Resource Allocation in County Governments: A Case of Laikipia County

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine resource allocation in county governments: A case of Laikipia County. The study was guided by three research objectives; to establish resource allocation in Laikipia County, to establish challenges facing resource allocation in Laikipia County and to determine the measures which can be used to improve resource allocation in Laikipia County.

The study used descriptive survey design to collect data from the target population. Target population was employees from the selected departments of Laikipia County government. Stratified sampling was applied. The sample size consisted of 60 respondents. Questionnaires were used to collect primary data. SPSS was used to produce frequencies, descriptive and inferential statistics which was applied to come up with conclusions and generalizations about the population. Descriptive statistics used in the study was frequencies and percentages.

The first objective was to establish the strategies used in resource allocation in county governments. It was indicated that majority of respondents agreed that resource allocation problem affects decision making, resource allocation is done based on the set objectives, fair policy provides competitive, policy makers require a technique for prioritizing the uncertainties which face the society, regular revision for strategic objective is done during budgetary cycles, priority based approach allows for stakeholder consultation of allocation recommendations, workforce is aligned to each strategic objective and priority based approach helps to ensure a transparent priority setting process. The second objective was to establish challenges facing resource allocation in Laikipia County. Findings revealed that majority of respondents agreed that feasibility study improves decision making in the county government, determines profitability of the project, employees are involved in budget preparation, feasibility study is done before investments projects cash flows, ineffective feasibility study affects resource allocation, there is a relationship between budget planning and resource allocation, enough time is allocated for resource allocation, risk assessment is adequate, inadequate resources affect budget implementation, resources are allocated according to the historical data and there are adequate resources in the county. The third objective was to determine the measures which can be used to improve resource allocation in Laikipia County. It was established that majority of respondents agreed that engagement of risk assessment team improves resource allocation, public incorporation enhances resource, effective communication enables proper allocation of resources, proper monitoring of resources reduces costs, resource monitoring provides necessary information for resource allocation, strong organizational culture improves resource allocation, avoiding over-estimation can, proper understanding of the project and time allocation improve resource allocation.

In conclusion, during decision making and budget allocation, Laikipia county government put into consideration resources that they have and can use, the county also allocates resources based on their goals and objectives, use of feasibility study has enabled that county government made effective decisions, allocate resources, ensure that investment projects cash flows and determine profitability of a project. Employees usually participate during budget preparation and enough time is allocated to ensure that the project is implemented successfully and resources are used effectively. Use of risk assessment team, public incorporation and use of communication strategy has influenced resource allocation in the county. Monitoring strategies have also been developed to reduce cost and provide required information regarding resource allocation.

The study recommends that Laikipia county government should continue to develop an effective priority based approach, develop and effective risk assessment strategy, ensure that they have adequate resources such as; human and material resources to be able to implement their projects. deal with over-estimation by eliminating unnecessary conflicts in the initial planning stages by prioritizing, allocating enough time and make conscious decisions about which projects are lagging behind and which ones are on track. The study was only done in one organization a comparative study should be done to determine effects of resource allocation in other counties and companies. In addition, a correlation and regression analysis should also be done to identify the relationship between variables.