Determinants of strategic plan implementation in public secondary schools in Katulani sub-county, Kitui county

Abstract

School strategic planning is key to success of a school with regard to achievement of its mission, vision, goals and objectives. Good strategic plans have been written but very little has been achieved in terms of implementation. This study sought to find out determinants of implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools in Katulani sub-county, Kitui County. The focus was on resource allocation, government involvement, communication and motivation of employees in relation to implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools in Katulani sub-county. The study was guided by four objectives based on the said determinants. This study was also guided by four theories which include; resource based theory, stakeholders’ theory, hierarchy of needs theory and contingency theory. The study employed descriptive survey design to investigate the determinants that influence implementation of strategic plans. The research involved 105 respondents. Data was collected through questionnaires. The pilot test was carried out to establish reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative techniques with the help of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS 16.0 version). The data was presented by use of percentages, bar graphs, pie charts and frequency distribution tables. Qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis and in the course of the research, ethical consideration was observed. The findings of the study indicated that resource allocation, government involvement, communication and motivation of employees among other factors play a very important role in the implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools in Katulani sub-county. It was therefore concluded that more efforts are required to improve on resource allocation, government involvement, communication and motivation of employees in relation to implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools in Katulani sub-county. The study recommended the assessment of influence of parental involvement and local political leaders on strategic plan implementation in public secondary schools in Kitui County. Areas for further research include assessing the impact of strategic planning in public secondary schools in Kitui County in terms of performance at the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.