Abstract:
This study sought to investigate the extent to which strategic planning is practiced in secondary schools in Machakos district, Machakos County-Kenya. The research tried to answer the question “to what extent is strategic planning practiced in secondary school in Machakos district?”Data was collected from 63 secondary schools. The data collection instrument used was a structured and open ended questionnaire. The study used survey design methodology. A questionnaire to all secondary schools that are registered was used. The key respondents were the Head Teachers of secondary schools in Machakos district or their deputies. The questionnaire captured both open-ended and closed-ended questions so as to capture the undertones from the research. Findings of the research revealed that more than half of the schools lacked strategic plans. Where there were strategic plans, some had not been officially launched. It further indicated that 55.56% of the schools had vision and mission statements which are majorly communicated by way of posters and through meetings and assemblies. Vision formulation was predominantly a preserve of the administrators and teachers with minimum use of consultants. Better facilities and high entry behavior dominated in the responses regarding competitor strength. Indiscipline and lack of value addition was cited as their major weaknesses. 90.48% of all the secondary schools gather information from the environment much of which is done by the administrators and teachers. 96.83% of the schools indicated that they had competitors in the district with high entry behavior and better facilities being cited as their major strengths. Teachers and the ministry of education were considered the most influential in setting of objectives. 94.24% of the schools carry out internal analysis whereby 47.62% do it in three levels namely the BOG, staff meeting and at the department. The respondents identified teamwork among teachers and adequate resources as their major strengths with low entry behavior being cited as the major weakness. 87.59% of the schools did not achieve their mean targets. On a 3 point scale, the respondents felt that strategic planning had the lowest mean of 2.3 with regard to its contribution to achievement of targets.
