The Impact of Strategic Planning in Palestinian Municipalities on the Quality of Service Provided to Citizens: Jenin Municipality Case Study رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of strategic planning in Palestinian municipalities on the quality of service provided to citizens: Jenin municipality case study. Secondary and primary data were applied in this study. Secondary data was obtained by reviewing journals, books, bulletins, textbooks, scientific articles, newspapers, periodicals etc. Primary data was collected by a specific questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed in (45) items divided into three main sections. The first section contained the personal information, the second section consisted of (15) items represented the strategic planning factors, while the third section contained (30) item represented the dimensions of the quality. The questionnaire was sent to seven evaluators to evaluate each item/question and its consistency to reach the main objectives of the study. A random sample was chosen according to Steven K. Thompson's formula. One hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were distributed to the employees of Jenin municipality, one hundred and fourteen (114) questionnaires were retrieved and (6) cases were (missing cases). The researcher adopted SERVQUAL model in this study and made some adaptation on it to match the main objectives of the study. In order to answer the study main question: "what is the impact of adopting strategic planning in Jenin municipality on the quality of service provided to citizens in Jenin city?" the researcher followed the analytical descriptive approach and tested four main hypotheses which were clarified in the study. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in data analysis. The main findings showed that strategic planning has a positive VII relationship and significant impact on the quality of the service provided to citizens. The level of satisfaction of the quality of the service provided by Jenin municipality which was measured by the employees was moderate. There was a large gap in gender, males represented (85.1%) of the sample while females represented only (14.9%) and there was a significant difference between the employee’s answers on the quality of service dimensions due to their job title. The researcher recommended Jenin municipality to promote quality culture and encourage employees to participate in continuous improvement processes and opportunities for creativity and innovation; involve women and youth in the work at all levels of administration in the municipality; strengthen awareness of the role of strategic planning among municipality employees in improving the quality of service provided; Jenin municipality vision should take into account the capabilities and efficiencies available in the municipality and the expected obstacles and provide its service at the time they promise; furthermore, the municipality must give more attention in dealing with citizens' complaints as transparently as quickly as possible and follow the citizens' comments with seriousness and interest.