SUCCESSION PLANNING AND HEALTH SECTOR PERFORMANCE IN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF BUNGOMA, KENYA.

Abstract

The employee turnover and the scarcity of a competent workforce pose a critical challenge to the future growth of organizations which compel them to devise strategies to address this situation by either hiring external people for vacant key positions or promoting internal staff to enhance performance. There has never been a research on the aspects of succession planning affecting health sector performance in Bungoma County. The general objective of the research was to establish the effect of Succession Planning and Health Sector performance in the County Government of Bungoma, Kenya guided with the specific objectives;To determine the effect of Career Development Planning, Leadership Development and Talent Development on the Health Sector performance in the County Government of Bungoma. The study was guided by Scharmer’s Theory U model as the main theory alongside Human Capital Theory, Social Exchange Theory and Theory on Talent Development. The study adapted a descriptive survey research design. The studys’ target population was 240 employees within the ministry of Health in Bungoma County. Simple random sampling and census method was used to select 109 respondents as the sample size of the study. The study incorporated primary data sources collected using closed and open-ended questionnaires and interviews, which were pretested in Turkana County to evaluate validity and reliability. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS, while qualitative data from open-ended questions and interviews was subjected to thematic analysis. Data was analysed for both descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, frequencies and percentages, as well as inferential statistics, comprising of Pearson correlation and regression analysis. Data was then presented in Tables. The study's findings indicated that all aspects of succession planning Career Development Planning, Leadership Development and Talent Development had a positive and significant correlation with Leadership Development having a more strong and significant correlation with Health Sector Performance in Bungoma County, Kenya. The study recommended that health sector management should develop a clear framework for succession planning that determines the key leadership and technical positions. It highlighted the need for a clearly specified strategy to make and shape high-potential workers for leadership positions. The managers must also specify the required competencies for every position and make clear career development tracks within the hospital network.