Strategy evaluation and control in churches in Nairobi

Abstract

The Strategic Management process is never complete until the strategy so selected is evaluated and continually monitored to ensure the organization does not veer off the intended path and also to ensure the intended results are achieved. A strategy thus is not an end in itself but a means to an end.This study was intended to investigate whether churches in nairobi evaluate and control their strategies and to understand the challenges they face as they do so The study was designed as a descriptive study and the population was all the 2500 registered churches in Nairobi. Primary data was collected by way of a questionnaire which was administered to fifty churches picked at random out of which thirty gave their responses. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics like means modes and medians. The study revealed that most churches in Nairobi have some form of strategy in place evenn though most of these strategies are very rudimentary. Most of them also have rudimentary ways of evaluating and controling their strategies while a number do not evaluate their strategies at all. Though these findings paint a picture which suggests that the concept of strategic management is not yet embraed in churches in Nairobi, it also reveals that there is a small number of churches which have advanced strategic management practices and they evaluate their strategies on a continuous basis. Additionally, all respondents hold the view that strategic management is very important and though they desire to embed it fully in their church policy they lack inadequate skills and inadequate resources to acquire such skills. XI The key challenges the churches face include inadequate skills which the researcher views to be the biggest challenge. Other challenges include poor leadership annd unsupportiive culture in churches. The study recommends among other things that churches need to invest in training their decision makers. Secondly clearer policies need to be writen by church decision makers which will support the growth of strategic management practices churches. It also recommends that theological schools need to be more deliberate in equiping church leaders by offering them strategic management courses to the level that they can not only implement strategies effectively, but are also able to train other church worker the basics of implementing strategy.