This research brief presents the key findings of field research conducted in Lesotho on one actor – the District Education Office (DEO) – and one policy – the utility grant. The objective was to identify the main challenges faced by local-level actors in the implementation of decentralization policies, and to learn from good practices. This research was coordinated by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) and implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) in Lesotho and UNICEF. The research was mainly qualitative, with interviews being carried out with a wide range of actors at the local level (DEOs, schools).