The Lesotho Agricultural Sector Analysis (LASA) Project was undertaken by the Department of Economics of the University of Colorado for the Lesotho government, with the intention of developing ”… the capacity of the Government of Lesotho to design, implement and utilize sector analysis in their development planning efforts”. The project was to consist of three phases: One, a “start up” period of approximately ten months; Two, six months for the establishment of a team of economists and related personnel in Maseru, Lesotho; and Phase Three, the agricultural sector analysis, estimated to take twenty months. Phase One will be the one of direct concern to this article.

The object of Phase One was to set up a plan of work for the following two phases, and to develop a “knowledge base” with the primary purpose of serving the team, firstly in Colorado and later in Lesotho.