Public administration based on the sufficiency economy philosophy

Abstract

 This qualitative research investigates public administration based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) of Thai public agencies in central and regional areas. Triangulation was adopted to collect both primary and secondary data. Primary data were obtained from in-depth interviews of top and middle management, focus-group discussions, and written answers to related questions from middle management, supervisors, and staff from 45 agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. The data were collected in Bangkok, and five provinces in each region. A systematic analysis was conducted using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The assessment results based on the Sufficiency Economy Model revealed that 34 agencies performed at the basic level of SEP (Partial Practice), while the remaining 11 agencies showed some aspects of this level. Generally, those 11 agencies showed a lack in the fourth dimension - change responsiveness. Besides revealing a basic level of SEP, some agencies showed performance in some aspects of the middle level of SEP (Comprehension), and a few aspects of the top level of SEP (Inspiration). To ensure that the work of every agency is based on the SEP, policymakers should formulate a master plan to guide implementation.