Constraining Factors in Realizing Strategic Plan Objectives by Local Authorities in Zambia: Case of Kitwe City Council

Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 7, 98 - 119, 31.07.2018

Thomas Taylor , Francis Muwowo Zelita Phırı

https://doi.org/10.25069/spmj.455404

Cited By: 3

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine
the constraining factors in realizing strategic plan objective by Kitwe City
Council in Zambia. This was a case study that focused on the strategic plan of
the Council for the period 2012 to 2016. The research used qualitative
methodology that also employed grounded theory methods during the data
collection, i.e., interviews and documentary reviews. Content analysis was the
main analytical tool utilized for the analysis.

The results of the study indicated
that, the City Council had an ambitious plan which was unrealistic in the sense
that within the plan period, too many priority projects were incorporated in
the plan. Furthermore, the implementation of the plan lacked committed
leadership drive and visioning at the departmental level of the institution, lacked
ownership of the strategic plan document, inadequate financial resources
generated by the Council to finance the projects, non-coordination and
harmonization of strategies in implementation of strategic activities by the
departments within the \council, political interference and non-collaboration
of potential cooperating partners affected the implementation of the plan,
hence achieving virtually insignificant proportion of the expected outcomes of the
strategic objectives.

The findings of the study provide
significant and valuable information to all management of Local Authorities in
Zambia and perhaps in the developing economies that perceive that formulation
of strategic plan is significant to improve the service delivery to their
citizenry under their areas of jurisdiction.

Keywords

Constraining Factors, Strategic Plan, Strategy Implementation, Local Authorities, Kitwe, Zambia

Constraining Factors in Realizing Strategic Plan Objectives by Local Authorities in Zambia: Case of Kitwe City Council

Abstract

The
purpose of the study was to determine the constraining factors in realizing
strategic plan objective by Kitwe City Council in Zambia. This was a case study
that focused on the strategic plan of the Council for the period 2012 to 2016. The
research used qualitative methodology that also employed grounded theory methods
during the data collection, i.e., interviews and documentary reviews. Content
analysis was the main analytical tool utilized for the analysis.

The
results of the study indicated that, the City Council had an ambitious plan
which was unrealistic in the sense that within the plan period, too many
priority projects were incorporated in the plan. Furthermore, the
implementation of the plan lacked committed leadership drive and visioning at
the departmental level of the institution, lacked ownership of the strategic plan
document, inadequate financial resources generated by the Council to finance
the projects, non-coordination and harmonization of strategies in
implementation of strategic activities by the departments within the \council, political
interference and non-collaboration of potential cooperating partners affected
the implementation of the plan, hence achieving virtually insignificant
proportion of the expected outcomes of the strategic objectives.

The
findings of the study provide significant and valuable information to all
management of Local Authorities in Zambia and perhaps in the developing
economies that perceive that formulation of strategic plan is significant to
improve the service delivery to their citizenry under their areas of
jurisdiction.

Keywords

Constraining factors, Strategic Plan, Strategy Implementation, Local Authorities, Kitwe

References

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