OPERATIONAL REVIEW PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF TRADITIONAL THAI MEDICINE WISDOM ACCORDING TO THE ROLE OF THE CENTRAL, PROVINCIAL REGISTRAR, 2020 – 2022

Abstract

The objective of this study is to review the implementation of the workplans of the projects that support the preservation and promotion of Thai traditional medicine wisdom according to the role of the central/provincial registrar during the period of 2020-2022 (B.E.2563-2565), through the mechanism of budget support from the Thai Traditional Medical Knowledge Fund, and are significantly important in accordance with the objectives of the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom Act of B.E.2542 (1999), which aims to protect and promote the use of Thai traditional medicine wisdom and herbs for the benefit of the public health system. The study employed methods of data collection, issue analysis, and evaluation from documents, including project reports, progress summary, and platforms to summarize the lessons learned from the central and provincial registrars' offices nationwide. The study also set guidelines for analyzing and evaluating project outcomes using the CIPP Evaluation Model which covers four factors – Context Evaluation, Input Evaluation, Process Evaluation, and Product Evaluation. The study found that the contextual evaluation of the workplans involved two primary activities: the development of the central/provincial registrar's office personnel capacity and the promotion of the use of Thai traditional medicine and herbs for health care. Furthermore, according to the input evaluation, there were personnel allocation, duration of operation, and budget allocation for each activity in every province. In terms of process evaluation, there was policy communication to organizational leaders and improvement of sub-activity operations. On the production evaluation’s side, the National Registrar Offices in all provinces nationwide have developed a registry of Thai traditional medicine wisdom, which comprised 22,381 Thai traditional medicine recipes and 364 Thai traditional medicine textbooks. Additionally, there were 1,117 records of utilizing Thai traditional medicine wisdom for community economic development, a registry of 13,696 Thai traditional medicine personnel, and 39 applications for personal rights to Thai traditional medicine wisdom. The budget support from the Traditional Thai Medical Knowledge Fund reflects the value placed on preserving and protecting Thai traditional medicine wisdom and the national heritage, and promoting the inclusion on the related World Heritage List to prevent loss and misuse, consistent with the objectives of the Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom Act B.E.2542 (1999).