Integrated Strategic Plan Development for Local Development of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization

Abstract

Background and Aims: One factor in effective public sector strategic management is having a good starting point, which is a public sector strategic plan that is appropriate for both internal and external environments of the organization. The components of the public sector strategic plan should be consistent and harmonious to support each other. Most importantly, the strategic plan must be clear. This research has the following objectives: (1) to study the origin and current situation of the process of developing an integrated strategic plan for local development of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization; (2) to study the problems and solutions in the implementation of the integrated strategic plan for local development of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization; and (3) to study the guidelines for developing an integrated strategic plan for local development of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization to other provincial administrative organizations.

Methodology: The researcher has defined the research methodology into 4 methods as follows: (1) Document Study is a study of reviewing textbooks, documents, and various academic articles, such as academic textbooks in both Thai and English, research reports, theses, academic documents, documents from related agencies, such as official documents, annual reports, and various statistics related to the development of the strategic plan of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization, etc. (2) In-depth Interview is a study of creating an interview guideline according to the specified conceptual framework to collect data from key informants under the context of good interactions between key informants and the researcher. (3) Observation is an observation of various activities related to the management of income-generating academic services of state-controlled universities that are models for research, such as meetings, group discussions, and the performance of related personnel, etc., using Non-Participant Observation. In each observation, the researcher has a formal request for permission to proceed with the work. (4) A Focus Group is a study of key issues by the researcher to provide key informants to the meeting, so that the meeting can jointly provide information. Comments and discussions on key issues that researchers submitted to the meeting, which are relevant to the development of an integrated strategic plan for local development of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization.

Results: Research results: (1) The origin of the integrated strategic plan for local development of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization comes from the top-down level TDI (Top-Down Innovation), which has an important origin from the Provincial Administrative Organization Act of 1997, Chapter 4, Powers and Duties of Provincial Administrative Organizations, Section 45, and the Ministry of Interior regulations. It's called the 2005 Plan Regulations, Amendment No. 3, B.E. 2561. (2) Problems in implementing the integrated strategic plan for local development of Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization include the following: (2.1) Lack of integration of joint plans of local administrative organizations in driving operations and coordination in planning. (2.2) There is duplication of problems that local administrative organizations submit to their agency plans. (2.3) The budget for project implementation cannot be used within the specified period due to overlapping missions and responsibilities. (2.4) The volume of the plan is too large to allocate an adequate budget. (2.5) Authority and responsibility cannot be performed due to a lack of own area. (2.6) The period of the local administrative organization plan and that of the province are not consistent. (2.7) Relevant laws are not up to date. (3) Problem-solving guidelines. The details are as follows: (3.1) There is a main coordinating agency for coordinating plans. (3.2) Set clear criteria and guidelines for integrating activities, plans, and projects under the authority of the provincial administrative organization. (3.3) Amend regulations because local governments must follow the Ministry of Interior, which requires local administrators to be empowered to adjust plans to align with strategies at all times. (4) Development guidelines include: (4.1) Executives must have a clear vision and policies to drive proactive work. (4.2) Accelerate network work for continuous, efficient academic cooperation by sharing resources. (4.3) Support and develop information systems to create easy-to-use, systematic connections. (4.4) Establish a system for screening and checking plans of each local administrative organization before coordinating them into the provincial administrative organization plan clearly and carefully.

Conclusion: The study emphasizes that a top-down strategy based on legislative frameworks is the source of Nakhon Ratchasima's integrated strategic plan for local development. However, obstacles, including poor coordination, financial limitations, and antiquated laws, make it difficult to put into practice. While development strategies prioritize leadership vision, resource-sharing networks, and enhanced information systems, solutions include improving coordination, updating rules, and increasing planning efficiency.