Strategic Change Management Process in the Public Sector: A Case Study of the Civil Service Reform Programme in Kenya, 1993-2003

Abstract

Strategy arises out of the need for organizations to position themselves to exploit opportunities and deal with threats in the environment. Because the environment is dynamic, these opportunities and threats shift all the time. Through the process of strategic change, organizations seek to reposition themselves in order to create new competences and capacities to exploit and deal with new situations. Planning and implementation of strategic change is now a day-to-day management issue and must be managed skillfully for its benefits to be realized. The public sector has not been spared by environmental changes. Political, economic, social and technological changes do impose constraints on resources and competences available to public organizations to deliver on their mandates efficiently and effectively. Changes in the structure of the economy due to globalisation require that the civil service changes to align with emerging issues. Demographic, social and cultural changes bring new demands on delivery of public services including health, education and social security. The need for efficiency, economy, environmental protection, effectiveness, evaluation, ethics and.,the market are major forces of change in the public sector. -. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Kenyan public sector experienced several challenges including major resource constraints while the demands for its services were increasing. The civil service, which is central in policy formulation and delivery of public services had to be reformed to respond to new challenges. Reforms were launched in 1993 and have been implemented incrementally since then. The purpose of the reforms was to improve productivity and efficiency in the civil service. To improve efficiency and productivity, the civil service organisation, staffing levels, pay and benefits, financial and performance management, and personnel management and training were identified as the components needing reform. This research aimed at establishing the reform management processes and identifying factors that influenced the performance of the reforms. The study involved collection and analysis of both primary and secondary data from various sources. The study came up with a number of findings. The change management processes involved planning, capacity building and implementation phases. A vision was crafted. Strategies were developed. Legitimacy and political support was mobilized. Reform agents were appointed. The reform management processes used in the Civil Service Reform Programme (CSRP) indicate attempts to apply change management models proposed by various change experts. Though CSRP did not adopt and apply wholly any of the models, it nevertheless borrowed and applied the principles enshrined in most of the models. The CSRP processes compared well with those applied in the private sector change programmes. The reform performance was negatively affected by a number of factors. Resistance (both behavioural and systemic), unsupportive cultural practices, inappropriate leadership, poor teamwork, low commitment combined to slow down the reform process. The reforms were implemented before addressing some of these issues adequately. Because of the-.urgency to contain the wage bill there was little time to address the unfavourable issues, some of which would have required considerable time to achieve. Secondly, because of funding constraints the reformers were reluctant to undertake the necessary measures. Legitimacy and political support was difficult to build and sustain throughout the reform period. This was even more complex given the many authorities with conflicting interests. Moreover, mobility in the civil service does not facilitate building long-term relationships on which legitimacy and political support gravitates. On the positive perspective, urgency, good planning, programme evaluations, and technical and financial support from the development partners boosted the reforms. Despite the constraints, the CSRP Programme made considerable progress. The staffing levels in the civil service were substantially reduced. Ministries redefined their core functions and identified areas of overlaps and duplications. Recommendations were made on the non-core functions to be divested. Measures necessary to improve the working conditions were proposed. Recommendations on improving the personnel management information systems were made. Unfortunately, these recommendations have yet to be implemented. Consequently, the strategic objectives of the CSRP are yet to be fully realised. The vision of a civil service that is productive and efficient supported by a leaner and motivated staff is still a dream.