Evaluating management of strategic change in HIV reserch laboratory at the Kenya Medical Research Institute/Centre of disease control and prevention (KEMRI/CDC)

Abstract

subsystem impacts on the other subsystems that are in constant interaction with the environment where as evaluation is the process of gathering data and analyzing it in such a way that the resulting information can be used to determine whether an organization is effectively carrying out planned activities, and the extent to which it is achieving its stated objectives and anticipated results. If the changes implemented do not impact the organization strategically, then there lacks the essence of overtaxing the limited and hard earned organizational resources. It is in this light that this study set out to evaluate management of strategic change within HIV - Research laboratory in KEMRIICDC while focusing on factors that influence change, factors that affect or challenge the process of change management as well as to determine the impact of such strategic changes on the laboratory overtime. During the study both primary and secondary data were collected and conceptual content analysis was used. The study depicts that the change at HIV-R laboratory was influenced by both internal and external forces. There was an over emphasis on putting in place quality structures which has increased the total budget of the laboratory and the laboratory staff turn over. Both planned and emergent approaches to change management models were evident during the change process. The performance of the change management process was affected by various factors; mild resistance from the staff, systemic resistance, individual behavior, group dynamics, culture change and leadership. A major success of the strategic change management program was the achievement of ISO 15189, which catapulted the acquisition of other international accreditations that are prestigious. The study concludes that the management of HIV-R laboratory averagely performed on how they handled the change process following their clarity on the short term future state of the organization rather than the long term, hence minimizing the positive impact that the change could have had. It is recommended that the management should adopt annual team building sessions and open door policy so that communication is facilitated between them and the staff, generate its own income for future sustainability and that continuous evaluation of the four pillars of change that is customer and stakeholder, financial performance, internal process and organization capacity to continuously learn and grow should be practiced so that long term impact of the change process are enjoyed. It is suggested that this area be further researched on for purposes of theory building. Following the uniqueness of the set up in which the study was executed, a replication in other organization would help validate its findings.