
Fourteen host sectors with verified institution counts, 27 discipline clusters with role limits and special arrangements, and the absolute prohibitions that bound every placement.
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The sector-task framework
Each government sector offers a different mix of student tasks, training needs, confidentiality boundaries and risks. The sector host mapping (CSV 15) records all of it per sector: verified institution counts with sources, suitable assignments, required training, expected duration, capacity, equipment, data-access rules, key risks and measurable outputs. This page summarizes; the CSV is the working reference.
Fourteen host sectors
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| Sector | Host institutions (verified counts) | Disciplines | Suitable assignments | Training | Capacity | Data access & confidentiality | Key risks | Measurable outputs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public administration | Deputy Commissioner offices (64 districts); Upazila Nirbahi Officer complexes (495); Union Parishads (4,554-4,585) | All general disciplines | Office records organization; citizen help desks; form-filling assistance; register digitization | 1-day orientation + host-office induction | High (one office per administrative unit) | Public records handled under supervising officer custody; no personal files | Data confidentiality breach; workload displacement of staff | Registers digitized; help-desk logs; citizen assistance counts |
| Education | Government primary schools (65,567); secondary institutions (19,211-21,086); NU colleges (2,260-2,500) | Education, languages, basic sciences, psychology | After-school tutoring; attendance register digitization; library organization; science-fair support | University orientation + head-teacher briefing | Very high (largest host network) | Student personal data must remain with school custody | Child-safeguarding failures (requires vetting + always-adult-present rule) | Tutoring hours; registers digitized; library catalogues |
| Healthcare | Upazila health complexes (418); district hospitals (64 districts); community clinics | Medicine, public health, nursing, pharmacy | Queue management; campaign recording; health education; clinic logistics | Health-sector induction + professional-council alignment | High but regulated by professional councils | Patient records strictly off-limits except authorized campaign registers | Patient-privacy breaches; clinical role creep | Campaign coverage records; queue statistics; education session counts |
| Agriculture | Upazila agriculture, fisheries and livestock offices; DAE district offices | Agriculture, fisheries, veterinary, economics | Field-day support; crop-cut assistance; farmer registry updates (accompanied) | Field-safety induction | High (every upazila has all three offices) | Farmer personal data under DAE custody | Fieldwork safety; vehicle use rules | Survey coverage; extension event counts |
| Local government | Union Parishads, pourashavas (330), city corporations (12), LGED offices | All disciplines; GIS/business for LGED | Holding-tax register digitization support; facility mapping; birth-registration desk assistance | Office induction + data-handling rules | Very high | Citizen personal data (birth/holding) restricted - digitization on authorized systems only | Personal-data exposure; political interference in placement (safeguards required) | Registers digitized; maps drafted; desk service counts |
| Social protection | District and upazila social welfare offices; program offices (allowance programs) | Social work, sociology, development studies | Accompanied beneficiary verification; help desks; old-age home support | Safeguarding + impartiality training | High | Beneficiary lists confidential; accompanied-visit rule | Favoritism in verification; leakage enabling - dual-verification design | Verification visit logs (dual-signed); desk counts |
| Public infrastructure | LGED, PWD divisional offices | Civil engineering, architecture | Condition-survey checklists; documentation organization | Technical induction | Medium (divisional offices only) | No access to contract-sensitive documents | Appearance of inspection authority (must be labeled data collection) | Checklist datasets; documentation organized |
| Environmental services | Department of Environment offices; forest offices | Environmental science, chemistry, biology | Sampling support; awareness campaigns; nursery support | Lab and field safety induction | Medium | Sample chain-of-custody under DoE rules | Sample tampering risks | Samples processed; campaign counts |
| Digital government | ICT Division; a2i; union digital centers (count needs verification - GAP-20) | Computer science, EEE, MIS | Approved digitization projects; portal content; digital-literacy training for citizens | Technical project onboarding | Medium-high | Project credentials scoped to non-sensitive instances | Unauthorized system access - strict credential scope | Records digitized; training sessions delivered |
| Public information and records | National Archives; district record rooms; information offices | Library science, history, Bangla/English | Archive box-listing; record-room organization; citizen charter drafting support | Archive handling rules | Medium | Original records remain in official custody | Loss/damage of originals; misuse of personal data found in records | Boxes listed; record rooms organized |
| Public procurement monitoring (observer) | CPTU; procuring entity documentation cells | Business, accounting, law | Bid document organization; procurement portal publication checks; archive digitization of past tenders | CPTU SOP training; MANDATORY non-evaluation MOU | Low-medium (documentation cells only) | Bid security and evaluation materials OFF-LIMITS | Perceived influence on procurement - observer role must be public and non-evaluative | Documents organized; publication timeliness checks logged |
| Public service delivery monitoring | Cabinet Division GRS cells; district grievance desks | Development studies, statistics, social sciences | Observation surveys against citizen charters; grievance-desk support; report drafting | Instrument-specific training | Medium | Findings go to M&E unit under program protocol | Retaliation risk against student observers (see safeguards framework) | Survey datasets; observation reports |
| Research, statistics and data quality | BBS district offices; BANBEIS | Statistics, economics, data science | Authorized survey enumeration; aggregate quality checks | BBS enumerator training (where certified) | Medium | Household data under BBS confidentiality rules | Data fabrication - double-entry and spot re-interviews required | Survey records; quality-check logs |
| Other public institutions | Constitutional bodies (Election Commission etc.) | Case-by-case | NOT recommended for routine placement (electoral integrity sensitivity); referral-only engagement | NA | None | Statutory confidentiality | Perceived politicization | NA |
Source IDs per sector are carried in the CSV; the platform's Government Institution Portal would maintain this catalogue as living data.Source data: research CSV dataset (see Downloads)
The child-safeguarding rule (education sector)
School placements carry the strictest conditions in the programme: vetting of placed students, an always-adult-present rule, after-hours workspace, and head-teacher supervision. Student personal data remains with school custody at all times. The education sector's hosting capacity is real — 65,567 primary schools is the largest verified network — but it is capacity under conditions, not capacity on tap (CSV 15, education row).
27 discipline clusters mapped to assignments
The program-service mapping (CSV 14) is where academic supply meets government demand: 27 discipline clusters, each with example verified programs, primary host sector, sample assignments, permitted role limits and special arrangements:
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| Discipline cluster | Example verified programs | Primary host sector | Sample assignments | Permitted role limits | Special arrangements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science and Engineering | CSE at DU (PROG-0030), BUET (SRC-40), CUET (SRC-36), BRAC U CSE, NSU CSE | Digital government and ICT | Records digitization on approved project lists; portal content organization; data-entry quality assurance; application testing on public systems | No access to personal or classified records; no independent database administration; all work on government-approved project instances | Place in batches with technical mentor; equipment: workstations provided by host |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | EEE at DU (PROG-0039), BUET, CUET | Public infrastructure monitoring | Streetlight and meter inventories (visual, public-space); energy-audit data collection in government buildings | No electrical safety-critical work; observation and inventory only | Safety induction mandatory |
| Civil Engineering | BUET Civil (SRC-37), CUET Civil | Public infrastructure monitoring | Citizen-side condition checklists for school and union buildings; footbridge and drainage inventory mapping | No structural assessment sign-off; data feeds to qualified engineers only | Works under LGED/PWD supervision |
| Medicine and Public Health | DU Faculty of Medicine (PROG-0012); MBBS colleges | Health | Community clinic logistics support; immunization campaign recording; health-education sessions; follow-up of defaulters | MBBS graduates already complete a compulsory 1-year rotatory internship (SRC-94) - the service semester for medical students must be aligned to, not duplicate, that internship | Placement in UHCs and community clinics; BMDC alignment required |
| Pharmacy | DU Faculty of Pharmacy (PROG-0007) | Health | Public awareness on rational drug use; retail price-display verification visits (accompanied) | No inspection powers; accompanied observation only | Pairs with DGDA awareness campaigns |
| Nursing and Midwifery | Nursing colleges (under health sector) | Health | Clinic queue management support; maternal-health education sessions | Clinical tasks only under licensed supervision | Requires professional council alignment |
| Law | DU Faculty of Law (PROG-0003) | Public information; justice-adjacent support | Supervised legal research for law reform commissions; legal-aid clinic reception and form assistance; RTI awareness sessions for citizens | No legal advice without supervision; no representation; no case-file access beyond authorized clinic materials | Supervising lawyer mandatory; university law faculty agreement |
| Statistics | RU/BUET statistics programs; DU Applied Mathematics adjacent | Research, statistics and data quality | Survey enumeration support on BBS-authorized surveys; aggregate data-quality checks; tabulation for district statistics offices | Works only on authorized survey instruments; household data handled per BBS confidentiality rules | BBS district office placements |
| Economics | DU Economics (PROG-0037), RU Economics | Public administration; planning | Secondary-data compilation for district plans; market price bulletin compilation support | Analysis of published data only | Planning office placements |
| Business, Accounting and Finance | DU Business Studies (PROG-0004), NSU business programs | Public procurement monitoring; records management | Bid document organization (non-evaluation); asset register digitization; office records scheduling | NO role in bid evaluation, opening or procurement decisions - documentation organization only | CPTU-endorsed standard operating procedure required |
| Environmental Science | DU Earth and Environmental Sciences (PROG-0008) | Environment and climate | Water-sample collection support; tree census; air-quality station assistance | Sampling under DoE protocols; no enforcement role | DoE division office placements |
| Agriculture | Agricultural universities (BAU system) | Agriculture | Farmer field-day support; crop-cut survey assistance; extension material distribution | Fieldwork under DAE officers | Upazila agriculture office placements |
| Veterinary and Livestock | Veterinary colleges | Agriculture | Vaccination campaign logistics; poultry farm registry updates (accompanied) | No clinical sign-off | Upazila livestock office placements |
| Fisheries | Marine/fisheries faculties | Agriculture | Pond census support; hatchery record digitization | Accompanied fieldwork | Upazila fisheries office placements |
| Education and B.Ed | Education faculties and NU education colleges | Education | After-school tutoring support; school attendance register digitization; library organization | No independent teaching responsibility; supporting role under head teacher | School placements with head-teacher supervision |
| Bangla, English and Humanities | DU Bangla (PROG-0020), RU English (SRC-43) | Public information | Citizen charter simplification; form translation; public notice drafting; archive documentation | Draft products reviewed by controlling officer before publication | District information office placements |
| Social Work and Sociology | DU Sociology, Anthropology (PROG-0015) | Social protection | Accompanied beneficiary-home verification fieldwork; old-age home activity support; help-desk assistance | Verification visits ALWAYS accompanied by a government officer; no benefit decisions | Social welfare office placements |
| Development Studies | DU Development Studies (PROG-0034) | Service delivery monitoring | Service-delivery observation surveys against published citizen charters; report drafting | Observation instruments pre-approved; findings go to program M&E unit, not directly public | Cabinet Division GRS-aligned placement |
| Journalism and Media | Media and journalism departments | Public information | Citizen information desks; RTI application help; community bulletin production | No investigative reporting using placement access; program neutrality rules apply | Information ministry field offices |
| Geography and GIS | Geography departments | Local government | Facility mapping (schools, clinics, water points); flood-exposure map drafts | Maps are decision-support inputs, not official records | LGD/a2i-aligned projects |
| Psychology and Counseling | DU Clinical Psychology (PROG-0028) | Social protection | Helpline support (trained and scripted); counseling-adjacent support services | No independent counseling practice; scripted helpline roles only | Helpline placements require vetting |
| History and Islamic/Asian Studies | DU History, Arabic (PROG-0018) | Records management | Archive box-listing; oral-history documentation of liberation war records | Archive handling per National Archives rules | National Archives and district record rooms |
| Physics, Chemistry and Basic Sciences | DU Science faculty programs | Education | School science-fair support; laboratory inventory in government schools | No hazardous-material handling | School placements |
| Architecture and Fine Arts | DU Fine Art (PROG-0010), Architecture programs | Local government; heritage | Public-space accessibility audit drafts; heritage building documentation; civic murals on request | Drafts reviewed by municipal engineers | City corporation and pourashava placements |
| Textile Engineering | Textile universities and colleges (SRC-95 sector) | Public administration (textile ministry programs) | Vocational training support in textile training institutes | No production-line responsibility | Ministry of Textiles and Jute institutions |
| Engineering (general industrial attachment precedent) | BUET engineering programs; polytechnic industrial attachment precedent (SRC-95) | Cross-sector | Existing 1-3 month industrial attachment formats can be re-hosted in government establishments where curriculum-compatible | If a program already requires industrial attachment, the service semester should SUBSTITUTE not add | University academic council approval per program |
| General NU college disciplines (BA/BSS/BBS/BSc pass and honours) | National University 2,260-2,500 affiliated colleges (SRC-91; SRC-90) | Education; local government; social protection | College-campus-based service assignments (library digitization, admission-camp support); union parishad record support near home college | Largest single participant pool - any 100,000+ program depends on this group; assignments must be feasible near the home college (ASM-10) | NU academic council and college governing bodies must approve credit recognition |
Example programs reference the Phase-1 program inventory (PROG-xxxx IDs and SRC registers).Source data: research CSV dataset (see Downloads)
Restricted and prohibited activities
Cross-sector prohibitions — absolute, in every placement, regardless of discipline or host:
Prohibited everywhere
- Exercise of statutory, regulatory or inspection powers
- Independent decisions on any citizen's entitlement, application or case
- Access to personal files: patient records, case files, personal land records, personnel files
- Procurement evaluation, tender scrutiny roles, audit adjudication
- Clinical procedures; engineering sign-off; licensed legal representation
- Handling of classified material under official-secrecy rules
- Any task replacing a paid employee's core duties
Conditional — only under named conditions
- Field data collection: only on approved survey instruments, with supervisor present
- Digitization: only non-sensitive registers, fixed scope by MOU, double-entry QA
- Citizen help desks: only information and form assistance, never adjudication
- School placements: vetting + adult-present rule + after-hours workspace
- Health-facility placements: non-clinical roles only, professional-council aligned
- Procurement-adjacent: documentation organization only, observer status