On September 6th, 1999, Prime Ministry Chuan Leekpai in his capacity as the Chairman of the National Social Policy Committee No. 2/1999 granted an approval for cooperation efforts among several agencies in order to promote community empowerment.
The Prime Minister stated that community empowerment is one of the strategies for national development aiming at the empowerment of the people from the grass root level to respond to the crisis as to develop their potential in solving problems for themeselves, their families and communities.
The meeting considered the progress of the aforementioned activities where the mobilization of cooperation efforts have been undertaken among public and private sectors nationwide.
The meeting considered several measures as follows:
1. Mobilize coordination efforts among ministries concerned on community empowerment plans and projects. The representatives from each ministry will undertake ttheir work in line with the community integration plan focusing on human-being as the centre for development as mentioned in the Community Empowerment Action Plan.
2. Public relations campaign must be launched to create understanding among central and local officials in all ministries concerning strategies, objectives and goals as well as implementation guidelines of the Community Empowerment Action Plan as to promote implementation participation efforts in the area.
3. Encourage thinking process adjustment for officials at every level by emphasizing people and community needs, instead of depending on agency guidelines which the Government Officials Potential Development Sub-committee was assigned tto undertake the followings:
1. Adding basic knowledge of integration development approach in every personnel training course of all agencies concerned in order tto support community empowerment.
2. Organizing training courses for core trainers and subsidiary trainers from concerned agencies in order to transfer knowledge of community empowerment to officials in all agencies.
3. Setting officials evaluation guidelines by using integration approach indicator to support community empowerment which will be developed as an indicator for officials promotion later.
4. The 1999 FY budget adjustment strategy to respond to the community needs. Departments and central agencies of 8 ministries were assigned to undertake responsibilities in administering budget decentralization for provinces to allocate resources to the areas. In this regard, the Community Empowerment for Response to Crisis Action Plan (CERCAP) Sub-committee, the Bureau of the Budget and the Provincial Development plan Sub-committee were assigned to implement the aforementioned tasks.
5. Campaign to promote people's participation in solving problems and in cordinating with stake-holders. The CERCAP Sub-committee and the Department of Public Relations were assigned to jointly formulate the Public Relations Action Plan.
6. Support the establishment of networks and work coordination within and between agencies and stake-holders in line with the CERCAP. The CERCAP Sub-committee and Thai Development Foundation were assigned to undertake these tasks.
7. Speedily set up development strategies to support community agencies. Non-government agencies will be established as to manage the community agencies in the areas of economic, social and community resources. In this regard, the Finance Ministry is now speedily considering to establish an appropriate government or non-government development agencies which will have an access to financial support from the government.
8. Monitor the implementation result in line with the Action Plan as to facilitate learning process which will efficiently create community empowerment process adjustment. The CERCAP Sub-committee and the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office were assigned for implementation through networking process among inspectors from the Prime Minister's Office and other ministries and departments.
--Development News Bulletin, National Economic and Social Development Board, Volume 14, No. 9 : September 1999--
The Prime Minister stated that community empowerment is one of the strategies for national development aiming at the empowerment of the people from the grass root level to respond to the crisis as to develop their potential in solving problems for themeselves, their families and communities.
The meeting considered the progress of the aforementioned activities where the mobilization of cooperation efforts have been undertaken among public and private sectors nationwide.
The meeting considered several measures as follows:
1. Mobilize coordination efforts among ministries concerned on community empowerment plans and projects. The representatives from each ministry will undertake ttheir work in line with the community integration plan focusing on human-being as the centre for development as mentioned in the Community Empowerment Action Plan.
2. Public relations campaign must be launched to create understanding among central and local officials in all ministries concerning strategies, objectives and goals as well as implementation guidelines of the Community Empowerment Action Plan as to promote implementation participation efforts in the area.
3. Encourage thinking process adjustment for officials at every level by emphasizing people and community needs, instead of depending on agency guidelines which the Government Officials Potential Development Sub-committee was assigned tto undertake the followings:
1. Adding basic knowledge of integration development approach in every personnel training course of all agencies concerned in order tto support community empowerment.
2. Organizing training courses for core trainers and subsidiary trainers from concerned agencies in order to transfer knowledge of community empowerment to officials in all agencies.
3. Setting officials evaluation guidelines by using integration approach indicator to support community empowerment which will be developed as an indicator for officials promotion later.
4. The 1999 FY budget adjustment strategy to respond to the community needs. Departments and central agencies of 8 ministries were assigned to undertake responsibilities in administering budget decentralization for provinces to allocate resources to the areas. In this regard, the Community Empowerment for Response to Crisis Action Plan (CERCAP) Sub-committee, the Bureau of the Budget and the Provincial Development plan Sub-committee were assigned to implement the aforementioned tasks.
5. Campaign to promote people's participation in solving problems and in cordinating with stake-holders. The CERCAP Sub-committee and the Department of Public Relations were assigned to jointly formulate the Public Relations Action Plan.
6. Support the establishment of networks and work coordination within and between agencies and stake-holders in line with the CERCAP. The CERCAP Sub-committee and Thai Development Foundation were assigned to undertake these tasks.
7. Speedily set up development strategies to support community agencies. Non-government agencies will be established as to manage the community agencies in the areas of economic, social and community resources. In this regard, the Finance Ministry is now speedily considering to establish an appropriate government or non-government development agencies which will have an access to financial support from the government.
8. Monitor the implementation result in line with the Action Plan as to facilitate learning process which will efficiently create community empowerment process adjustment. The CERCAP Sub-committee and the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office were assigned for implementation through networking process among inspectors from the Prime Minister's Office and other ministries and departments.
--Development News Bulletin, National Economic and Social Development Board, Volume 14, No. 9 : September 1999--