Influence of process innovation on performance of civil registration in Kitui County

Abstract

The public sector plays a very significant role in modern economies. The ability of the public sector to innovate is therefore increasingly seen as a critical element of economy-wide innovation performance. However, innovation policies and strategies relating to the public sector are far less developed than those targeting the business sector. It is less clear to what extent entrepreneurial action is possible or advisable in the public sector as a mechanism for driving innovation. This study soughtto determinethe influence of process innovation on the performance of civil registration. The theory that informed the study was diffusion innovation theory. The study's target population was the five (5) civil registration offices in Kitui County, whichalso served as theunit of analysis. The unit of observation was the managers (Civil registration officers) and the line staff (clerical officers, office administrators, registration assistants) working in the Kitui County Civil Registration Department. The accessible population was63 line staff and 8 managers. The study adopted a descriptive research design. Regression was used to test the significant relationship of the independent variables against the dependent variable. The study findings indicated that process innovation had highcorrelation with performance (0.742, p=0.000), revealing a strong positive relationship between innovating procedures and methods used in civil registration and the overall system performance. Regression results showed that process innovation positively influenced civil registration performance (coefficient=0.165, t=3.191, p=0.002). The study concludes that process innovation positively influences civil registration performance in Kitui County. Streamlined processes, elimination of redundant steps, and effective procedures significantly improve the quality and efficiency of civil registration services. The study recommends that Kitui County actively pursue process innovation by reviewing existing processes, identifying bottlenecks, and simplifying procedures. Removing redundant steps and introducing efficient alternatives can contribute to a smoother and more effective civil registration system, improving user experience and operational efficiency.