Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine the factors affecting the effective implementation of Early
Childhood Development policy in Narok central division. The specific objective of the study was; to establish the various
challenges affecting the effectiveness in ECD policy implementation. The target population consisted of 282 teachers and
managers and 6 DICECE officers. 94 of the respondents were ECD managers, 188 ECD teachers, and 6 DICECE officers
in the division. The sample size of the study was 172 respondents who were randomly selected from the study population.
The study used a questionnaire which was developed based on the study objectives. Reliability coefficient of the
questionnaire was tested and it was established at a coefficient 0.7, which was accepted as appropriate for the study. The
data collected was summarized and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study results
revealed that the factors that affected the implementation of the policy were lack of appropriate skills, knowledge and
resources to support the implementation of the policy. The study concludes that for effective implementation of ECD
policy there is need for the teachers and the managers to get the right professional training in ECD. The DICECE staff
must ensure that the curriculum is well defined to accommodate all elements of the implementation process. The research
findings are beneficial to all the ECD managers, the teachers and the ministry of education as a whole as it sheds light on
policy issues that affects the management of the ECD programmes. The study recommends that further research be done
with a larger sample to establish whether similar results can be obtained.