Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

The FAO-Country Office for Lesotho is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed-upon strategies and projects for transforming food, agriculture and rural development.(FAO) is supporting the Lesotho Agricultural College (LAC), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN), to implement the project “Transforming Lesotho Agricultural College into a Centre of Excellence for Skills on Education, Innovation, Extension and Agribusiness Development” (TCP/LES/4101/C1). The project supports LAC to develop a five-year Strategic Plan (2026–2031), a Teaching and Learning Policy, and a Programme Design and Development and Quality Assurance Policy, positioning the College as a centre of excellence for agricultural education, innovation, extension and agribusiness development. Programme design and development is a central determinant of institutional quality and accreditation readiness. LAC currently lacks a codified Programme Design and Development Policy setting out the principles, procedures and governance arrangements that guide the development, validation, periodic review and discontinuation of the academic programmes it designs and delivers as their sole owner and provider. The absence of such a policy creates inconsistency in curriculum practice and constrains the College's ability to demonstrate compliance with the standards of the Council on Higher Education (CHE) — specifically Criterion 2.1.7(a), Programme Design and Development (Programme Review) — and with the requirements of the Lesotho Qualifications Framework (LQF).
To address this gap, LAC, with FAO's support, wishes to engage a national consultant to lead the development of a comprehensive Programme Design and Development Policy that is aligned with national and international quality assurance standards and positions the College favourably for full accreditation.
The overall objective of the assignment is to guide and facilitate a participatory, evidence-based process that results in a comprehensive, actionable and measurable five-year Strategic Plan for the Lesotho Agricultural College, serving as the College's core blueprint for guiding its growth, research focus and operational effectiveness.

Reporting Lines

The specialist shall work under the overall supervision of the FAO Country Representative in Lesotho, direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative for programme and in liaison with the relevant technical units in HQ and Sub-regional office. The incumbent will also report to the LAC Principal and work closely with a Ministry-designated Core Strategic Planning Team, the LAC Focal Point/Coordinator, LAC staff, and the FAO Project Task Force, including the Lead Technical Officer.

Technical Focus

Assist the management of LAC in undertaking the necessary analytical work, soliciting inputs from different role players and drafting the strategic plan

Tasks and responsibilities

The primary responsibility of incumbent is to assist the leadership of the LAC in:
•    Reviewing all relevant institutional documents, including previous strategic plans, financial audits, departmental reports, accreditation reports and research output data, and submit a formal Inception Report setting out the specialist's interpretation of these Terms of Reference, a detailed work plan, and a stakeholder mapping and engagement strategy;
•    Conducting a PESTLE analysis of the higher education sector, identifying trends, competitive positioning, and future funding and partnership opportunities;
•    Conducting an internal organisational assessment covering academic programmes, research output, student services, infrastructure, financial resources and governance;
•    Produce a Strategic Audit Report synthesising these findings into a definitive SWOT analysis and a list of the critical strategic issues the new Plan must resolve;
•    Participate in consultative workshops with Ministry senior management, LAC staff, students, alumni and key external stakeholders to gather input and build consensus;
•    Participate in goal-setting and strategy-formulation workshops to define and prioritise strategic goals such as excellence in research, student success, employability and institutional sustainability;
•    Prepare a draft Strategic Plan integrating all agreed goals and strategies, together with a Costed Implementation Plan and a results-based M&E Framework;
•    Present the draft Strategic Plan to Ministry and College stakeholders for validation, and revise it to incorporate their comments;
•    Deliver a professionally formatted Final Strategic Plan, ready for the Governing Council's consideration and approval; and
•    Submit a Final Consultancy Report highlighting the process followed, the methodology applied, and key recommendations

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in Business Administration, Strategic Management, Organisational Development, Public Policy, or a closely related field;
•    Ten (10) years of demonstrated experience leading and facilitating strategic planning processes, preferably for institutions in the higher education or public sector, within the agriculture or agribusiness sector;
•    Working Knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and Sesotho
•    National of Lesotho or resident of the country with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work

Selection Criteria

•    Demonstrated experience and strong knowledge of the national context, with particular reference to food security, the agriculture sector, and rural development;
•    A strong understanding of the agriculture and higher education sectors, including funding models, research metrics, governance structures, and international ranking mechanisms;
•    A proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder processes, together with excellent facilitation, communication and report-writing skills; and

Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of relevant qualifications and experience, demonstrated understanding of the assignment and proposed methodology, and cost, in accordance with FAO's standard consultant selection procedures.

National Specialist – Development of LAC Strategic Plan