National Specialist: Teaching and Learning Policy

The FAO Representation in Lesotho seeks a National Specialist to develop a comprehensive Teaching and Learning Policy for the Lesotho Agricultural College (LAC). The specialist will assist in policy development aligned with national and international quality assurance standards to position LAC as a centre of excellence for agricultural education.

Responsibilities

• Conduct a detailed review of LAC's current teaching and learning practices, quality assurance processes, and existing policy documents related to pedagogy, assessment and curriculum delivery
• Benchmark LAC's teaching and learning practices against leading national and international higher education institutions to identify best global practices
• Facilitate consultative workshops with LAC leadership, academic staff, students, and relevant external stakeholders (including professional bodies) to define core pedagogical principles, values and quality standards
• Design monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for teaching quality, including student feedback systems, linked to a staff professional development strategy
• Design a system for tracking and supporting at-risk students to minimise dropout, and for ensuring fulfilment of academic obligations linked to examination eligibility
• Draft the complete Teaching and Learning Policy document, including sections on curriculum approval, assessment frameworks, academic integrity, Work Integrated Learning, e-learning/technology integration, and staff and student input mechanisms
• Develop Support the development of an accompanying Implementation Plan and Institutional Readiness Assessment to guide the rollout and internalisation of the policy across all academic departments
• Present the draft policy and implementation plan to the LAC Project Steering Committee (PSC) for review and validation
• Incorporate feedback from the PSC, LAC management and FAO, and finalize the policy document for formal institutional approval
• Prepare a brief handover/completion report summarizing the process, key recommendations and outstanding follow-up actions for LAC

Requirements

• Advanced degree (Master's or higher) in Education, Higher Education Pedagogy, Curriculum studies, or a closely related field
• Seven Years (7) of relevant experience in teaching and curriculum development.
• Working Knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and Sesotho
• National of Lesotho or resident of the country with a valid work permit
• Demonstrated knowledge of national qualifications frameworks and accreditation standards, preferably the Lesotho Qualifications Framework and Council on Higher Education requirements
• Prior experience developing institutional teaching and learning policies or frameworks for higher education or technical and vocational institutions
• Strong facilitation, stakeholder consultation and report-writing skills

Skills

• Curriculum Design
• Teaching Policy Development
• Higher Education Pedagogy
• National Qualifications Frameworks
• Accreditation Standards Compliance
• Multi-Stakeholder Consultation
• Report Writing
• Facilitation Skills
• Teaching and Learning Policy
• Quality Assurance

Languages

English, Sesotho