Dr. Savit Bhothivihok, Minister of the Prime Minister's Office, presided over the preparatory meeting on "Recruiting Members of National Economicand Social Advisory Council" on December 21, 200 at the Prince Palace Hotel, Bangkok.
The Minister of the Prime Minister's Office stated that the Meeting for Recruiting Members of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council (NESAC) was held in accordance wth the National Economic and Social Advisory Act which had been announced in the Royal Gazette and been effectives since Decrmber 19,200. This was in line with the Constitution section 5, article 89 that indicated Thai people were requested to participate in national administration with regard to transparency and fairness.
Dr. Savit also added that the Council would be another people's social mechanism that would indirectly examine the operations. Besides, it would ensure the completeness of the National Economic and Social Development Plans and other development plans after being approved by the council.
Mr. Sansern Wongcha-um, Secretary-General of NESDB, said that the NESAC would coordinate with the NESDB in decision making process for the government policies. The NESDB had performed as a think-tank in planning, data analysing and technical studying while the NESAC would be a mechanism of prople that was able to indicate the government how relevant of national development policies to the real situation as well as reflecting the needs of people so that they really benefited from the development.
The NESAC would be established within 180 days and the first duty would be giving recommendations on the Ninth Plan by taking at least 30 days or within the period the Cabinet assigned. The recommendations were eventually forwarded to the Cabinet as a combining part for consideration before launching the plan.
Mr. Chaiwat Wongwatansarn, Secretary-General of the State Council, spoke that the NESAC would be consisted of 99 members which wer selected from representatives of every groups those were:-50 persons from economic group, 19 persons from social group, 16 persons from resource base group and 14 persons from expert group. Economic group would be classified into 16 persons from agricultural sector, 17 persons from industrial sector and 17 persons from service sector. The diversification of representatives by area, occupation, sex and size of the enterprise was considered. The recruitment process were as followed:-
Stage I: The committee of 21 members for recruiting NESAC's members would be appionted. The Secretary-General of NESDB would act as a chairperson and other members were chosen from many organisations by sececting among themselves. The committee would set up criteria, methods and examining qualifications of nominees. They also appointed six sub-committees to be responsible for proposing a list of organisations who supposed to nominate their own representatives to NESAC.
Stage II: Those sic sub-committees would be classified into six sectors:- agriculture, industry, services, social sectro, resource base and academics. Each sub-committee would be consisted of 12 members who were representatives from public sector, educational institution, production institute, labour union, non-profit organisathion and mass media in the same proportion and would be responsible for proposing lists of organisations who had appropriate qualifications, really existed with current activities and had rights in nominating representatives.
Stage III: The delected organisations would nominate their representatives who volunteered to be members of the NESAC. Each sub-committee would, then, select some of representatives in the amount of threefold of the total of NESAC's members, as required by the law. The selected representatives would meet together and choose among themselves by method that provided to finally achieve the total of 99 members.
The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board organised a Seminar on "Coordination for Implementing the Ninth Plan" at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok on December 15, 2000. Director-Generals of all ministries, representatives from government planning agencies and state enterprises altogether 450 persons.
The objectives of this Seminar were presenting the draft of the Ninth Plan to participants in order to synthesise their ideas and recommendations for adjusting the draftand to supportimplementing agencies to formulate action plans relevant to the Ninth Plan which would be started in 2002.
The Seminar had a presentation session, a panel discussion and a general discussion as followed:-
Part I
Mr. Sansern Wongcha-um, Secretary-General of NESDB presented the drafted Ninth Plan which was emphasised on "sufficiency economy" as the main philosophy of national development, utilised the participation process of the people from every part of the society, and aimed at "sustainable development and wellbeing of all Thais" by using holistic approach with focusing on human centered development. The development should be balanced in economic, social, political and environmental aspects in order to bring happiness to all Thais, and be selfreiant and secure while maintaining Thai identity.
The Ninth Plan had main objectives of 1) poverty alleviation 2) economic rehabilitation for having stability and immunity 3) strengthening a foundation for sustainable development and 4)good governance. The man purpose of the Plan included reducing poverty, upgrading quality of life and having economic equilibrium. Three interrelated development strategies were formulated : strengthening societal foundation, adjusting economic structure to achieve a balance and creating a good governance.
Part II
A panel of distinguished speakers on "Coordination guidelines for implementing the Ninth Plan" were Khunying Dhipavadee Meksawan, Secretary-General of the Civil Service Commission; Miss Kusuma Kirdpoo, Deputy Director of the Bureau of the Budget; and Mr. Sansern Wongcha-um, Secretary-General of NESDB with Mr.Thamarak Karnpisit, Chief Executive Planning Advisor of NESDB as the moderator. The results of the discussion were summarised as followed:
1. Guidelines for Translating the Ninth Plan into action. The emphases were on the processes and the linkages of formulating action plans at every levels in order to deploy the Plan as a tool for development. These plans were formulated at 3 levels:-
Level I : Srategic Plans were formulated as the national development plan that was the Ninth Plan which was an indivative plan for overall development in five years. It had precise development guidelines that could translate into action plans at every levels.
Level II : Specific development plans / main plans / master plans concerned sectoral / specific issues that required collaboration of many agencies in formulating the plans by having NESDB, Office of the Civil Service Commission and the Budget Bureau functioned as the coordinating agencies. They had clearly details for action and were for five-year period.
Level III : Action plans were for every ministries and departments which were relevant to the strategies in the Ninth Plan with the participation of concerning agencies. They covered programs, projects, budget, financial sources, responsible agencies, priority, and monitoring and evaluating guidelines. The time frame was generally 1 to 3 years.
In translating the Plan into action, it should be considered that the government had limited resources to allocate for development in the next few years and to solve major problems which need to be urgently tackled during the Ninth Plan. Besides, the plans at each level should be responded to the objectives of the Ninth Plan.
2. Guidelines for restructuring public administration. In order to translate the Ninth Plan into action effectively, Secretary-General of the Civil Service Commission stressed on the following issues:
2.1 Change of the operational system in the governmental sector. This would depend on the design of organisation patterns that should be compatible. The operation should be adjusted from being specialised which might be suitable for some king of works or organisations to be more flexible and to use computer and modern technology as main tools. Human and equipment should aim at the capacity-building together with utilising modern equipment. Budget was the most important factor for the effectively operation. Controlling mechnaism was needed to monitor and examine the operation and it should be effective in order to solve problems immediately.
2.2 New strategies for public sector administration. The emphases were on quality, cooperation and satisfaction for people, who took such services, by adjusting mechanisms of operation within organisations to be more flexible,
- Deregulation of the personnel management system in the agency. The Office of the Civil Service Commission had guidelines for deregulating the personnel management in the public sector by assigning heads of agencies to be responsible for officials in the position of c1-c8 for the purpose of being able to adapt some positions relevant to the changing workload.
- Reorganisation. The Constitution provided opportunities for the agencies to restructure organisations in the process of merging or transferring some functions. At present, the Office of the Civil Service Commission, in cooperation with other government agencies, adjusted the procedure of operation in accordance with the Adjusting Roles and Activities of Public Sector Plan that was one part of Public Reform Program. The result-based management and international critieria for measuring results were applied.
- Change attitudes of government officials at all levels. The superiors should administer their subordinates as colleagues with equality and justice. Their capacities should be developed to make progress in the career along with changing their attitudes in work by using areas, function, and participation approach as well as changing working culture from individuals to be more coordinatid.
The Office of NESDB, the Office of the CivilService Commission and the Bureau of the Budget were coordinating agencies that utilised the mechanisms of coordinating work plans, financial plans, and personnel plans to facilitate the operation of every ministries and departments and to have horizontal coordination among related agencies.
3. Preparation of the financial plan for translating the Plan into action. Deputy Director of the Bureau of the Budget presented duidelines of adjusted budget system for implementing programs and projects under the Ninth Plan, in condition that public sector resources were limited.
3.1 Allocation of budget for 2002. The Bureau of the Budget coordinating with government agencies would review their roles and activities in order to be consistent with missions under strategies of the Ninth Plan and be more economised. The process would consider matters as followed:-
- Have to prepare deficit budget with the growth rate at 6 per cent because the debt payment of public sector would limit the expansion of in vestment in future.
- Stress on solving major problems in the country.
- Review the activities of all agencies by reducing or suspending unnecessary or duplicating projects in order to have resource utilisation.
3.2 Improvement of budget management system. The Bureau of the Budget coordinated with government agencies in formulating the action plans, which linked programs and projects, under limited resources. The improvement of budget management system during the Ninth Plan was as followed:-
- Emphasis on result-based budget management system by preparing budget programs relevant to the Ninth Plan. The medium-term budget programs should have expenditure forecast in advance for 3 years with regard to the budget utilisation for mainly increasing the efficiency. Moreover, the decentralisation in preparing and managing budget to implementing agencies should be done.
- Development of the financial management standardistion for government agencies that measures were provided by the Bureau of the Budget to improve the capacity building and upgrade the financial management of government agencies including budget planning, cost-benefit ratio, performance and financial report, budget control, internal auditing, asset management and procurement management. At present, seven government agencies were in this pilot projects and it would be implemented in all of the government agencies within the Ninth Plan period.
Part III
A general discussion concerning the strategies in the drafted Ninth Plan and guidelines for translating the Plan into action could be summarised as folowed:-
1. Adjustment of the substances for several development strategies in the drafted Ninth Plan was as followed:-
Strategy I : The development of human quality and social protection : Creating consciousness in morality and ethics should be focused by integrating these matters in the educational curriculum and stressing on learning process that would provide pratices since childhood.
Strategy II : Management of natural resources and environment : The participation of community and civil society in managing natural resources and environment should be strengthened, particularly taking part in consideration of prohibting the utilisation of resources in conserved forest areas, watershed and mangrove areas as well as designating land use for the purpose of natural resource conservation.
Strategy III : The strengthening of sciences and technology : It should be emphasised on educational personnel development in sciences and technology in conjunction with creation of enabling environment to facilitate and encourage the educational institutions' participation in developing potential and capacity-building of Thai people.
Strategy IV : Good Governance : It should be stressed on mproving and enforcing the law effectively. Furthermore, the implementation guidelines for improving operational system in public organisations that duplicated in many ministries, bureaus and departments should be provided.
2. Change management for translating the Plan into action and evaluation.
2.1 Adjusting roles of central agencies such as NESDB, Office of the Civil Service Commission and the Bureau of the Budget in coordinating with other agencies at all levels such as :-
- To determine criteria for coordinating work plans, financial plans and personnel plans.
- To improve budget systems at the central, regional and local levels in consistent with the approach of area, function and participation.
- To change management methods at the regional and provncial levels to be in line with the Ninth Plan strategies.
- To encourage team works and horizontal coordination among the concerning agencies.
- To have precise roles and activities of several agencies, particularly international affairs.
2.2 Coordinating the monitoring and evaluating system with the examining result of operation to be at the same standard and creating networks as well as adjusting database systems that linked to data collecting, management and modern technology using.
Development News Bulletin, National Economic and Social Development Board, Volume 16, No. 1 : January 2000 End.
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