Challenges Of Strategy Implementation In The Probation Department In The Ministry Of Home Affairs In Kenya

Abstract

rganizations receive their inputs from the environment and after processing they release the outputs to the environment. The environment is very turbulent and may produce different output from the one expected by the organization and at the same time may demand change of the output that it consumes. Organizations have therefore adopted strategic management to ensure that they survive. Strategic management entails strategy formulation, implementation and strategy control. A lot of research has been done on strategy formulation while the implementation part has received little attention. This research paper is concerned with strategy implementation with a special focus on challenges of strategy implementation. Strategy implementation is the process of turning the strategic plan into action, unless it is done successfully the organization may not benefit from a great strategy. Strategy implementation has been studied in various private organizations but very little study has been done on strategy implementation in the public sector especially the government ministries and departments. Since successful strategy implementation is important in the public sector like in the private sector the researcher sought to find out the challenges faced in implementing strategy in Probation Department in Kenya and how it has responded to the challenges. The findings indicate that the challenges that impede strategy implementation in the department are both internal and external. The challenges that came out are inadequate resource allocation, delay in release of funds from the treasury, organizational culture, inadequate human resources, policy change, transfer of employees in the mid cycle of v strategy implementation, inflation, post election violence and conflicting implementation and budgetary cycle. The top management in the Department has responded by lobbying for more funds and employees which it has succeeded in doing though not fully. The department has also networked with stakeholders from other government departments and the private sector which have offered financial and non financial help. Overall the department has remained flexible so as to adapt to the changing environment. For successful strategy implementation the study recommends identification of ‘waste’ opportunities for increased efficiency which in turn leads to reduced costs during implementation. Identification of alternative sources of funding during the strategy formulation stage, creation of a fit between strategy and culture and strengthening strategy control system for continuous monitoring of the environment are other recommendations given. The research findings are specific to the probation department and may not be applicable in other government departments. Therefore the researcher recommends that more research should be carried out in other government departments and ministries to provide a comprehensive view of strategy implementation in the Kenyan government.