2011 International Conference on Social Science and Humanity IPEDR vol.5 (2011) © (2011) IACSIT Press,

Local Community Participation in Public Administration Plan: An Empirical Evidence of Ratchaburi,

Assistant Professor Dr. Panornuang Sudasna Na Ayudhya Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University Bangkok, Thailand e-mail: panor_sudas@ bangkokmail.com

Abstract— The present study has the objectives to enhance the local community participation in reflecting the problems, II. STUDY OBJECTIVES making decision in local public administration plan and to The present study has the objectives as. promote the cooperation of related parties in local public • To enhance the local community participation in administration planning in the case study of Berkprai Sub- reflecting the problems, making decision in local District, Ban Pong District, , Thailand. public administration plan. The output of the study was the draft of community public • management plan in the 4 areas of community problems. The To promote the cooperation of related parties in local results was discussed in terms of the impact of the process and public administration planning. the further implementations. III. CONTEXT OF SELECTED COMMUNITY Keywords—community; participation; public administration Ratchaburi is one of the central . plan The province is full of cultural heritage, beautiful places, and historical sites. Ratchaburi covers 5200 square kilometers. It I. INTRODUCTION is located 80 kilometers west of Bangkok and borders. The population consists of Thai, Chinese, hill tribes, Mon, Lawa, With the importance of decentralization in the changing Lao and Khmer minorities. The province is subdivided into role of the public sector and the construct of the public 10 districts. Ban Pong District is the economic hub of administration in Thailand, it is a mechanism that enables the Ratchaburi. Nowadays, the town's economy depends much population, especially in the local community to participate on the industrious activities. With in the district, there are in the process of decision-making and planning. more than 400 factories, producing everything from jewelry Decentralization can be defined as the transfer of authority or to car parts. Berkprai is an important sub-district with 725 responsibility for decision making, planning, management, populations in 2009 and full of industrial and agricultural or resource allocation from the central government to its activities. district administrative units, local government, regional or functional authorities, semiautonomous public authorities, IV. PROCEDURE private entities and non-governmental private voluntary organizations [1], [2]. The present study was conducted in Berkprai Sub- However, according to the previous studies conducted in District, Ban Pong District, located in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand [3], [4] the results revealed that the participation of the central part of Thailand. The research procedure was local people in public administration plan need to be presented below. encouraged for the creation of an appropriate and conductive A. Population and Sample public plan in which can perform effectively. The research population was 135 households in Berkprai The present paper is aimed to shape the community Sub-District, Ban Pong District, Ratchaburi Province, participation in the public administrative plan in a local Thailand. community of Thailand. The selected community is Berkprai Samples consisted of 287 volunteered representatives of Sub-District, Ban Pong District, located in Ratchaburi all of population in Berkprai Sub-District, Ban Pong District, Province, the central part of Thailand. Ratchaburi Province, Thailand. The paper provides the study objectives and the overview of the context of selected community. The research B. Scope of Content methodology and the analysis of results will be provided The participation of the population and the sample later. Finally, the results of the community participation in included presenting the problems concerning the public the public administrative plan are discussed and administration in community and making decision in local recommended. public administration plan.

V1-495 C. Scope of Research Area V. OUTPUT Berkprai Sub-District, Ban Pong District, Ratchaburi In this section, the output of the process will be presented Province, Thailand. in the following. D. Research Process A. Present Community Problems in Public Administration. The community participation process of local population The results revealed that there are 4 types of problems was employed for this study. The principles of the process that the community would like to solve. are: • Infrastructure Problems as the inconvenience of a) Representatives of all people in the selected area transportation, water management in the rainy will be affected by decisions participate in the process; season, the lack of electricity and lights, especially on the roads, the lack of clean water, and the damage b) The process is designed by participant of water supply system. representatives; • Life Quality Problems as the lack of recreation c) Participants receive necessary information; places and activities, the lack of job opportunities, uneducated problem, especially in the young people d) The process is open and the results are publicized; and the children, the declining of traditional culture, e) Planning is clearly defined. the drug addiction, and the health problems. Two workshops and one meeting were held to set a • Social Security Problems as the individual security planning meeting of the representatives of populations. • Environment, Resources, and Investment Problems The first workshop was held with 287 participants in order as the waste from the factories and community, and to discuss the current public administration problems and the local art and cultural destroy. the problem solving strategies and activities. Then, the results of the first workshop were summarized. B. Public Administration Plan The second workshop was held with the 287 The public management plan was finalized from the participants to further consider and revise the draft community participation process was summarized in Table 1. strategies and activities of the first workshop.

A final meeting was held with the key participants TABLE I. PUBLIC MANAGEMENT PLAN finalize the draft public administrative plan. The research procedure was presented in Fig. 1 below. Problems Strategies/ Objectives Activities Infrastructure Problems Meeting 1. 1. To maintain The final draft public Inconvenience Reconstruction the administration plan of Projects for transportation Transportation damaged roads facilities and and bridges to expand the Second Workshop 2. Expanding the local To consider and revise the village roads and transportation. public administration plan bridges obtained from the first 2. Water 1. Rehabilitating To increase the workshop. management in existing efficiency of the rainy season infrastructure water 2. Developing a management. water First Workshop network/grid and To discuss the current the distribution public administration system problems and the problem solving strategies 3. Lack of 1. Improving To ensure electricity and more electricity sufficient and lights system and lights equitable 2. Developing electricity and the light lights for the To study the context of community resources in various basic accordance with needs. potential and Figure 1. The summary of research procedure

V1-496 TABLE I. PUBLIC MANAGEMENT PLAN (CONT.) TABLE I. PUBLIC MANAGEMENT PLAN (CONT.) Problems Strategies/ Objectives Problems Strategies/ Objectives Activities Activities needs of various 3. Uneducated 1. Enhancing To develop the activities, both in population educational qualified terms of quantity chances to every educational and quality with group of opportunity for due population the population. consideration of the environment 2. Empowering 4. Lack of clean 1. Preparing To ensure services in both water and the additional water sufficient and formal and damage of resources equitable informal water supply development water for the education system plan various basic 4. Declining of 1. Preparing the To promote 2. Studying and needs. traditional plan to promote the traditional setting water culture the traditional culture. allocation culture 3. Rehabilitating 2. Campaign to existing system. create awareness 4. Improving the of traditional management culture of system population about Life Quality Problems the necessity to 1. Lack of 1. Building the To promote conserve the recreation village the useful culture places and recreation center recreation 3. Setting up the activities and park activities in continuous 2. Promoting the free time. activities to recreation promote the activities in the traditional free time culture 2. Lack of job 1. Promoting the To develop the 5. Drug 1. Strengthening Participation opportunities various skills of addiction the role of family of community technical trained population, in drug in the tasks to the which are prevention protection of population appropriated drug addiction. 2. Making joint for the 2. Campaign to To create ventures between employment create awareness awareness of the private and to gain the of dangerous of the dangerous entities or support from drug usage to the of drug business and the private users and the addiction. schools or entities or community related business. 6. Health 1. Setting the To have a organization problems health care clear quality 3. Improving job To ensure the policy, plan and health care opportunity and income. activity with plan. income clear direction. 4. Enhancing 2. Engaging the private business related owners organization for health services

V1-497 TABLE I. PUBLIC MANAGEMENT PLAN (CONT.) TABLE I. PUBLIC MANAGEMENT PLAN (CONT.) Problems Strategies/ Objectives Problems Strategies/ Objectives Activities Activities Social Security Problems 2. The destroy 1. Promoting Participation 1. Individual 1. Promoting the To have the of local art and public awareness of public and security campaign of efficient culture and local neighborhood individual and understanding of organizations role in individual community the importance in the and community security and maintenance management security protection of local art and as ell as 2. Promoting the plan. culture acknowledgem activity and the 2. Campaign for ent of their training of public awareness responsibilities community of their for the security responsibilities maintaining volunteers for maintaining and conserving 3. Promoting and and conserving the local art supporting local the local art and and culture. organization to culture. be capable of prevention individual and C. The impact of the process community The impacts of the process were presented by the security representatives of the population as. Environment, Resources, and Investment Problems • 1. The waste 1. Promoting To ensure the The process created the awareness of community from the reducing the efficient plan problems to the population. • factories and waste and the for waste The problem solving was presented with the community reusing or management. participation of the population. • recycling of used They learnt how to make the public management material. plan themselves. • The process created the working network among the 2. Developing a related participants. recycling process • The cooperation among the shareholders in problem for factories solving was developed. 3. Strengthening Participation the capacity of of community VI. ROLES OF COMMUNITY IN ENSURING THE local in the waste DEVELOPMENT organizations management The results presented in the previous sections highlight and population to process. the roles of community participation in mastering their take care of public management plan, and implying to their master in activities community development. The local community through their affected to them population and organizations facilitate problem reflection, and the learning and collective actions to strengthen community environment. decision making and planning. The process of participation 4. Promoting empowers the community [5]. participation of The results highlighted the need of cooperative approach public and local in local development. The following steps could be followed organizations in in local development. the waste • Involving community participation in policy management development and implementation. process. • Promoting effective community networking. • Creating awareness, improving knowledge skills, changes attitudes in incorporating for all

V1-498 development activities and plans, especially in the grass root level. • There a need for paradigm shift in government in that development is an empowering process through which local people voice out their ideas and opinions, and making decisions on their development • Encouraging the cooperation of local community with their own wisdom in the development in different ways and aspects.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The research was supported by the Bureau of the Budget, Thailand, during 2009-2010.

REFERENCES [1] [1] D.A. Rondinelli, J.R. Nellis, and G.S. Cheema, “Decentralization in Developing Countries: AReview of Recent Experience”. World Bank [2] Staff Working Papers No. 581, Washington, D.C, 1983. [3] G.S. Cheema,.and D.A. Rondinelli (eds) (1983). Decentralization and Development: Policy Implementation in Developing Countries. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications. S. Phongphit, People’s Development: A Community Governance Tool. Thailand: UNDP South East Asia HIV and Development Projects, 2001. [4] S. Sukwong, Pred Nai (village) Community Forest, Huang Nam Khao Dustrict-Trad Province Thailand. unpublished. [5] United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Human Development Report 1994. New York:Oxford University Press, 1994.

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