Case Study

Capacity Building for Economic Planning

Client: Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho, National Authorizing Office – EU Funding | Sectors: Public Sector Reform

Ecorys managed this 4 year, €3.5m programme of support to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

The key focus was on strengthening national / sector-level planning, and macroeconomic policy analysis. Advisory support was also provided for delivering capacity building and technical assistance in the preparation of the National Development Plan. This resulted in an overarching planning/ development plan for the period 2012 – 2016 plus support to the budgeting process in order to ensure alignment with the National Strategic Development Plan. The technical support also focused on building the capacity of the Department for Economic Policy to undertake policy analysis related to the formulation of the National Development Plan. This work included aspects of national energy policy and use of national resources. More widely the project developed increased capacity and coordination of the Government to improve their use of development resources throughout the country; Introduced and strengthened a broader aid coordination function (i.e. multiple donors) within the NAO; and introduced and implemented EU/EDF visibility enhancing activities.

The project helped in delivering a:

•   Strengthened National Authorising Office (NAO);
•   Institutional and organisational strengthening for the Ministry of Finance;
•   Strengthened national / sector-level planning, and macroeconomic policy analysis;
•   Strengthened public financial management; and
•   The National Development Plan 2012 -2016