FACTORS AFFECTING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE DEVEOPMENT PLAN FOR NAKHON PHANOM PROVINCE

Abstract

The objectives of this research were 1) to study the efficiency level of the development plan for Nakhon Phanom Province, 2) to study the factors affecting the efficiency of the development plan for Nakhon Phanom Province, 3) to analyze the context of the development plan for Nakhon Phanom Province, and 4) to study guidelines and suggestions for improving the efficiency of the development plan for Nakhon Phanom Province as a mixed-methods research. The sample group used in the quantitative research consisted of 141 people from the Nakhon Phanom provincial development plan committee and a qualitative sample of 12 people by using a purposive sample selection method. Data collection tools were questionnaires, interview forms, and focus group meetings with a reliability of .95. Statistics used in data analysis consisted of frequency distribution, percentage, mean and standard deviation, and hypothesis testing used Pearson's correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression. Moreover,interview forms, and focus group meetingswere analyzed by content analysis. The results of the research found that 1) the overall level of efficiency of the development plan for Nakhon Phanom Province was high level. 2)The factors affecting the efficiency of the development plan fir Nakhon Phanom Province with statistical significance at the .05 level, sorted by variables that affected variation in the dependent variables in the standard score format, highest to lowest, as follows: The concept of efficiency in preparing provincial development plans (X3 Beta = .320) and new public services (X4 Beta = .216). 3) The context of the provincial development plan included meetings of the provincial development plan committee and community meetings to listen to opinions from the people. 4) Suggestions included the provincial development plan, which was similar to a master plan that every organization in the province used as a framework for preparing various development plans. Surveying and listening to people's problems from the beginning led to systematic data analysis. Provincial development plans could point out targets for the central government to allocate budgets and develop key performance indicators to achieve common goals (joint KPI). The province needed to have good leaders, a good team, and a network to prepare plans at all levels, emphasizing integrated work in spatial areas to ensure the value chain was complete. The central government delegated authority to the provincial governors in the form of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The provincial development plan committee and planning officers were motivated for career advancement, and people were motivated to participate in the preparation of the provincial development plan from the beginning by creating a sense of love for their hometown.