A national strategy shaped around young Basotho
The Lesotho National Youth Strategy 2024/25 to 2029/30 was developed in a context where young people face intertwined barriers in employment, enterprise, skills, health, technology, civic participation and access to services. The source strategy describes a pronounced rural and urban divide, limited youth participation in decision-making and persistent mismatches between education and labour-market opportunity.
At the same time, the strategy identifies important foundations for change: an established policy framework, youth-focused initiatives, educational and resource institutions, a growing digital economy and opportunities for entrepreneurship and wider partnerships. The assignment had to convert this mixed picture into a practical direction that recognised different experiences, including those of young women, young people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Listening across themes and institutions
The strategy was guided by Participatory Action Research. Over three weeks, stakeholder groups worked through thematic questions and root causes, supported by a literature review. Consultations with officers from the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development were connected with evidence gathered during the Extended NSDP II process, including engagement with youth representatives and marginalised groups.
A wider survey complemented the consultation process. It was distributed online and used during the International Youth Day gathering in August 2024 to broaden participation. The combination of facilitated discussion, survey evidence and previous national engagement helped the team test whether proposed priorities reflected the needs and aspirations expressed by young people.
Turning evidence into a strategic direction
Analytica worked as policy and strategy consultant. The assignment combined policy review, situational analysis, SWOT and PESTELI analysis, key informant interviews, focus groups, digital surveys and capacity-building workshops. A Youth, Gender and Social Inclusion public-private dialogue technical working group supported the connection between evidence, institutions and implementation.
The strategy brings together employment creation and entrepreneurship, innovation and technology, education and skills development, sexuality education and general health, civic engagement, rights and political inclusion, and cross-cutting themes including sport, arts, culture and climate change. These themes are linked because progress in one area often depends on access, capability and institutional action in another.
Employment, skills and participation as connected priorities
The source document reports that youth entrepreneurship remained low, with about 7 percent of young people owning a business, while many more expressed interest but lacked information, skills or finance. It also describes a substantial share of young people outside employment, education or training, alongside disparities in digital access and the availability of market-relevant vocational education.
These figures describe the challenge addressed by the strategy; they are not claims of change caused by the assignment. The strategy responds by connecting employment and enterprise support with digital capability, education, health, civic voice and inclusive institutions. It places implementation and monitoring beside thematic priorities so that responsibility does not end with publication.
An implementation framework for shared responsibility
The assignment produced the national strategy and an accompanying implementation management framework with indicators, monitoring arrangements and an inter-ministerial governance structure. The work was reviewed through the National Steering Committee and a national stakeholder workshop.
The Government of Lesotho owns the strategy, with UNDP support. Analytica's contribution was the participatory research, analysis, facilitation, strategy design and implementation planning that supported the institutional process. The publication and case are presented separately so that ownership of the strategy remains distinct from the consultancy contribution.