Strategic Planning and Performance of National Police Service Commission of Kenya

Abstract

Strategic planning plays a crucial role in translating an organization's goals into reality. Recognizing the crucial role that strategic plans play in achieving an organization’s Vision and Mission, it is essential to maintain focus and alignment in the strategic planning process to ensure efficiency and enhance performance. Scanning the environment, developing a strategy, putting the strategy into action, evaluating, and controlling it are the main elements of strategic planning. The main objective of0this study was to determine the influence of strategic planning on performance of National Police Service Commission of Kenya. The research adopted a case study of National Police Service Commission. Primary as well as0secondary data sources were used for the study. The data was obtained by use of interview guide to guide face to face interviews of five (5) Commission staff. The data collected was qualitative in nature and therefore content analysis approach was used to analyse it. The study established0that strategic planning at the Commission was done by an ad-hoc committee comprising of members drawn from the strategy, planning and research section as well as human capital management department in consultation with top management. The management of the Commission has a clear vision of “Dignified and Professional Police Officers while their mission is “to facilitate transformation of Human Resource Management in the National Police Service for efficiency and effectiveness”. The study0established that the0challenges facing the Commission included lack of enough funding and or insufficient resources (both financial and personnel), lack of good will from the National Police Service and misalignment between the strategic plan, department and individual work plans. The0study concluded that there0is a positive correlation between strategic planning and the performance of the National Police0Service0Commission of Kenya. The strategic plan reaffirms the efforts the Commission is taking towards achieving its overall vision. It further concludes that strategic planning is an inescapable aspect in organizations today and therefore it must be improved. The study recommends that the National Police Service Commission of Kenya should continue to engage in formal strategic planning to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, and overall organizational performance. The study also recommended that the top management of National Police Service Commission of Kenya should allow participation of all employees during the strategic planning process and effective0feedback mechanism0developed, after careful0evaluation and control of the strategies0implemented in the Commission. The Commission should also0adopt various0contingency plans in0dealing with challenges0associated with politics and turbulences in its external environment which affect its operations, especially during change of government. This study provides implication of the study on public policy and research as well as recommendations that other independent commissions can employ in strengthening the relationship between0strategic planning and0performance. This research also identifies additional areas of study and research gaps for academicians and individual researchers in the field of strategic planning.