The Implementation of Strategic Planning in Public Organizations in Greece: The Case of e-EFKA

In a period of intense upheavals and volatility in the global environment (VUCAVUCA World world), shaped by phenomena such as climate change, technological advancements of the 4th industrial revolution, geopolitical conflicts and other mega-trends, the importance of strategic planning in modern organizations is crucial. This necessity concerns entities of all levels whether they operate in private or public sector and is closely related to achieving their sustainability and resilience. Many public organizations in Greece, in an effort to meet the contemporary challenges, regarding the above rapidly changing conditions, have attempted during the last decades an extensive reforming of their structure and operation, which is mainly based on the principles of New Public Management (NPM) including the practice of Strategic Planning. Nevertheless, the results of this effort are subject to debate and questioning. The present chapter aims to examine the implementation of strategic planning in the Electronic National Social Security Fund (e-EFKA), the central entity for providing insurance services in Greece. More specific the broader goal is to investigate the factors affecting the formulation and implementation of its strategic plan. The results of the survey revealed that although the existing institutional framework in Greece lays the foundations for the development and implementation of strategic planning in public organizations, a number of factors, such as centralized function, lack of participatory processes, absence of a relevant planning culture, trust deficits between political leadership and employees and lack of expertise, hinder the successful implementation of strategic planning in practice.