AN EXAMINATION OF THE CHALLENGES OF STRATEGIC PLANNING IN THE PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS’ GOALS ATTAINMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper examines the challenges of strategic planning in the public organizations’ goals attainment in Nigeria, with a focus on Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo. The paper argues that strategic planning is a veritable tool for the attainment of goals of public organizations in Nigeria, but the realization of these goals is being hindered by lack of competent personnel, inadequate data, over reliance on administrative approach, human factors, ineffective implementation, poor evaluation of outcomes and poor utilization of financial resources. This study utilizes primary sources of data and uses  questionnaire instrument for data collection from the respondents. It employs mean  core based on four points Likert scale. The paper considers the use of simple percentage statistical method for the analysis of data as well as adopts goals attainment theory of public organization as its framework of analysis. The analysis of data reveals that incompetent personnel, inadequate and inaccurate data, over reliance on administrative approach, ineffective implementation, lack of proper evaluation of outcomes and poor utilization of financial resources are factors that pose challenges to strategic planning in the pubic organizations’ goals attainment in Nigeria particularly in Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo. The paper, therefore, recommends recruitment of competent personnel, access to adequate and accurate data, the use of management technique, effective implementation, adequate evaluation of outcomes and prudence and accountability in the utilization of financial resources.