Norway Registers Development AS (NRD AS) signed a contract with the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology (MCST) at the Kingdom of Lesotho to assist the country in strategic reform planning – Pre-Investment Study for the Lesotho E-Government Infrastructure Project. NRD AS consultants will review and analyse existing eGovernment facilities, ICT market, regulatory environment, customer/citizen requirements, and provide a detailed plan required to develop the National backbone ICT infrastructure in Lesotho.

The assignment covers all four Lesotho E-Government Infrastructure Project key components: strengthening of core Government network infrastructure, including ICT coverage in rural areas, strengthening of National Data Centres, improvement of the Government E-Portal and skills development.

NRD AS team will review documentation, conduct field analysis, engage in discussions with MCST and other participating ministries, and provide detailed specifications for all related infrastructure elements such as required facilities, network infrastructure design, necessary hardware, software and skills, among other things.

The scope of the assignment requires a holistic approach to the task which provides an opportunity to establish an effective e-Government Infrastructure in Lesotho, linked to country’s strategic goals, both mid and long term. The Lesotho eGovernment project is in line with two pillars of the current Country Strategy Paper (CSP) 2013-2017: infrastructure development and institutional capacity building aimed at improving governance and accountability.

The Contract is worth USD 484 thousand (inclusive of local indirect taxes). The Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho obtained a loan and a grant from the African Development Bank towards the cost of implementing the eGovernment Infrastructure project.

The Government of Lesotho in May 2014 embarked on the implementation of the Lesotho eGovernment Infrastructure project which focuses on the utilization of ICT on governance frameworks that underpin the effectiveness of public sector institutions. The project aims at enhancing coordination and effective resource utilisation across ministries, key agencies and local governments, and strengthening access to government shared services, including data centres and portals.

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Norway Registers Development AS (NRD AS) is management consulting and IT services’ company, specializing in the development of national registers, e-governance solutions and public sector reforms backed by ICT solutions. NRD was established in Norway in 1995 and is a part of INVL Technology (Nasdaq Vilnius: INC1L) portfolio since 2011. NRD implements projects in more than 50 countries worldwide and supports business development of other INVL Technology portfolio companies in frontier markets.