ALIGNMENT OF ELDERLY’S OCCUPATIONAL SUPPORT POLICY FORMULATION: CASE STUDY OF THE OPERATIONS OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AT THE PROVINCIAL LEVEL

Abstract

The objectives of this research article were to study the policy alignment, the alignment in terms of budget and alignment in terms of understanding of public officials. Methodology was the qualitative research collected data from document and in-depth interviews with 16 officers at the government agencies at the provincial level under the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security in Singburi and Chainat Provinces. The findings were; 1. The annual action plans of the provincial government agencies were aligned with the goals of the annual action plans of ministries/departments. They were linked to the achievement of the goals and indicators of the master plan under the national strategy in form of top-down policy flow, 2. Budgets that were allocated according to the annual budget allocation strategy were adequate and enabled to achieve the set goals and 3. Officers had  understanding of related policies, actions plans, plans, projects and activities. However, top-down policy formulation and policy transfer were major obstacle.  The outcomes from driven policies did not comply with the context of comprehensive needs of the elderly in the areas.