FORECASTING THE OUTCOMES RESULTING FROM IMPLEMENTING POLICIES TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER TO REDUCE SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN THAILAND

Abstract

This article is part of a research study on strategies for sustainably reducing inequality in Thai society through the strengthening of local administrative organizations. The objective is to study the forecasting of outcomes resulting from the implementation of policies aimed at strengthening local government organizations. This research applied qualitative research methodology, utilizing focus group discussions as the primary research tool. The key informants include five experts and five stakeholders purposively selected from the community. Data analysis was conducted through content analysis.
The research findings indicate that the forecasting of outcomes can be categorized into three cases: 1) the forecasting of outcomes from granting financial autonomy to local governments means that when the central government decentralizes fiscal powers, including government spending and tax collection, it is anticipated that this will affect the efficiency of local administrative organizations and contribute to the well-being of the community. 2) The forecasting of outcomes from granting autonomy in local personnel management is expected to enhance work efficiency and improve the flexibility of political administration within local administrative organizations and among local civil servants or employees. 3) The forecasting of outcomes from promoting partnerships and networks between the government and local administrative organizations or between the private sector and local administrative organizations is expected to lead to better coordination. In other words, networks will help streamline inter-agency collaboration, reduce redundancy in operations, and increase the efficiency of utilizing limited government resources to benefit the local population.