Contribution Of Strategy Analysis To Effectiveness Of Strategy Implementation Among Departments Of County Governments: A Study Of Kisumu County Government

Abstract

ABSTRACT Globally, strategic management of organizations is important. This is driven by numerous and dynamic challenges organizations continue to experience in the environment in the form of increased competition, depletion of resources, heightened government involvement in the market and increased concerns on safety, standards and environmental conservation. In Kenya, many organizations have adopted strategic management approach in which they conduct strategy analysis and make a choice every time they are faced with a new strategy. County governments are not an exception in this yet they continue to face challenges including inefficient use of resources which strategic management is expected to have helped reduce. Studies in the past have attributed the challenges to delay of disbursement of funding from the national government. Studies have not focused on their strategic management approach, particularly strategy analysis that these county governments apply despite the implication as advanced in theory, this would have on effectiveness of strategy implementation and subsequent service delivery. This study sought to establish contribution of strategy analysis on effectiveness of strategy implementation among departments of Kisumu county government. Specifically, the study sought to establish extent of risk analysis, extent of resource deployment analysis and extent of non-financial factor appraisal in strategy analysis among departments of Kisumu County governments. It also sought to establish contribution these analyses have on effectiveness of strategy implementation. The study was guided by a theoretical framework where strategic choice theory and descriptive case study design are was adopted. The population comprised all the 84 senior administrative staff of the county government. Saturated sampling was used to pick all the respondents. Primary data was collected by use of questionnaires while secondary data obtained from relevant documents, such as records of the county government, reports and publications. The results showed that the mean response score for all the items under risk analysis was 3.136075, coded as moderate meaning that in a scale of 1-5, the extent of risk analysis was moderate. The mean response score for all items under resource deployment analysis was 3.2658 which is above 2.0 and is coded as moderate. Further mean response score for non-financial strategy appraisal was 3.54425 meaning that the extent of non-financial factor appraisal at the county government departments was moderate. Further, mean responses for all the measures under risk analysis, resource deployment analysis and non-financial factor appraisal statements stood at 3.3518 meaning that in a scale of 1-5, contribution of strategy analysis to effectiveness of strategy implementation was rated as moderate. The study concludes that strategy analysis greatly contributes to effectiveness in strategy implementation. The study will provide an opportunity for county governments in Kenya to assess their strategy activities.