INTERGOVERNMENTAL NETWORKS IN THAILAND: THE INITIATIVE IN LAMPANG, KANCHANABURI, AND RAYONG PROVINCES Atchara Worasinchai A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Development Management) School of Public Administration National Institute of Development Administration 2011 ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation Intergovernmental Networks in Thailand: The Initiative in Lampang, Kanchanaburi, and Rayong Provinces Author Ms. Atchara Worasinchai Degree Doctor of Philosophy in Development Administration (Development Management) Year 2011 One of the important roles of local government in Thailand is “public service.” In the past, local governments there were limited to this role, but now the central government has delegated more functions to the local governments, which has resulted in local governments having more responsibilities than before. Moreover, some of their duties have become more complicated and difficult to manage, e.g., environmental and infrastructural management. The public service of local government can be improved by using various means; the encouragement of local government cooperatives is the most famous means for improving local government functions and has been used in many countries such as Japan, France, and England. In Thailand, the local government cooperative has still not been seriously applied because of the legal limitations and unsupportive laws and regulations in self-initiated cooperatives and in budget utilization for all cooperative activities. Therefore, there is no official local government, self-initiated cooperative in Thailand at present. Nevertheless, the Department of Local Administration (DOLA), the Ministry of Interior, has cooperated with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to conduct the Technical Cooperative Project on Capacity Building of Local Authorities through Local Government Cooperation and Local Public Standards with the support of Thammasat University. Three types of cooperative network (Pilot Cooperated iv Project), Garbage Management, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and Infrastructure Management, were assigned to Lampang, Kanchanaburi, and Rayong provinces as the pilot sites by the DOLA. These three Pilot Cooperated Projects (PCPs) were selected to study in this dissertation. Specifically, their background, characteristics, and nature were studied in deep detail. Moreover, the factors affecting the performance of the cooperative network were revealed by referencing both networking theories, Inter-Organizational Relationships (IORs), Transaction Cost Economics (TCE), the Social Science Perspective, Resource-Dependence Theory (RDT), Institutional Theory, and Leadership Theory, and through the direct interviewing of three provincial representatives. In addition, the pattern of interaction among the factors leading to the performance of the PCPs was discovered. Under the limitations in law and specific types of PCP assignments assigned by the DOLA, there are six factors affecting the performance of the cooperative network that are common needs among local residents: attitude among local residents toward the cooperative network, level of local residents’ participation, number of parties/actors involved in the cooperative network, orientation towards cooperative behavior, and leadership style. The match/mismatch between types of PCP assignment assigned by the DOLA and the common needs among local residents results in positive/negative attitudes among local residents toward the cooperative network. From result of this study, four parties/actors involved in the cooperative network and match between “democratic” leadership style and “cooperative” orientation towards cooperative behavior of local residents result the positive attitude among local residents toward the cooperative network. This positive attitude can be developed to high level of local residents’ participation in the cooperative network activities, which consequent to performance of Pilot Cooperated Project. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am heartily thankful to my supervisors, Assistant Professor Dr. Chandranuj Mahakajana, my co-supervisors, Associate Professor Dr. Pornpen Petsuksiri whose encouragement, supervision and support from the preliminary to the concluding level enabled me to develop an understanding of the subject. I would like to thankful to my committee chairperson, Assistant Professor Dr. Srisompop Jitpirsomsri, whose guidance and support to fulfill the complete thesis report. I would also like to thank all Local Government Organization representatives from all 3 provinces, DOLA representatives. They gave me a lot of helpful information to finish this thesis. I would have not finished this thesis without the support of my family who has always been there for me whenever I need them, the encouragement they give to keep me going and their love to empower me that never fails all the time. Thank you. Lastly, I offer my regards and blessings to all of those who supported me in any respect during the completing of the project. Atchara Worasinchai August, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Statement and Significance of the Study 1 1.2 Objectives of the Study 4 1.3 Scope of the Study 5 1.4 Definition of Technical Terms 6 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL 8 FRAMEWORK 2.1 Local Government Municipality: Tambon Administration 8 Organization 2.2 Pilot Cooperated Projects (PCPs) 12 2.3 Inter-Organizational Relationship Concept 13 2.4 Transactional Cost Economic (TCE) 14 2.5 Social Science Perspective 16 2.6 Networking Theories 18 2.7 Studies on Inter-Organizational Networks 25 2.8 Leadership Theories 27 2.9 Theoretical and Practical Implications 37 2.10 Conceptual Framework 40 vii CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 42 3.1 Research Method 42 3.2 Unit of Analysis 47 CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH FINDINGS 48 4.1 The Legal Environment, Unsupportive Laws and 49 Regulations for Self-initiated Cooperative in Thailand, Limitation of Budget Utilization in all Cooperative Activities, and Specific Types of Cooperative Assignments Assigned by the DOLA 4.2 Common Needs among Local Resident 58 4.3 Attitude among Local Residents toward the Cooperative 69 Network 4.4 Level of Local Residents’ Participation 72 4.5 Number of Parties/actors Involved in the Cooperative 76 Network 4.6 Orientation towards Cooperative Behavior, Leadership Style 80 and Match between Orientation towards Cooperative and Leadership Style CHAPTER 5 CONTRIBUTIONS 89 5.1 Theoretical Implication 89 5.2 Methodology Implication 90 5.3 Policy Recommendation Based on Findings 90 BIBLIOGRAPHY 91 APPENDICES 99 Appendix A The General Information of Kanchanaburi Province 101 Appendix B The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Pilot Cooperated 120 Project Appendix C The General Information of Plouk Daeng district, 137 Rayong Province Appendix D The Infrastructure Management Pilot Cooperated Project 161 Appendix E The General Information of Koh Kha, Lampang Province 178 viii Appendix F The Garbage Management Pilot Cooperated Project 194 BIOGRAPHY 221 LIST OF TABLES Tables Page 4.1 The Differences between 2 Models of MOU for Public Zoning 50 of Local Government Organization 4.2 The Various Infrastructure Activities Needed by all LGOs in 67 Plouk Daeng District, Rayong Province A1 The Summary of Basic Information and Potentiality of Four 119 LGOs in Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Management B1 Geographic Information of Four Parties/actors of 127 Disaster Prevention and Mitigation PCP B2 The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Capacity of Four 129 Parties/actors B3 Annual Supporting Budgets to DPM Network Center from 130 Four Parties/actors B4 Expenses of Activity Related to Fire Suppression Comparing 131 between LGO Performed by Itself and Performed under DPM Network Center C1 The Infrastructure Activities of the Eight LGOs in 159 Plouk Daeng District C2 Infrastructure Management Capability of Eight LGOs in 160 Plouk Daeng District D1 The Geographical Information of Eight LGOs in 167 Plouk Daeng District D2 The Durable Articles Owned by Eight Parties/actors of 168 Infrastructure Management PCP D3 The Allocating Budget of IM Network Center 169 x E1 The Detail of Area’s Size, Administrative District and Population 180 in Koh Kha, Lampang in Year 2005 E2 Personality Information of Koh Kha Tambon Municipality 183 E3 Personality Information of Sala Tambon Administrative 186 Organization E4 Personality Information of Ta Pha Tambon Administrative 189 Organization E5 Personality Information of Koh Kha Tambon Administrative 191 Organization E6 Garbage Management Capability of four LGOs in Koh Kha, 193 Lampang F1 The Geographical Information of Four LGOs in Koh Kha, 201 Lampang F2 Garbage Information in Koh Kha, Lampang 202 F3 The Supporting Budget for the GM Network Center 204 F4 Income of Baan San Tor Waste Bank from Selling Recyclable 210 Waste F5 Total Waste Quantity of each LGO in Kho Kha, Lampang 215 LIST OF FIGURES Figures Page 2.1 Conceptual Framework 41 3.1 Conceptual Framework 46 4.1 The General Pattern of Interaction among Six factors Affecting 48 Performance of Pilot Cooperated Projects (PCPs) 4.2 The Difference of the Responsibilities of the PCP Network Center 53 Executive Committee between the 1st and 2nd Model of the MOU 4.3 The Budgetary Management in the 1st Model of MOU for 55 Public Service Zoning of LGOs 4.4 The Budgetary Management in the 2nd Model of MOU for 55 Public Service Zoning of LGOs