ABSTRACT
The Government of Kenya adopted strategic planning in various parastatals, institutions and ministries to address distinct and prioritized strategic agendas in order to uplift service delivery. In the County Government of Nandi, strategic planning is part of the ongoing public sector reforms geared at improving effectiveness and efficiency in the prompt delivery of public services. Strategic planning in the County Government is aimed at achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as well as the targets set in the Kenya’s economic recovery strategy (KERS). This is one of the devotions of the Government of Kenya as a way of realizing her vision of providing accessible, affordable and quality services for all Kenyans. The core objective of this study was to determine the effect of managerial competence in the implementation of strategic plans in Nandi County. The research was carried out through a case study and interviews were conducted with the management, the sample populace and the functional staff with the help of interview guides. Nandi County developed its current integrated strategic development plan between the years 2013-2014 and during its implementation the strategic focus was on five wider objectives. However, the county continued to encounter managerial challenges in attaining her objectives. The research project sought to determine if County leadership, employees training, and resource allocations from the central government affect the implementation of the strategic plans. The target population for the project was members of the strategic management and implementation team of the various sub counties in Nandi County out of which all the 96 members were censured. The study employed a complete enumeration survey method where each and every item in the population was selected for the data collection. Primary data used in the study was collected using questionnaire which were self-administered while secondary data was collected from Nandi county’s annual reports and the quarterly departmental reports, researches journals, books, articles, and the internet publications. The questionnaires were evaluated for content reliability and validity. Pilot study was done on 20 respondents who were not included in the main study. Data analysis began by sanitizing data and establishing recurrent themes from the respondents’ description of their experiences. The data was then tested for completeness, coded, and analyzed. Tallying of the responses was carried out to generate information and to illustrate the general trend of findings about the respondents on the variables that were under study. The findings presentations was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Presentation took the form of tables, graphs and charts whereas qualitative findings were presented thematically. Majority of the respondents from the findings disagreed that the laid down strategies had been implemented. There was also no ideal period for the implementation of county strategic plans. Additionally, majority of the respondents agreed that there was need for improvement by benchmarking with other counties on the implementation of county strategic plans. The results of the study are of great significance to the county leadership and other related stakeholders in the various public or private sectors as it will recommend on parameters and or key indicators for improvement in the implementation of strategic plans. The study recommended that the county government of Nandi should give more priority to employment of woman so that the one –third rule envisage in the constitution of Kenya is realized. Additionally, the study recommended that top-level management should actively participate in formulation and implementation of strategic plans.