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FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
- All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
- All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
- FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.
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.
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
- Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
- Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
- Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
- For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
HOW TO APPLY
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp
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