Decentralized development management project

Local entities will implement the project under the direction of the RTG"s Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation and its Employment Generation Program (EGP), the national program to finance local development. The EGP"s allocation system will be strengthened to ensure that the downward flow of funds is not hindered by bureaucratic concerns. In addition, studies will be conducted to develop an index of poverty in rural Thailand for use in allocating resources between amphoes (districts) and tambols (townships). Equity-based criteria, e.g., regarding the use of local contractors and labor-intensive methods and promoting local participation in subproject (SP) selection/approval, will be developed for SP"s at the amphoe and tambol levels. To build planning and management capabilities at the tambol level, multi-year Tambol Improvement Plans will be developed, and a design and construction manual for the most commonly undertaken types of SP"s will be produced and taught to 2,600 tambol and amphoe leaders. To build a capacity at the amphoe level to provide technical support and SP coordination to tambols, one general engineer and one engineering technician and limited support personnel will be assigned to each of the project"s 10 districts. Also, a fund to ensure operation and maintenance of existing tambol SP"s will be created according to a yet to be formulated plan. Finally, participating tambols will receive capital through the EPG to improve and extend existing SP"s and to create 3,100 new SP"s which will be chosen by the participating tambol, short-term (6 months), labor-intensive, and serve the public good (e.g., rural road extensions, small fish ponds, and community grain storage facilities). Project target areas at present are 97 tambols in the Northeast, the country"s poorest and most underdeveloped area; beneficiaries will be 100,000 households (665,000 people) in 10 districts of five provinces. A key project assumption is that the RTG maintain a decentralized program to channel funds to local governments to finance locally planned and managed development activities.