Recently, Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board and Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the World Bank Jointly organized a seminar entitled New Approach to Rural Development in Thailand at the Rose Garden Hotel Sampran District, Nakhon Pathom Province. Mr Thamarak Karnpisit, Chief Executive Planning Advisor, Office of the NESDB is the Chairman of the seminar which consisting of 150 representatives from 8 major Ministries, academicians, Private development agencies, community leader and international agencies.
Mr.Komol Chuabchuenchom, Deputy Secretary-General of NESDB elaborated on the objectives of the seminar that because the economic crisis has abruptly and severely carsed an impact on rural peoplt who have to encounter with several problems, while the budget for rural development was cut. The World Bank with the interests in rural development, cooperated with the Thai government to conduct a report entitled Report on New Approach to Rural Development in Thailand. Then the seminar was organized to gather ideas and suggestions concerning plan, project and strategy for rural development management consistent with community needs in order to make a rural development plan summary for the Ninth Plan as well as the cooperation framework between the Thai Government and International Agencies.
Later Mr. Thamarak Karnpisit, Mr. Kerk keating, representative of the Australian Ambassy in Thailand and Mr. Jeffry Fork, Director of Rural and Natural Resource Development of the World Bank participated in delivering a lecture. Mr.Thamarak said that this report is consistent with new approach to national development by strengthening local community agency, area development, city and rural development cooperation as well as natural resource and environmental adjustment for sustainable development. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the strengthening of community agency differs from that that of the community. In this regard, every dimension of the surrounding must be arranged to paralled support the strengthening of community agency and commnity. Moreover, a clear understanding on integrated development with human-being as the centre for development and indicator for the success of rural development implementation process must be emphasized.
Later is the special lecture on Renewing Rural Development in Thailand-Key Elements of Strategy by Dr.Louis scra and the lecture concerning 6 areas of the new paradign for rural development strategy in Thailand as the followings:
1. Supporting of community participation : Community role and participation in national development are divided into 3 different periods; namely, 1.During the First-Seventh Plan period agencies who designated the development strategies. 2.During the Eighth Plan period which the community participated more in the develpment process and 3. During the Ninth Plan period which the community is expected to be the focal point or designation of several required plans and projects. These plans and projects will be implemented by the community and the public sector acts as the coordinator.
2. Natural resource management: Natural resource implementation policy and plan under the 8th Plan must be restated in the Ninth Plan since very very small number of projects have been implemented. Furthermore, several measures must be formulated for natrural resource development.
3. Increasing agricultural production efficiency : Technology and research development guidelines must clearly be designated for upgrading production efficiency. Moreover, development policy and measure designation must be condidered by diveding agriculturalists into 2 groups; namely, the poor and the progressive. These 2 groups need different policies and measures.
4. Employment outside agricultural sector snf rural enterprises : The government must take the role in supporting the community participation process as an essential strategy for creating an income outside agricultural sector based on people wisdom and local budget. The rural development guideline must be flexible to be in line with the problems and needs of each community especially in the area of technology development. Furthermore, development must be initiated from small project depending on community potential and promotion for people's selfrealization on participaation in national development without dependence on international loan.
5. Rural financial and credit development. The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives will not be interfered by the government and its only activity of crediting will be adjusted to several activities. The rural financial system development must be coordinated with other concerned criteria and it should be focused on quality more than quantity. Furthermore, the monitoring process must be undertaken by considering agriculturalists' living quality rehabilitation fund and their participations in setting rules and regulations and guidelines.
6. Administration strategy and plan and project framework : administration strategy must be adjusted for new paradigm to promote participation, social value, believes and sectoral and regional development. goals as to be in line with national development. The development guideline must be set as the package or the plan framework but it must not be designated from the central agencies which will led to inflexibility for solving community problem. The plan and project designation process must include public forum for community participation, development guideline designaion as well as monitoring and evaluation of progress result.
Suggestions for the Ninth Plan formulation are these 4 initiative task forces as follows :
1. Adjustment of idea conception for promotion of community to be the center and having government as coordinator.
2. Having appropriate administration strategy, public sector reform, vision initiative from the community level ad well as budget system reform to be in line with the community plan.
3. Creating learning strategy be stressing community owner as its learning objectives of community and supporting and supporting credit for development.
4. Promoting the formulation of community plan, indicator for community strength and clear monitoring and evaluation system. End
--Development News Bulletin, National Economic and Social Development Board, Volume 15, No. 1 : January 2000--
Mr.Komol Chuabchuenchom, Deputy Secretary-General of NESDB elaborated on the objectives of the seminar that because the economic crisis has abruptly and severely carsed an impact on rural peoplt who have to encounter with several problems, while the budget for rural development was cut. The World Bank with the interests in rural development, cooperated with the Thai government to conduct a report entitled Report on New Approach to Rural Development in Thailand. Then the seminar was organized to gather ideas and suggestions concerning plan, project and strategy for rural development management consistent with community needs in order to make a rural development plan summary for the Ninth Plan as well as the cooperation framework between the Thai Government and International Agencies.
Later Mr. Thamarak Karnpisit, Mr. Kerk keating, representative of the Australian Ambassy in Thailand and Mr. Jeffry Fork, Director of Rural and Natural Resource Development of the World Bank participated in delivering a lecture. Mr.Thamarak said that this report is consistent with new approach to national development by strengthening local community agency, area development, city and rural development cooperation as well as natural resource and environmental adjustment for sustainable development. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the strengthening of community agency differs from that that of the community. In this regard, every dimension of the surrounding must be arranged to paralled support the strengthening of community agency and commnity. Moreover, a clear understanding on integrated development with human-being as the centre for development and indicator for the success of rural development implementation process must be emphasized.
Later is the special lecture on Renewing Rural Development in Thailand-Key Elements of Strategy by Dr.Louis scra and the lecture concerning 6 areas of the new paradign for rural development strategy in Thailand as the followings:
1. Supporting of community participation : Community role and participation in national development are divided into 3 different periods; namely, 1.During the First-Seventh Plan period agencies who designated the development strategies. 2.During the Eighth Plan period which the community participated more in the develpment process and 3. During the Ninth Plan period which the community is expected to be the focal point or designation of several required plans and projects. These plans and projects will be implemented by the community and the public sector acts as the coordinator.
2. Natural resource management: Natural resource implementation policy and plan under the 8th Plan must be restated in the Ninth Plan since very very small number of projects have been implemented. Furthermore, several measures must be formulated for natrural resource development.
3. Increasing agricultural production efficiency : Technology and research development guidelines must clearly be designated for upgrading production efficiency. Moreover, development policy and measure designation must be condidered by diveding agriculturalists into 2 groups; namely, the poor and the progressive. These 2 groups need different policies and measures.
4. Employment outside agricultural sector snf rural enterprises : The government must take the role in supporting the community participation process as an essential strategy for creating an income outside agricultural sector based on people wisdom and local budget. The rural development guideline must be flexible to be in line with the problems and needs of each community especially in the area of technology development. Furthermore, development must be initiated from small project depending on community potential and promotion for people's selfrealization on participaation in national development without dependence on international loan.
5. Rural financial and credit development. The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives will not be interfered by the government and its only activity of crediting will be adjusted to several activities. The rural financial system development must be coordinated with other concerned criteria and it should be focused on quality more than quantity. Furthermore, the monitoring process must be undertaken by considering agriculturalists' living quality rehabilitation fund and their participations in setting rules and regulations and guidelines.
6. Administration strategy and plan and project framework : administration strategy must be adjusted for new paradigm to promote participation, social value, believes and sectoral and regional development. goals as to be in line with national development. The development guideline must be set as the package or the plan framework but it must not be designated from the central agencies which will led to inflexibility for solving community problem. The plan and project designation process must include public forum for community participation, development guideline designaion as well as monitoring and evaluation of progress result.
Suggestions for the Ninth Plan formulation are these 4 initiative task forces as follows :
1. Adjustment of idea conception for promotion of community to be the center and having government as coordinator.
2. Having appropriate administration strategy, public sector reform, vision initiative from the community level ad well as budget system reform to be in line with the community plan.
3. Creating learning strategy be stressing community owner as its learning objectives of community and supporting and supporting credit for development.
4. Promoting the formulation of community plan, indicator for community strength and clear monitoring and evaluation system. End
--Development News Bulletin, National Economic and Social Development Board, Volume 15, No. 1 : January 2000--