Determinants of Implementation of Strategic Plans by County Governments in Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to explore the determinants influencing implementation of strategies by county governments in Kenya. In particular the study used the five counties of central Kenya as the study area .The guiding objectives of this study were: to establish the influence of organizational culture on implementation of strategies by county governments in Kenya, to determine the influence of leadership on the implementation of strategies by county governments in Kenya, to establish the influence of resources on the implementation of strategies by county governments in Kenya and finally, to examine the influence of organizational structure on implementation of strategies by County Governments in Kenya. The target population was 506 senior personnel drawn in all the five counties who included; County Executive, Sub- county Administrators, Members of County Assembly, and Ward Administrators from whom a sample size of 215 was drawn through stratified probability sampling based on different strata and then random sampling from each strata. This study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. Data was collected using a semi- structured questionnaire. The data collected was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative responses were analysed using content analysis. Descriptive and inferential analysis techniques were used. The descriptive technique involved generation of frequencies, mean and percentages while inferential analysis technique involved establishing significant linear relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables. Pearson’s correlation analysis and regression analysis were performed under the inferential analysis. The ANOVA F-statistic was used to test the research hypothesis for the regression coefficients for each variable to be equal to zero. The data was presented in form of tables, graphs, and charts. All the four independent variables were found to have a significant influence on the dependent variable which was Implementation of Strategic Plans by the county governments in Kenya. Organizational Structure had the greatest influence, followed by Leadership Characteristics with organizational Culture and Organizational Resources came last. It is a major recommendation of this study that county governments in Kenya should employ use of Information Technology, recruit staff on merit, motivate their employees, align their structure with the strategy being implemented, have the right leadership style among other recommendations. On resource allocation the county governments should allocate resources to the projects that have a direct influence on the lives of the county resident