Strategy for Creating Community Plans with Community Participation in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) examine participatory community planning strategies in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province and 2) propose appropriate participatory community planning strategies suited to the local context of the province. A mixed-methods research design was employed, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative component targeted residents of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, with a sample of 400 participants selected through proportional stratified sampling. The qualitative component involved 30 key informants, including community leaders, representatives of provincial agencies, and experts in community development. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire measuring public participation in participatory community planning across six dimensions: information perception, developmental thinking, decision-making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and benefit realization. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.

The findings revealed that (1) the overall level of public participation in participatory community planning in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province was moderate. Among the six dimensions, developmental thinking recorded the highest mean score, whereas benefit realization showed the lowest. This indicates that while community members had opportunities to express opinions and propose development ideas, they had limited access to tangible outcomes from the implementation of community plans. (2) The proposed participatory community planning strategy should emphasize the systematic development of public participation throughout all stages of the planning process, including information access, joint analysis and decision-making, plan implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and benefit realization. The key contribution of this study is a participatory community planning process model that integrates citizen participation, plan and strategy formulation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. This model can be applied to the development of community plans in other areas with similar socio-contextual characteristics.