Factors Influencing Strategic Information Systems Implementation In Government Parastatals: A Case Of Kenya Forest Service, Mau Forest Conservancy

Abstract

The operations of parastatals could be greatly enhanced by the wellfocused application of information systems to support improvements in productivity, management effectiveness and ultimately, the quality of services offered to citizens. Assessing the strategies of information systems (ISs) implementation has been identified as one of the most critical issues in IS field. However, studies relating to this issue within the context of kenyan parastatals are few and lack the ability to propose a major set of factors influencing the strategic IS implementation. The study sought to determine the influence of top management support, expertise, infrastructure and enduser training on strategic information systems implementation at Kenya Forest Service. The study adopted descriptive research design using a sample of 262 drawn from a population of 831 staff of the Kenya Forest Service, Head of Conservancy Mau selected using stratified and simple random sampling technique. Data was collected by questionnaires and analysed by descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that the relationship of top management support, expertise, end-user training and infrastructure explain a strong change in strategic information systems implementation. The study concluded that to ensure strategy is implemented as intended, senior executives must endevour to persuade the employees of their ideas and that IT professionals' technical backgrounds is critical both during the selection and acquisition of complex IT system and for the implementation of information system into adopting organizations.