This study investigated the levels of involvement of educational stakeholders in preparation of strategic plans for organizational performance in public secondary schools in Arusha Region. The study utilized McKinsey 7s Model which was created by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman in the 1980’s. The reviewed literature indicated low level of involvement of educational stakeholders in the preparation of strategic plans. The study employed convergent research design under mixed research approach. The target population involved 163 public secondary schools, 978 student leaders, 4694 teachers, 163 heads of schools, seven DCSQAOs, and seven DSEOs. Probability and non-probability sampling procedures were employed to determine the study sample of 16 schools, 16 heads of schools, 469 teachers, 98 student leaders, six quality assurance officers and six DEOs, making a total of 595 respondents. The instruments used to collect data were questionnaires, interview guides, focus group discussion guides and document analysis guides. The quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially in frequencies, percentages, means, and presented in tables and interpreted in relation to research questions. The qualitative data were analyzed by coding contents into themes, interpreting direct quotations and presented in narrative form. The findings revealed that in most schools there was moderate level of involvement of educational stakeholders in preparation of strategic plans. The study concluded that heads of schools involved a few stakeholders in preparing strategic plans and left out most key stakeholders. The moderate involvement of stakeholders made stakeholders not owning the strategic plans leading to low morale for implementation hence poor organizational performance. The study recommended that the heads of schools should adequately involve stakeholders in the preparation of strategic plans so as to enhance ownership of strategic plans.
Keywords: Organizational Performance, Stakeholders, levels of involvement, strategic plans
