This paper analyses the strategic planning process in the Malawi public sector so as to ascertain whether it has the potential to spearhead and sustain reform in the sector. Internationally, when strategic planning and management was introduced in organisa$-$ tions in $1950$s$,$ the private sector fully embraced it as an essential organisational tool whilst public sector organisations completely ignored it and solely relied on national constitutions, laws and other strict regulations and procedures $($Nartisa et al$.2012).$ When cost cutting measures and a quest for efficiency in the public sector became apparent through New Public Management $($NPM$)$ reforms, the rationale for strategic planning in the public sector was considered a priority. The temptation has always been to copy and paste practices from the private sector into the public sector domain. Although it is often argued that since the introduction of NPM $$the greatest teacher of public administration is private sector$,$ it is not necessarily true that strategic planning approaches in the public sector have to conform to those applicable in the private sector because these organisations still operate in different environments $($Nartisa et al$.2012$: $241).$ Apart for the quest for reform, one of the reasons for adopting strategic planning in the public sector was a response to unpredictability in the environment which most public sector organizations faced in the late $1970$s $($Johnsen $2015).$ In this case, the change in the environment meant that some of the traditional planning models such as the Planning, Programming and Budgeting system $($PPBS$)$ were no longer deemed relevant $($Table $1).$

The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II $($MGDS$)$ acknowledges the importance of the public sector hence in sub$-$theme four on $$Public Sector Management$,$ the strategy mentions that its goal is $$to deliver services to the public in an efficient, demand driven and effective manner$$ and one of the expected outcomes is $$Enhanced implementation of Public Sector Reform programmes$($GoM $2011$:$68).$ Strategic planning is a core tool in this reform package and currently the Department of Human Resource Management and Development $($DHRMD$)$ plays a leading role in guiding Ministries in the process. Within the identified theoretical framework, this paper firstly analyzes DHRMD in relation to the strategic planning process and link this process to its potentiality to bring about positive changes in the sector. Secondly, the paper examines the extent or practicality to which strategic plans are interrelated to performance of employees in the sector.

Several studies have confirmed that public sector reform in Malawi is facing numerous challenges or even failing $($Kayuni $2013$; Tambulasi and Kayuni $2013$; Tambulasi $2010$; Tambulasi $2009$ and Tambulasi $2007)$ but these studies have mainly focused on elements of reform and not the framework itself which this paper alludes to strategic planning process. Strategic planning is envisioned as setting the pace and tone of the reform process because it integrates the human, structural and other organisational resources in a focused manner $($Kriemadis and Theakou $2007$ and Nartisa et al$.2012).$ This entails that failure in strategic planning leads to failure of the whole reform process itself. Kriemadis and Theakou $(2007)$ argue that a model that guide strategic planning in the public sector need not be uniform because public sector organisations are not the same and any strategic model or approach $$should acknowl$-$ edge the key differences that exist in that sector$.$ What has been observed in most public sector planning process, including Malawi, is that they tend to follow the exact In a single Word document, minimum $7$ full pages $($not including cover page and citations$),$ using appropriate APA, answer the following questions using the week's reading materials and video to guide your responses. Use the questions as section headings.

$1.$ Identify the most important elements in this case study.

$2.$ Identify the key issue or issues one must consider when creating a strategic plan.

$3.$ How would you use use this case study to solve an operational problem. Identify the problem and discuss your solutions and recommendations?

$4.$ Building on your response to question $3,$ create and insert a process improvement model $($using actual or fictional data$)$ that optimizes operational yield. To demonstrate effective analytical skills, explain how you would communicate your results to senior leadership.