An Evaluation of the Implementation of Strategic Planning as a Tool for Improving Performance Management Practices by Principals of Public Secondary Schools in Nyamira County, Kenya

Abstract

In recent years, strategic planning has been adopted by many organizations as a vital tool for improving performance with remarkable results. Performing organizations rely heavily on the strategies put in place and how well the strategies are implemented to improve performance. Educational institutions have equally adopted the concept of strategic planning to give their schools strategic direction for continuous improvement. Preparation of strategic plans by schools has therefore been seen as a roadmap that schools would follow to achieve desired levels in performance management practices. This study examined the extent to which the strategic plans had been implemented by the Principals, the challenges encountered in the process of implementation, and how this affected performance improvement practices in public secondary schools in Nyamira County, Kenya. The study used descriptive survey design and involved use of both primary and secondary data. The study targeted 45 Principals, 45 Deputy Principals and 135 Heads of Departments of selected secondary schools giving a total of 225 subjects. Stratified sampling was used to group the subjects while simple random sampling was used to select the participants from each stratum. Purposive sampling was used to select the Principals while Slovin formula was used to select Heads of Departments. Questionnaires were used for collecting data from the Principals, Deputy Principals and HODs. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)22.0 was used to analyse quantitative data. The findings of the study revealed that although strategic plans were available in all the schools with clear strategy implementation designs and structures, the implementation levels of the strategic plan were low, weak and ineffective and this adversely affected improvement in performance management practices, which was still below the desired levels in most schools. There were no clear tailor-made programmes to effectively implement the strategies and the implementation processes of the strategic planning as a tool faced many constraints resulting from inadequate funding, weak control and evaluation structures; lack of training, BOM, sponsor and community influence which negatively affected strategy implementation in most schools and hence hindered performance management improvement in most areas. The study recommended that there is a need to strengthen strategic planning implementation processes and provision of adequate funding by the government and parents to facilitate effective implementation. Regular visits, assessment, auditing and supervision should be intensified by education officials to ensure compliance, prudent use of school funds and effective implementation of strategic plans to improve performance.