Strategy Implementation at Kenya Maritime Authority

Abstract

The project analyses the strategy implementation process in Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), challenges faced and how they are being overcome. KMA is a public corporation in Kenya that is the government agency mandated to regulate, coordinate and oversee maritime affairs both at sea and inland waters. It analyses strategy implementation in the public sector and looks at the delicate balance between local legislation vies a vie international standards. Strategy implementation is looked in the broader picture as a subset of strategic management. Strategic management entails strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation. Strategy implementation may seem quite straight forward: a strategy is formulated and then implemented. Transforming strategies into actions is a far more complex, difficult and challenging undertaking and therefore is not as straightforward as one would assume. The strategic management process includes implementation which may take either the planned strategy approach, emergent strategy approach or a combination of both. The study looks at which of these strategies were used by KMti and to what extent they were successful. r ::"" Primary and secondary data relevant to the objectives of the study was collected for analysis. The data focused on how KMA was carrying out its strategy implementation. Secondary data was obtained from KMA records such as corporate strategic plans, financial statements, company magazine, annual reports and company website. An in depth interview was conducted to collect relevant primary data for the study. The interview guide was administered to, the Director General, the Head of Maritime Safety, Company Secretary and Head of Legal Department, the Head of Commercial Shipping and Head of Corporate Support Services. The data was analysed using content analysis. The study found out that in' the process of strategy implementation, KMA put in place mechanisms to ensure the individual and organizational sub-units execute their part of the strategic plan successfully. The main drivers of strategy implementation are: institutionalization and operationalization of the strategic plan. Challenges to strategy implementation identified . were: the participatory approach was adopted which resulted in difficulty in involving everyone and the structure of performance management was a major challenge.