COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AFFECTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUBDISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATIONS IN SARABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) examine the level of effectiveness; 2) analyze community development and public participation that affected effectiveness; and 3) propose approaches to enhance the effectiveness of Subdistrict Administrative Organizations in Saraburi Province. A mixed - methods approach integrating quantitative and qualitative research was employed. The population consisted of individuals aged 18 years and above who had voting rights and were registered as household members within the Subdistrict Administrative Organization areas in Saraburi Province. Simple random sampling was employed, resulting in 400 respondents, while 20 key informants were purposively selected. The research instruments included a questionnaire for identifying statistical trends and in - depth interviews for exploring qualitative insights. The validity and reliability of the instruments were examined using the Item - Objective Congruence (IOC) index and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, were applied, along with multiple regression analysis using a statistical software package and qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed that: 1) the overall level of community development of the Subdistrict Administrative Organizations in Saraburi Province was high. Among the analyzed factors, the development of eco-industrial towns carried the most significant weight, while participation in evaluation had the least influence. 2) The variables-development of eco - industrial towns, participatory decision-making, strengthening community capacity, and sustainable green towns, as well as participation in evaluation - significantly affected the effectiveness of the Subdistrict Administrative Organizations at the 0.05 significance level. And 3) The study recommended that town development should emphasize ecological principles and agricultural enhancement to increase the value of products. However, without genuine and active public participation, a gap could arise between local authorities and citizens, potentially undermining the credibility and effectiveness of local administrative organizations.