An assessment of stakeholders involvement in the strategic Planning process in public secondary schools in Londiani sub- County, Kericho county, Kenya

Abstract

Strategic planning is one of the major strategies for improving secondary school performance in Kenya. However, the implementation of strategic planning has been faced with challenges that need to be investigated. Stakeholders play a critical role in the success or failure of an institution or an organization. Their involvement in the decisions that affect them is paramount. This is because they are more likely to support what came from them rather than what was imposed on them because they own it. Some institutions have developed very good plans but have failed to realize any improvement. This may be attributable to the level of involvement of the stakeholders in the process of coming up with the plan. This study was guided by the general objective which is to assess the stakeholders’ involvement on strategic planning process in secondary schools in Londiani Sub- County. This study was guided by two theories, namely: Stakeholders theory by Freeman and Theory of Change. The study adopted mixed methods methodology and use a case study design. The target population for the study is 25 secondary schools. A sample of seven schools was used for this study. Data was collected using a questionnaire and document analysis The reliability coefficient r=0.80 was determined using Pearson’s Correlation Method.. Any qualitative raw data was analysed using content analysis. Quantitative data were coded and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version 20.0) whereas the qualitative data was analyzed by in-depth prose explanation. The results were presented in descriptive statistics such as percentages, means, frequency distribution tables and pie charts. It was established that majority of the secondary schools in Londiani Sub-County had SP in place and was operational and updated annually. The Strategic Plans of the secondary schools in the county were developed in the previous year/ last year and covered a period of one year. Moreover majority of the respondents indicated that they had the knowledge of strategic plan and thus could be involved in strategic planning process and the schools management involved the various stakeholders’ in strategic planning process in secondary schools. Majority of the respondents were involved in all stages of the SPP, and more so the implemented SP was used to guide decision- making in school as indicated by the majority (62.8%) of the respondents and this led to various achievements by the schools as indicated by the teachers, BOM and the PA s. There are several areas that could lead to improvement for secondary schools in the Londiani Sub County as they engage in strategic planning. These recommendations include: using a plan-to-plan, including an environmental scan, increasing students and other stakeholders’ involvement, and formalizing the link between the budget and the plan. The plan-to-plan can help schools prepare for the planning initiative. This pre-planning activity helps to clarify the objectives of the planning process and to set parameters for planning that will help move the process along efficiently. The secondary schools in the county should formalize the alignment between the budget and the strategic plan. This is an important recommendation because it ensures that funding allocations support the strategies identified in the plan. Without proper alignment, secondary schools run the risk of underfunding strategic planning initiatives and increase the likelihood that goals and objectives will not be reached.