A Bhutanese tertiary education consultancy case study: Introducing the institutional zone of proximal development

•Introduces the concept of “institutional zone of proximal development” as a strategy for focussing as a conceptual approach to “pitching” development in an institution/organisation.•Identifies processes that were used.•Presents an empirical case study of a consultancy that had substantial down the track impact.

This paper identifies an overarching strategy that consultants can use to focus institutional level development work: the institutional zone of proximal development (IZPD). The paper explicates the IZPD concept following Vygotsky (1978). The case study of distance education course development in tertiary education in Bhutan illustrates the six processes within the IZPD that supported successful implementation. Evidence showed that the consultancy had contributed to the institutionalisation of change. Three implications for consultants using the IZPD are presented. The concept of the IZPD is new to the development literature.