Influence of Strategic Plan Implementation on Performance of Regulatory Institutions in Nairobi City County

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INTRODUCTION
Regulatory institutions are organizational structures that are very relevant in any contemporary society, given the responsibility of overseeing compliance with laws, regulations, and standards in different fields.These institutions play the role of protecting the public, promoting economic stability and the rule of law in a given jurisdiction.They are given the important task of safeguarding the consumer, maintaining competition, and ensuring the safety of the public (Ondiek, 2019).Among the regulatory institutions located in Nairobi City County, there are those that are in charge of different spheres of economic and social life.Some of these institutions include; Agriculture and Food Authority, Anti-Counterfeit Authority, Betting Control and Licencing Board, Capital Markets Authority, Central Bank of Kenya.These entities hold a lot of power over the business environment in the county and by implication the larger national economy.
Strategic management from an international perspective is the act of executing the formulated strategies that are intended to assist an organization achieve its long term goals.Resource management and the implementation of strategies as a set of activities that form a critical component of strategic management.This stage is important because it links the strategy formulation to the end results that are important for the organization.Strategic plans implementation is a process that involves several challenges within the organization and its environment, including culture, leadership, and the market.Academic have noted that strategic plans implementation is a key factor in an organization's success and competitive advantage (Gavrea et al. , 2011).Strategic management of organizations requires that organizational structure, processes, human resources, and technology are in harmony for efficient implementation of strategic plans (Olson et al. , 2018).The social, legal, and market environments that organizations function in across the world complicate strategic management tasks.From a regional perspective, strategic plans implementation involves modifying and executing strategic plans in a given geographical area.It explains aspects such as the characteristics, strength, and weakness of the area of interest.Strategic plans implementation at the regional level ensures that some of the strategies that may be developed may require some adjustments to fit the regional socio-economic characteristics, cultural and legal environment while at the same time maintaining the organizational goals and objectives.Strategic plans implementation acknowledges the importance of acquiring knowledge on particular regional markets and customers' preferences.To be specific, organizations need to carry out extensive market analysis to ascertain regional peculiarities that would help in adjusting the offered products, services, and promotional campaigns (Anshari et al., 2019).Thus, this modification is crucial to stand out from the competitors and appeal to the target audience.
From the Kenyan context, strategic implementation is therefore the act of translating strategic initiatives into practice within the context of the Kenyan culture, politics, and economy.The opportunity and risks of the Kenyan market are considered as well as the legislation and business environment in the country.In Kenya, the informal economy has a significant contribution to the total economic activity, therefore, to know it is essential for strategic purposes.In an unstructured market, the strategies that firms employ have to conform to the traditional business practices (Momanyi et al. , 2018).
The government policies and laws play a very crucial role in the implementation of strategic plans in Kenya.Legal systems, taxation systems, and other special business regulations may influence a company's activities and must be recognized and followed (Kibicho, 2015).Partnerships and alliances are very important in the Kenyan economy.There is need to enhance strategic implementation by engaging the local stakeholders including the government, civil society organizations, and NGOs.Also, there is increasing awareness in Kenya on the importance of sustainable and ethical business practices.Supporting the development of the territories and in line with the global trends in the management of sustainable business, the organizations that include environmental and social considerations in their strategies are becoming more popular (Franco et al., 2019).

Strategic Plans Implementation
Strategic plans implementation is very important in the effective functioning of the regulatory organizations.The major factor that determines the success of these organizations is the implementation of strategic plans.They assist regulatory organisations in dealing with the uncertainty, in the identification of opportunities and threats and in the maximisation of benefits (Bromiley et al. , 2015).It is also crucial to ensure that the actions of regulatory institutions are in harmony with the strategic plan's goal, vision, and objectives.It ensures that they are on track to achieving their goals and that the activities they are engaged in are relevant to their goals.Strategic plans help regulatory agencies in that they clarify the agency's mission and indicate where the agency may be most effective in influencing performance.
The concept of strategic planning enables the regulatory agencies to identify and understand the most significant issues and challenges they face in the future (Poister, 2010).It also involves the assessment of all the internal and external factors that may affect their operations.This analysis includes the regulatory environment, new risks and trends, and the strengths and weaknesses of the institutions.Thus, having this big picture, regulatory institutions will be able to predict threats, opportunities and improve their efficiency.Furthermore, strategic plans implementation helps the regulatory organizations in the efficient use of their resources (Omuse et al. , 2018).It also involves identifying the time, money, and manpower that will be required for the accomplishment of their regulatory roles.Strategic resource management enables these institutions to optimally utilize resources by directing efforts to areas that are most important and would yield the best results.

Regulatory Institutions Performance
The effectiveness and effectiveness of the regulatory bodies in the discharge of their duties can be attributed to the quality of their performance.According to Coglianese and Lazer (2003), regulatory performance is the level of achievement of goals and the effectiveness of regulation of industries or sectors by a regulatory institution.Some of the roles of a functional regulatory authority include enhancing public safety, consumer protection, fair competition, and support of the rule of law.This paper will focus on the degree to which customers are shielded from unethical corporate conduct and hazardous products and services as a measure of the efficiency of the regulatory bodies.Consumer protection laws and regulations need to be applied to provide reasonable level of consumer protection in the spheres of consumer rights, quality and safety of goods and services, and consumer dispute settlement.A good regulatory agency can respond to consumers' grievances and address cases of fraud or deception within a short period and take legal action against enterprises that are in violation of the set regulations.They also create confidence among the consumers, which are two vital factors for the operation of any economy.
The regulatory institution's ability to ensure competitive parity is also crucial to its success.Innovation, efficiency, and market competitiveness can only flourish in an environment of free and open competition (Utz, 2006).It is the responsibility of regulatory bodies to ensure that all enterprises operate on a level playing field free from monopolies, cartels, and other anticompetitive practices.Monitoring market trends, assessing mergers and acquisitions, and penalizing corporations that engage in unfair trade practices are all essential components of effective regulation in this space.Businesses and customers both gain from the progress made possible by regulatory organizations' efforts to foster level playing fields in the marketplace.In addition, regulatory organizations are crucial in ensuring the safety of the general population.They are also in charge of establishing and implementing norms and laws that guarantee the quality and security of goods, services, and infrastructure.In the healthcare industry, for instance, regulators are responsible for approving new pharmaceuticals and checking the credentials of doctors and nurses.Safety standards for cars and transportation infrastructure are set by regulatory bodies in the transportation industry.These establishments guarantee the well-being of society as a whole by preventing harm to its citizens and protecting public safety.

Statement of the Problem
In Nairobi City County, regulatory institutions play a crucial role, but recent concerns have arisen regarding their performance.In a study by Tama et al., (2022) on What Lies Behind Successful Regulations, about the Implementation of Kenya's Health Facilities Inspection Reforms, after 77 interviewed staff members, it was established that stakeholders, including businesses, consumers, and investors, developed negative perceptions of these organizations due to allegations of inefficiency, corruption, and poor management.Tama et al., (2022) note that the potential inefficiency in the execution of strategic plans inside these regulatory bodies is one factor that could contribute to this unfavorable perception.A study conducted by Richards (2006) found out that there was lack of a supportive culture in over 60% of the organizations in Nairobi County which led to poor strategic plans execution.Legitimacy, viability of implementation, and enforceability of regulatory reforms depend on cultural, relational, and institutional factors, which should be properly incorporated.Strategic implementation is essential, as it involves overcoming obstacles and working towards an organization's stated goals (Riaz et al., 2022).Both the private and public sectors acknowledge that strategic plans implementation significantly influences organizational effectiveness.Kenya has declined 7 spots globally in ease of contract enforcement as per World Bank (2019), indicating regulatory performance gaps.A 2022 PwC study reports only 19% of Nairobi businesses believe regulators work independently free of political interference (PwC, 2023).
According to Nderitu, (2022) on a study of SACCOs, to improve organizational performance, proposed that changes should be implemented on a frequent basis in modern organisations in order to satisfy stakeholders needs since 60 percent of strategic plans were never implemented as envisioned.Besides, analysis of past performances of Communication Authority's Strategic Plans reveals a rate of 72.6 percent of achievement of Key Result Areas (Communication Authority of Kenya, 2023).Furthermore, Nderitu notes that the causal relationship between strategic plans implementation and the success of these organizations is uncertain.This necessitated research into the influence of strategic plans implementations on performance of regulatory institutions.

Performance Management Theory
Performance Management Theory is a theoretical approach that cuts across the fields of business, management, and organizational development since it focuses on the systems and practices that are used in enhancing organizational performance (Van Waeyenberg & Decramer, 2018).The fundamental belief of Performance Management Theory is that effective performance management is critical for business success and organizational performance improvement in terms of employee productivity and motivation.Further, it needs to be systematic and systematic and should include the setting of objectives, assessment, feedback and training, appraisal, and improvement of performance.
It is a principle of Performance Management Theory that goals should be clear and challenging at the same time and be aligned with the overall strategic plan of the organization.Subordinate benefit from having clear objectives since they can easily know what is expected of them and can be made to answer for it.Another important component of Performance Management Theory is the creation and application of performance indicators and measures to assess performance and achievement.While quantitative performance measures are financial and productivity based, and the qualitative performance measures are customer satisfaction and employee feedbacks (Biron et al. , 2011).Performance Management Theory is very much centered on the principles of coaching and feedback.These are given in the form of periodic appraisals of the employees' performance, as well as their potential for improvement and development.When individuals are given constructive feedback they can then assess their performance and decide on areas that they need to work on.
In Performance Management Theory, a performance appraisal is defined as a systematic process of reviewing an employee's performance with regard to certain standards.It provides a systematic approach of evaluating an individual's value and providing him or her appropriate remuneration or training in line with his or her performance (Biron et al. , 2011).The theory of performance management also stresses on the ongoing process of improvement.It also emphasizes on the need to engage in performance assessment and optimization on a regular basis to enhance organizational learning and performance.Innovation and learning cultures can be fostered within organizations and gaps can be bridged through improvement activities.Performance management theory is made up of many theories and concepts some of them include; Goal theory, feedback theory, motivation theory and organizational behavior theory.It recognises the complex and dynamic nature of performance management which is influenced by factors like diversity of employees, organisational culture, managerial approaches and the business environment.
Through Performance Management Theory, organizations can develop a systematic and structured process of managing performance, aligning the work of individuals and groups with organizational objectives, and fostering high-performance work culture.It is a roadmap on how to engage the employees, assist them to grow in their careers, and grow their organization.It can be concluded that the application of the Performance Management Theory framework can help to better understand and manage organizational performance.The strategy components include goals, measures, feedback, assessment, and continuous enhancement.By applying appropriate performance management procedures, organizations can enhance performance, enhance employee motivation, and guarantee sustainability.

Conceptual Framework
A conceptual framework is the theoretical model which identifies the major variables, the relationships between these variables, and the processes through which the variables affect the phenomenon of interest (Shin et al. , 2010).In the context of influence of strategic plans implementation on performance of regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County, the proposed conceptual framework is as follows in figure 1.

Stakeholder Collaboration and Regulatory Performance
Stakeholder cooperation is one of the aspects that determine the efficiency and effectiveness of regulatory institutions since stakeholders are involved in the implementation of regulations.The necessity of engaging a broad range of stakeholders in the strategic implementation process has been explained in prior empirical studies that have examined the relationship between stakeholders' involvement and regulatory outcomes.A study by Belal (2016) analyzed the effect of stakeholders' engagement on the regulatory performance of a developing country, Bangladesh.It was also determined that compliance rates, level of transparency and public opinion were higher in those regulatory entities that had close interaction with government, business and community  Vol.9, Issue 3, No.3. pp 50 -75, 2024 www.iprjb.org57 organizations.Cooperation between the regulators enabled the achievement of the intended goals and thus improved decision making.Wanjiru (2022) carried out a study with the aim of establishing the level of stakeholder engagement in the regulatory building codes of Nairobi City County.The study established that organizations that embraced the participation of stakeholders were in a better position to adapt to market changes and new regulations as embraced by the regulatory bodies.The findings stressed the importance of the collaboration in creating flexible regulatory strategies that enhanced the overall regulations in the county.Moreover, in a cross-sectional study, Sterling et al. (2017) noted that there is a positive relationship between the involvement of stakeholder and the performance of the regulatory authorities.The study involved the analysis of regulatory institutions from a variety of countries including emerging economies and the results revealed that institutions that focused on collaboration with the stakeholders achieved better results in terms of implementation of rules and enhancing compliance.

Budget allocation and Regulatory Performance
Budgeting is one of the critical areas in regulatory performance because it determines the amount of funds available for regulation and enforcement.Miranda & Lerner, (2018) analyzed the effects of limited funding Bureaucratization, over-organization, and the outsourcing of public services on regulatory bodies in a number of cities, in large cities.The results pointed out the fact that the regulatory bodies which were provided with ample budget provisions were in a better position to perform their functions efficiently, which included the monitoring of the compliance, inspection, and the enforcement of the regulatory changes.On the other hand, agencies with less budgets had difficulties in attaining their regulatory objectives, thus, they recorded low regulatory performance.In another research Liu et al. (2015) examined the relationship between resource deployment and compliance levels in the Campaign-style enforcement and regulatory compliance.The study targeted regulatory agencies that are charged with the duty of implementing the campaign laws and regulations.It showed that those regulatory bodies that were well funded for personnel, equipment, and technology had higher compliance levels from the business entities and industries.The results of this study underscore the need for governments to provide enough funds to regulatory bodies in order to be able to enforce regulations.Birskyte ( 2019) conducted a study on the link between budget transparency and the public's perception in Lithuanian municipalities.The study discovered that the level of transparency in budgeting and spending was positively related to the level of confidence that the public had in the regulatory agencies.When the regulatory agencies clearly conveyed its budgetary information and decisions to the public, there was enhanced confidence in the agencies' capacity to perform their regulatory duties efficiently.This implies that transparency in the budgetary processes can affect the regulatory performance not directly but through the perception of the people.Other papers have also looked at the effects of budget reductions on the effectiveness of regulation.For example, Nash et al., (2017) conducted a study on the impact of austerity on the production function of the regulatory institutions.The research showed that the budget constraints led to staff downsizing, lower inspection capabilities, and delayed regulatory changes.These negative effects on the operations of the regulators may result in reduced effectiveness of the regulation and poor performance.
Management Role and Regulatory Performance Pilbeam et al. , (2016) conducted a study on the Safety leadership practices for organizational safety compliance.The results of this research showed that higher levels of regulatory compliance are positively linked to management effectiveness, which is the process of developing an organisation's vision and strategic directions.This means that managers who are effective ensured the organisation was in compliance.Qing et al. , (2020) also did a study on the relationship between the impact of effective management on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in public sector organizations.From the study, it was established that it is easier to follow the rules if management is being ethical.From this study, it can be concluded that the ethical behavior of managers greatly influences the morale of the teams and their level of obedience with the set rules and guidelines.
Noorderhaven and Smid ( 2018) carried out a study to establish the impact of top management team leadership on the level of compliance of financial institutions with rules and regulations.The findings indicated that more adherence to the rules and regulations was associated with top management teams who displayed proper management behaviours including defining a vision, promoting ethical standards, and nurturing employee development.This means that commitment of an organization to regulatory compliance can be affected by the leadership practices of top management teams.Dhiman and Samaratunge (2021) examined how the top management influenced the insurance companies' compliance with rules and regulations.The study also revealed that organisations headed by effective top managers stood a better chance of enforcing rules and regulations.This implies that the right balance of top managers' style that encourages and challenges the employees can assist the insurance industry to adhere to the set legal requirements.

Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and Regulatory Performance
The efficiency of monitoring and evaluation frameworks is one of the key determinants of the performance of the regulators.These mechanisms have been analyzed in empirical studies to determine their impact on the performance of regulation and the findings have been beneficial to these institutions.A study by Galicia et al. , (2016) focused on the use of M&E systems in the regulatory agencies addressing malnutrition in Latin American nations.The research also discovered that the agencies that implemented sound M&E systems were likely to adhere to the regulations, address the problems on time, and make better decisions.This implies that monitoring and evaluation procedures improve on the performance of the regulatory agencies since they are able to monitor their progress, establish areas that need improvement, and then make adjustments based on the information gathered.
Other related systems that have been researched are customer feedback mechanisms, which are a subcategory of M&E systems.In a study by Quach et al. (2020), the authors analyzed the effect of customer feedback on regulatory performance in the Triadic relationship of customers, service providers, and government in a highly regulated sector.The results showed that the regulatory bodies that actively gathered and evaluated the feedback from businesses and citizens had a better understanding of the issues, challenges, and opportunities to improve the processes and customer satisfaction levels.Such customer-oriented approach to M&E helped to enhance the overall performance of regulations.

Research Gaps
Recent studies on how strategic plans execution affect regulatory agencies effectiveness have shown a number of important knowledge gaps.Few studies have focused on the connection between regulatory performance and strategic plan implementation in the context of Nairobi City County.There was a need for more research into the ways in which strategic planning practices at Nairobi's regulatory institutions have improved compliance and enforcement efficiency.The examination of strategic alignment between the goals of regulatory institutions and the one-of-akind regulatory demands and issues in Nairobi City County was another major area of research need.The effectiveness with which regulatory institutions address regulatory challenges and accomplish desired outcomes can be gained by investigating the extent to which their objectives fit with the local regulatory landscape.In light of this void, it was critical to investigate how regulatory institutions adapt their strategic methods to meet the unique requirements of Nairobi City County.

METHODOLOGY
The general research method used in this study was cross-sectional survey.The target population of this research was the regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.The Public Service Commision (2024) established that there were 81 regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County with a total population of 33, 886 staff.A random sampling method was utilized to get a representative sample.The accustomed sample size from the 81 regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County was approximately 246.The quantitative information was collected by using standardized questionnaires given to sampled top management, middle level management and operational level staff in these regulatory institutions.Conversely, document analysis was used to acquire the qualitative data.The questionnaires were processed quantitatively while documentary evidences such as reports were analysed thematically.The data was presented in frequency tables.

Descriptive Analysis Statistics Results
To determine the relationship between the dependent variable (regulatory performance) and the independent variables (stakeholder collaboration, budget allocation, management roles and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms), the researcher examined the descriptive features of the respondents.A thorough examination of the outcome was conducted, and the mean scores and standard deviation of each question on the five-point Likert scale were presented in respective tables.The likert scale used ranged from "1" for very small extent to "5" for very large extent.The results were as follows under respective variable.

Stakeholders Collaboration Construct
The first objective of the study was to ascertain the extent of stakeholders collaboration in the strategic plans implementation process of regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.To establish this, a number of questions were posed to respondents that sought to understand the extent of the stakeholders collaboration in this process.Three questions in the form of study questionnaire with a five-point likert scale from 1 (very small extent) to 5 (very great extent) were given to the respondents in order to investigate this.After the results were analyzed, and as illustrated in Table 1, as 'to what extent does your regulatory institution engage with government agencies, businesses, and community groups to inform regulatory decisions?'thatsought to determine the extent of stakeholder engagement, the obtained mean was 3.5211 which was equivalent to 'great extent'.On the question of 'how often do stakeholders' inputs influence implementation of regulatory policies and initiatives?' that was designed to determine how stakeholders input influence implementation of strategic plans, the obtained mean was 3.4842 which was equivalent to moderate extent.Significantly, a question on 'how do you perceive the impact of stakeholder collaboration on the transparency and credibility of regulatory decisions?' that sought to establish impact of stakeholders input on transparency and credibility of strategic plans implementation in regulatory institutions had a mean of 3.4684 which was equivalent to moderate extent.Additionally, as part of stakeholders collaboration, the study sought to determine if there were any specific challenges or barriers related to stakeholder collaboration that regulatory institutions faced.When this question was posed to the respondents, the results were as indicated in Table 2 below.As illustrated in the table, 16.8 percent of the respondents mentioned resource constraints as a challenge faced by regulatory institutions in stakeholders collaborations in the implementation of their strategic plans.Competing interests was mentioned by 20.5 percent, lack of trust by 15.8 percent, power imbalance by 13.2 percent and communication issues by 7.9 percent.On the other hand, organization culture and resistance to change were mentioned by 15.3 percent and 10.5 percent respectively.Therefore, it was inferred by the study that stakeholders collaboration by regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County was faced by numerous challenges or barriers that needed to be addressed to have effective engagement.

Budget Allocation Construct
Significanlty, the second objective of the study was to examine the influence of budget allocation on implementation of strategic plans and performance of regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Hence, as part of the study objectives, the study aimed to establish the level of budget allocation by the regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.As illustrated in Table 3, the results indicates the outcome obtained from the survey on the budget allocation construct.Two questions in the form of study questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale from 1 (very small extent) to 5 (very great extent) were given to the respondents in order to investigate this.
Importantly, the study sought to get answers to the question, 'how is the budget allocated within your regulatory institution to support strategic initiatives and activities?' that sought to determine the extent of budget allocation to strategic implementation initiatives.The obtained mean for this statement was 3.5000 that was equivalent to great extent.In addition, to the question, 'does budget allocation align with goals and responsibilities' that sought to establish if the allocated budget were in line with the strategic plans initiative, a mean of 3.4526 was obtained that was equivalent to moderate extent.These results indicated that the budgets allocated by regulatory institutions towards implementation of strategic plans were average towards realization of set objectives.In addition, the study sought to determine any improvements in budget allocation to enhance implementation of strategic plans in regulatory institutions.Hence, when a question, 'what improvements or changes in budget allocation do you believe could enhance regulatory performance?' was posed to the respondents, the results were as illustrated in Table 4.As presented in the table, study respondents suggested a number of budget allocation improvements.These included allocation on public education and awareness initiatives at 14.7 percent, risk based management at 22.1 percent, stakeholders engagement at 15.8 percent, performance measurement and evaluation at 13.2 percent, investiment in technology at 7.4 percent, outcome focused budgeting at 15.3 percent and cross agency collaboration at 11.6 percent.Based on these findings, it was inferred by the study that budget allocation for implementation of strategic plans can be improved through consideration of a number of factors as determined by the study.

Management Role Construct
Besides, another objective of the study was to determine the role of management within regulatory institutions in the strategic plans implementation process.Therefore, as part of the study variables, the study sought to determine the role of management in implementation of strategic plans by the regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Consequently, Table 5 demonstrates the result of the outcome to the questions in five statements that were designed to generate information on the role of management in implementation of strategic plans in regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.To the statement, 'Management clearly communicates strategic vision goals to all employees?',a mean of 2.9158 was obtained which was equivalent to moderate extent.This signified that the management in these regulatory institutions were only communicating strategic vision and goals to employees on a moderate rate.In addition, to the statement "Management deploys personnel with adequate skills to implement strategic goals", a mean of 3.4316 was obtained which was equivalent to moderate extent.This was inferred by the study to mean that top management had deployed personnel with adequate skills at an average level.Besides, on the statement "Management sets clear and measurable objectives for strategic initiatives", a mean of 3.4789 was obtained which was equivalent to moderate extent.This was inferred by the study that objectives set by top management of these regulatory institutions were moderately clear and measurable.
Notably, to the statement, "the organization culture promotes innovation and supports strategic thinking", a mean of 2.4789 was obtained which was equivalent to small extent.This finding was interpreted by the study that organizational culture exhibited in these regulatory institutions was not ideal to promote innovation and support positive strategic thinking.Lastly, to the statement "performance management processes are in place to ensure alignment with strategic goals", a mean of 3.4737 was obtained which was equivalent to moderate extent.This implied that there existed performance management process though they were viewed to be averagely effective to the implementation of strategic plans in regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.

Monitoring and Evaluation construct
Importantly, the last objective of the study was to evaluate influence of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms on achieving goals of regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Hence, as part of the study variables, the study sought to determine the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms instituted by the regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Accordingly, Table 6 demonstrates the result of the outcome to the question, 'are there established monitoring and evaluation mechanisms within your regulatory institution to assess the progress and effectiveness of strategic initiatives?'.As illustrated in the table, a mean of 3.4947 was obtained for this question which was equivalent to agreement to this statement to moderate extent.Therefore, study inferred that monitoring and evaluation mechanisms were not well entrenched in these regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.
Additionally, the study sought to determine the extent of satisfaction with the existing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms within these regulatory institutions.When a question, 'how satisfied are you with the existing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in your regulatory institution?' was posed to responents, a mean of 3.4737 was obtained which was equivalent to moderate extent.
Based on this outcome, the study inferred that the existing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms were averagely effective within the regulatory institutions.Hence, there was need for improvements to attainance of excellence in monitoring and evaluation that can help in effective implementation of strategic plans in regulatory institions in Nairobi City County.
Also, the study sought to find out if monitoring and evaluation findings ever results to improvements in strategic implementation process.Thus, when a question, 'have monitoring and evaluation findings ever led to improvements in the strategic planning and implementation process?' was posed to respondents, the findings to this question had a mean of 3.4895 which was equivalent to moderate extent.The study inferred that the monitoring and evaluation mechanism instituted by these regulatory insitutions had average impact on the implementation of strategic plans in regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Additionally, the study sought to dermine how monitoring and evaluations mechanisms can contribute to improvements in implementation of strategic plans in regulatory instititions in Nairobi City County.Thus, when a question, 'Can you provide examples of how monitoring and evaluation findings contributed to improvements?' was posed to respondents, the outcomes were as illustrated in Table 7 below.As presented in the table, 18.4 percent of the respondents noted that monitoring and evaluation findings contributed to improvements of implementation of strategic plans by identifying compliance trends, identifying regulatory burdens were mentioned by 18.4 percent, enhancing enforcement strategies were mentioned by 17.4 percent.On the other hand, 14.7 percent of the respondents mentioned assessing regulatory impact, 9.5 percent pointed out improving risk assessment and 16.3 percent of the respondents mentioned that the findings of the monitoring and evaluation would be instrumental in providing continuous learning to regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Therefore, it was concluded by the study that there exists numerous contribution of monitoring and evalution findings to regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County in implementation of strategic plans.Imperatively, the study sought to determine if there were any recommendations that could help improve monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Hence, when a question, 'are there any recommendations you would like to provide for better monitoring and evaluation within your regulatory institution?' was posed to the respondents, the  8.As illustrated in the table, setting clear objectives and key performance indicators were mentioned by 16.3 percent of the respondents to be a strategy for improving monitoring and evaluation in regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Implementation of regular monitoring and reporting mechanisms was pointed out by 21.6 percent, 13.2 percent recommended engagement of stakeholders in monitoring and evaluation processes.Capacity building and trainings on monitoring and evaluation was suggested by 12.6 percent.
Ensuring independence and objectivity was mentioned by 7.9 percent of the respondents, promotion of culture of continuous improvement was pointed out by 15.8 percent while 12.6 percent suggested provision of adequate resources and support.Therefore, it was inferred by the study that there existed a number of ways through which monitoring and evaluation mechanisms on implementation of strategic plans within regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County can be improved.

Regulatory Performance Construct
Significantly, as part of the study variables, the study sought to determine regulatory performance of the regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Consequently, Table 9 illustrates the result of the outcome to the regulatory performance construct.As presented in the table, when a question, 'How would you rate the overall compliance levels with regulations within your regulatory institution?' was posed to respondents, a mean of 3.4653 was obtained which implied a compliance level of moderate extent.This meant that compliance levels with strategic plans implementation was at an everage levels.
Besides, the study sought to determine the extent of ensuring public safety and consumer protection in regulatory activities.Hence, when a question 'How effectively does your regulatory institution ensure public safety and consumer protection in its regulatory activities?' was posed to the respondents, a mean of 3.4421 was obtained.This was equivalent to moderate extent.This implied that the extent of ensuring public safety and consumer protection in regulatory activities by regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County was at an everage level.
Additionally, the study sought to determine how efficiently regulatory responsibilities were being done by regulatory institutions.Therefore when a question, 'In your opinion, how efficiently does your regulatory institution carry out its regulatory responsibilities?' was posed to respondents, a mean of 3.4737 was obtained.This implied that regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County were everagely carrying out their regulatory responsibilities.Also, the study sought to establish the extent of satisfaction with overall regulatory performance in achieving their goals and objectives.Thus, when a question, 'How satisfied are you with the overall regulatory performance of your institution in achieving its goals and objectives?', 3.4737 was obtained as the mean.This was equivalent to moderate extent meaning that respondents were averagely satisfied with performance.
Significantly, the study sought to determine how respondents rated regulatory performance of their regulatory institutions.Thus, when a question, 'How would you rate the current regulatory performance of your institution?' was posed to the respondents, a mean of 3.4474 was obtained.This was equivalent to moderate extent.This was inferred by the study that performance of regulatory institutions were at an average levels.Notably, the study sought to determine the challenges or obstacles, if any, that respondents perceived as hindrances to achieving better regulatory performance.Therefore, when a question, 'What challenges or obstacles, if any, do you perceive as hindrances to achieving better regulatory performance?' was posed to respondents, the outcome were as indicated in Table 10 below.As provided in the table, budgetary constraints were mentioned by 14.7 percent of the respondents to be a hindarance in attaining better regulatory performance by regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Resistance to regulatory reforms was pointed out by 15.3 percent, political interference and influence was noted by 17.4 percent and 14.2 percent pointing out technical challenges.
Besides, globalization and cross boder issues was mentioned by 8.9 percent of the respondents, public perception and trust was noted by 15.8 percent of the respondents while legal and regulatory barriers were mentioned by 13.7 percent of the respondents to be part of the hinderances to achieving better regulatory performance by regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.As a result, it was inferred by the study that there existed numerous challenges or barriers that hinder achievement of better regulatory performance of regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Importantly, the study sought to determine strategies that could help improve implementation of strategic plans in regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Hence, when a question, 'Based on your experience, what recommendations or best practices would you propose to enhance the strategic implementation process within regulatory institutions?', the results were as indicated in Table 11 below.As illustrated in the table, setting clear goals, involvement of stakeholders, provision of adequate resources and promotion of collaboration and coordination were mentioned by 13.2 percent, 18.4 percent, 11.6 percent and 10.6 percent respectively as measures that can be adopted to enhance implementation of strategic plans.
In addition, embracing risk management initiative, implementation of performance measurement and evaluation systems and promotion of accountability and transparency were mentioned by 6.3 percent, 13.7 percent and 8.4 percent of the respondents respectively.As a result, it was affirmed by the study that there existed a number of ways through which enhancement of strategic plans implementation can done to improve performance of regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.

Regression Analysis
In order to conduct inferential analysis, the researcher utilized multiple linear regression analysis to estimate the relationships between the dependent variable and the independent variables.The multiple linear regression analysis model employed was defined by the following formula:  As illustrated in Table 12 above, model provides information about regression model performance in predicting the regulatory performance, given the predictor variables (monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, management roles, budget allocation and stakeholders engagement).In this model, the correlation cooefficient is approximately 0.707 which indicates a moderately strong correlation between the predictors (monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, management role, budget allocation and stakeholders engagement) and the dependent variable (regulatory performance).Significantly, the R Square is approximately 0.500 implying that 50 percent of the variance in the dependent variable is explained by the independent variable.These findings concur with numerous studies.For instance, Moynihan (2008) on dynamics of performance determined that monitoring and evaluation drives better performance.On management role, Van Wart (2017) affirms importance of role of management in public organizations is critical and that it impact organizational performance.Significantly, Rubin (2016) underscores how budgeting decisions influence effectiveness and performance of public institutions.
On stakeholders collaboration, several scholars explored the relationship between stakeholder collaboration and the successful implementation of strategic plans.Bryson, Crosby, and Stone (2015) posit that involving stakeholders in the strategic plans implementation process enhances commitment and expedites smoother execution.In addition, similarly, Freeman and colleagues (2010) note that stakeholder engagement is crucial for navigating complex organizational environments, since it helps to build trust and leverages diverse perspectives, leading to more robust and adaptable strategic outcomes.In summary, this model indicates that independent variables collectively explain a significant portion of variability in the dependent variable.As presented in Table 13 above, Sig.(Significance Level) is very small (0.000) indicating that the regression model is statistically significant.The Anova table suggests that the regression model which includes the predictors (monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, management roles, budget allocation and stakeholders engagement) along with the constant term are statistically significant in explaining the variance in dependent variable (regulatory performance).As presented in table 4.19 above, these coefficients represent the relationship between the predictor variables(stakeholders engagement, budget allocation, management roles and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms) and the dependent variable (regulatory performance).The outcomes indicate that predictors positively influence regulatory performance.This finding was in line with Coglianese (2012) who noted that factors such as budget allocation, management role and stakeholders engagement are key aspects that need to be prioritized in performance of regulatory institutions.From the results of Table 4.18, the results of the regression model would therefore be represented as follows: On the other hand, coefficient for stakeholders engagement is 1.132 meaning that for each unit increase in stakeholders engagement, regulatory performance was expected to increase by 1.132 units holding other predictors constant.Its p-value is 0.004 suggesting that stakeholders engagement is statistically significant in predicting regulatory performance.Besides, coefficient for budget allocation was 1.173 meaning that each unit increase in budget allocation influences increase of regulatory performance by 1.173 units holding other predictors constant.Notably, its p-value (Sig.) was 0.043 indicating that budget allocation was statistically significant in predicting regulatory performance.Management role coefficient was 1.692 which meant that each unit increase in management role would influence increase of regulatory performance by 1.692 units.Importantly, its p-value (Sig.) was 0.000 indicating that management role was highly statistically significant in predicting regulatory performance.
Lastly, the coefficient for monitoring and evaluation mechanisms was 1.046 which indicated that each unit increase in monitoring and evaluation mechanisms would increase regulatory performance by 1.046 unit when holding other predictors constant.The p-value (Sig.) was 0.026 indicating that monitoring and evaluation mechanisms was statistically significant in predicting regulatory performance.

Conclusions
The study draws a number of conclusions from its findings.On the aspect of stakeholders' collaboration in strategic plans implementation and its impact on performance, it was determined that these regulatory institutions were moderatively engaging stakeholders in implementation of strategic plans.This was done through moderately involving stakeholders' input in implementation of regulatory policies and initiatives.Notably, it was established that there existed challenges or barriers that hindered stakeholders' collaboration.These included resource constraints, competing interests, lack of trust, power imbalance, communication issues, organization culture and resistance to change were part of the challenges that hindered engagement of stakeholders by regulatory institutions in implementation of their strategic plans.These challenges or barriers needed to be addressed to have effective stakeholders' engagement to improve implementation of strategic plans by these regulatory institutions.Thus, it was concluded by the study that regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County were moderately engaging their stakeholders in implementation of strategic plans.Significantly, there existed a number of challenges that hindered stakeholders' collaboration in strategic plans implementation by regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.
On examining influence of budget allocation on implementation of strategic plans and performance of regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County the study established that the allocated budget were averagely aligned to the strategic plans goals and initiatives.This meant that all the set objectives under strategic plans by these regulatory institutions could not be supported by the allocated budgets.Therefore, the study concluded that there was moderate allocation of budget on implementation of strategic plans.As a result, there is need for program based budget to be adopted by regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County to ensure that key programs and activities as identified by the strategic plans are able to be catered for in budget allocation.
Besides, on determining management role in implementation of strategic plans in regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County, it was established that the management in these institutions were only communicating strategic vision and goals to employees at a moderate extent.In addition, there were deficiencies of skills capacity in certain areas in the implementation of strategic plans.Notably, organizational culture exhibited in these regulatory institutions were not ideal to promote innovation and support positive strategic thinking.Hence, the study concluded that the management in these organizations could not effectively drive implementation of their strategic visions and goals.
Significantly, on evaluating the influence of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms on achieving goals of regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County, it was determined these mechanisms were not well entrenched in these insititutions.Therefore, there was need for improvements in monitoring and evaluation in the implementation of strategic plans by the regulatory institutions so as to help in meeting their set objectives since their monitoring and evaluation mechanisms were not effective.Moreover, there were challenges that hindered these institutions from achieving better regulatory performance which included budgetary constraints, resistance to regulatory reforms, political interference and influence, technical challenges, globalization and cross border issues, public perception and trust, legal and regulatory barriers.These challenges needed to be addressed to improve implementation of strategic plans and performance of these institutions.

Recommendations
The study's general objective was to determine influence of strategic plans implementation on performance of regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County.Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are suggested and if they can be adopted and implemented by these regulatory institutions, there will be better implementation of strategic plans that will in turn contribute to better performance of these institutions.
To begin with, the study recommends that regulatory institutions should set clear strategic goals and objectives.These strategic goals and objectives should provide a framework for decision making, prioritize strategic actions and resources and ensure that they are aligned to the strategic visions of these institutions.Aligned goals will help to have cohesive approach and contribute to synergies within teams.
Significantly, these regulatory institutions need to have clear communication strategy for their strategic goals, objectives and shared vision.Effective communication should be designed for all stakeholders to help them understand and appreciate the set goals, objectives and their key roles in attaining them.Imperatively, this communication should be linked to the departmental and individual objectives with the overall institutional goals.
Besides, the study recommends improvement of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms by these regulatory institutions.These regulatory bodies need to actively undertake monitoring and evaluation by having Key Perofmance Indicators (KPIs) in every strategic goal and objective that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound.As part of the monitoring and evaluation mechanism, there should be regular reviews of implementation of strategic plans milestones.
Whilst stakeholders engagement was determined to be at an average level in the regulatory institutions in Nairobi City County, the study recommends that these institutions should prioritize engagement of stakeholders throughout the implementation process.Achieving stakeholders buy in is critical in successful implementation of strategic plans.In engagement of these stakeholders, emphasis should be given to feedback mechanisms where these institutions should seek insights from their stakeholders and use them to make informed strategic decisions and improvements in the strategic plans implementation process.
Additionally, the study recommends allocation of adequate resources to regulatory institutions based on the programs set out in their strategic plans for effective implementation.Allocation of these resources should start with setting clear goals with clear expected outcomes.This will help to prevent waste of resources on programs that do not have strategic relevance to the strategic plans.In addition, in allocation of resources, prioritization of investment need to be considered to ensure that strategic plans with higher strategic value are given higher priority.

Y
= α + β₁X₁ + β₂X₂ + β₃X₃ + β₄X₄ + ε Where: Y = Dependent Variable (Regulatory Performance) α = Intercept β₁, β₂, β₃, β₄ = Coefficients (representing the Strategic Implementation on the Performance of Regulatory Institutions) X₁ … X₄ = Independent Variables (Stakeholder Collaboration, Budget allocation, Management role, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms) ε = Error Term and Evaluation MechanismsThis regression model indicates that holding all independent variables (stakeholders engagement, budget allocation, Management Role and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms) at constant zero, regulatory performance would increase at 31.126.