Consultancy: Discovery of Bottlenecks in Registration of ECCD Centres at CRS Lesotho

February 3, 2026

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Request for Proposal (RFP)

Discovery of Bottlenecks in Registration of ECCD Centres

1. Introduction & Background

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) invites proposals from qualified individual firms/consultants to identify bottlenecks in registering Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Centres with the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) in Lesotho. The main purpose of this consultancy is to identify administrative, legal, financial, policy and operational challenges encountered by ECCD providers/owners in urban, peri-urban and rural areas of Lesotho to register their centres with MoET and to recommend actionable solutions to streamline the process.

2. Key Objectives of the Assignment

Map the current ECCD registration process, including legal, administrative, social, economic and operational steps.
Identify challenges faced by ECCD centres or proprietors during registration (policy gaps, law, bureaucratic delays, stakeholders, resource constraints).
Assess institutional capacity (e.g ministries, local government offices, or regulatory bodies) and stakeholder roles in the registration process. Assess whether laws, regulations, and guidelines clear, up-to-date, and supportive of ECCD registration.
Provide evidence-based recommendations to improve efficiency, transparency, and accessibility

3. Scope of Work

The selected consultant/firm will:

Review relevant policies, laws, and guidelines governing ECCD registration.
Conduct stakeholder consultations (key government officials, ECCD centre owners, community representatives).
Analyze data on registration timelines, rejection rates, and compliance issues.
Document bottlenecks and categorize them (legal, administrative, financial, technical).
Propose practical changes and capacity-building measures to help MoET overcome the challenges.

4. Deliverables

Activity	Expectations	Timeline
Inception Report	Detailing methodology, work plan with stakeholders and tools	1 Week
Draft Report	preliminary findings and identified bottlenecks after stakeholder involvement	3 Weeks
Final Report	Comprehensive analysis with recommendations and implementation roadmap stated sequentially	1 week
Presentation	Summary of findings to stakeholders	1 day

5. Proposal Submission Guidelines

The proposals must be submitted in one sealed envelope/Via email containing two separate documents (Technical proposal and Financial Proposal A.

Narrative/Technical Proposal
Cover letter and executive summary.
Understanding of ToRs and methodology.
Work plan and timeline.
Team composition and qualifications.
Relevant experience and references

B. Budget Proposal

Detailed cost breakdown (professional fees).
Summary budget table (Detailed budget breakdown in LSL)

Other supporting documentation while submitting the proposal

Copy of business license, TIN certificate and valid trader’s license
Confirmation of tax invoice.

6. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

Technical approach and methodology (30%).
Relevant experience and qualifications (25%).
Work plan and timeline (15%).
Budget and cost-effectiveness (30%)

7. Submission of Proposals

All proposals must be submitted in hard copy/Via Email address, sealed, and clearly labeled; “Proposal for Discovery of Bottlenecks in ECCD Registration” via

Catholic Relief Services – Lesotho

Cathedral Building, Off Main North One, Maseru

P.O Box 11471 Maseru 100

+266-22312750

Email address: [email protected]

Background

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) works to protect and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health and nutrition, WASH, agriculture and livelihoods, education (ECD), microfinance and peacebuilding. In 2025, CRS funded by Rodger Federer Foundation (RFF) will implement the School Readiness Initiative (SRI) in five districts of Lesotho.

Background of School Readiness Initiative in Lesotho

In 2020, the Roger Federer Foundation (RFF), in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Training and the Network of Early Childhood Development (ECD)of Lesotho (NECDOL), began a five-year School Readiness Initiative in Lesotho. Catholic Relief Services Lesotho joined the initiative in 2025. The aim of the initiative is to give children a good start to education and lifelong learning by ensuring that they are ready for the first grade of primary school.

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Catholic Relief Services with support of the RFF is looking for an individual consultant that will conduct an assessment to discover the registration bottlenecks in Lesotho. This will be done through Consultancy to Identify Bottlenecks in Registering Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Centres with the Ministry of Education and Training in Lesotho.

Purpose

The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive study to identify, analyze, and propose solutions to the bottlenecks faced by Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Centres in registering with the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET). The findings will inform policy reforms and operational improvements to streamline the registration process and enhance interest to register an ECCD centre and ensure compliance.

Objectives

Using the MoET registration guidelines and other existing policies and guidelines, map and document the current ECCD registration process and establish MoET’s expectations regarding registration of ECCD Centres.
Identify administrative, legal, financial, policy and operational challenges encountered by ECCD providers/owners in urban, peri-urban and rural areas of Lesotho to register their centres with MoET.
Assess bottlenecks in registration guidelines and policy gaps within MoET and related stakeholders particularly providers/owners, key line ministries e.g The Ministry of Local Government Chieftainship and Land Administration Authority (LAA) land holding requirements.
Benchmark registration processes against regional and or international best practices.
Provide actionable recommendations and an implementation roadmap to mitigate the gaps identified.
Determine willingness of unregistered schools’ boards to register their schools.

Scope of Work

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

Inception Phase

Review existing policies, regulations, and guidelines.
Submit an inception report with methodology, work plan, and deliverables.

Stakeholder Engagement

Use various approaches such as Key Informant Interviews (KII) with key stakeholders such as MoET, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship and LAA and local authorities. Conduct focus group discussions with ECCD providers/owners or school board.

Bottleneck Analysis

Using the findings, categorize social, administrative, legal, financial, and operational dimensions and any additional aspects that may be identified.
Assess systemic issues such as unclear guidelines, duplication of requirements, and capacity constraints.

Comparative Review

Benchmark against regional and international ECCD registration practices.
Identify lessons applicable to the local context.

Recommendations and Action Plan

Develop practical recommendations to streamline registration.
Propose short-, medium-, and long-term actions.

Reporting and Validation

Draft a comprehensive report.
Present findings in a validation workshop.
Incorporate feedback into the final report.

Deliverables

Inception Report.
Process Mapping Document.
Stakeholder consultation report with draft bottleneck analysis report.
Final comprehensive report with recommendations and action plan.
Presentation slides for validation workshop.

Duration

The consultancy is expected to last 4-6 weeks, with specific timelines agreed upon during the inception phase.

Consultant Profile

Master of Education, or Master of Education in Policy Studies and Governance, or related field.
PHD as an advantage with relevant experience including policy interpretation.
Proven experience in institutional analysis, policy review, and education sector reform.
Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
Familiarity with ECCD frameworks and policies.

Application Process

Interested consultants are requested to submit the following.

Technical proposal and Financial Proposal (Detailed budget breakdown in LSL)
Qualifications and experience of the consultancy team
Methodology and work plan
Examples of similar work completed.
Copy of business license, TIN certificate and valid trader’s license
and confirmation of tax invoice.

Reporting

The consultant will report directly to the Project Manager– Early Childhood Development and Education.

Ethical Considerations

The consultant must ensure confidentiality, impartiality, and adherence to ethical standards in data collection and reporting.

Budget and Payment

Payment terms will be based on deliverables submitted and approved by CRS, with details outlined in the contract agreement.

Submission of Proposals

The proposal is to be sent to the email address to reach the undersigned 14 days after the advert is shared out to: