Extending Lesotho's national development framework
Lesotho's Extended National Strategic Development Plan II carries the national planning framework through the 2023/24 to 2027/28 period. The extension responds to a development context shaped by constrained public resources, uneven growth, persistent unemployment and the continuing effects of economic and climate shocks. It also builds on lessons from the earlier plan, including the need for clearer priorities, stronger coordination and a monitoring framework that can connect national ambition to delivery.
The plan is organised around four connected priority areas: inclusive and sustainable economic growth with private sector job creation, stronger human capital, enabling infrastructure, and good governance and accountability. Environment and climate change, youth, gender, vulnerable groups, disaster risk management, finance, technology and innovation are treated as issues that cut across the framework rather than as isolated concerns.
Connecting national priorities with implementation
The assignment required more than extending dates in an existing plan. The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and UNDP needed an updated strategic roadmap that reflected economic and sector performance, recognised implementation constraints and made the relationships between productive sectors, institutions and public resources visible.
The resulting planning task covered agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, creative industries and mining alongside health, education, infrastructure, governance and cross-cutting priorities. This breadth made institutional coherence central to the work: the direction of each sector had to be considered within a national system of financing, accountability, implementation and review.
Building the evidence base for the extended plan
Analytica served as lead consultant and economic and financial adviser. The work combined policy and performance review, economic and sector analysis, institutional coordination assessment, participatory planning and data-led diagnostics. SWOT and PESTEL analysis supported the review of constraints and opportunities, while an Objectives and Key Results framework helped connect strategic intent with implementation and monitoring.
The process brought together government ministries and agencies, the private sector, civil society, academia and development partners. Consultations were paired with a review of the outgoing NSDP II, its implementation record and the changing national context. Evidence from these streams was used to refine priorities and test whether proposed directions were institutionally and financially coherent.
Engaging institutions across the development system
National planning depends on the institutions expected to carry it forward. Engagement therefore focused on the mandates, constraints and dependencies that sit behind sector objectives. The process created space for ministries and other stakeholders to examine where coordination, capacity, financing or policy alignment could affect implementation.
The plan itself recognises stakeholder participation, reliable management information and continuous monitoring as conditions for delivery. Its implementation arrangements assign responsibilities across government and call for collaboration with the private sector, civil society and development partners. Analytica's contribution supported that institutional framing without replacing the Government of Lesotho's ownership of the national plan.
From strategic priorities to accountable delivery
The assignment delivered an extended strategic roadmap covering the productive sectors and the wider social, infrastructure and governance system. It also strengthened the treatment of institutional maturity, policy coherence, implementation and monitoring. The roadmap was presented through national steering and stakeholder processes for review and validation.
The wider relevance lies in the connection between priorities and execution. The Extended NSDP II sets national direction; the related implementation and monitoring arrangements provide a basis for institutions to organise resources, track progress and adapt. Public ownership remains with the Government of Lesotho, while Analytica's role is recorded as research, economic analysis, consultation and planning support.