Methodology for Enhancing Area-Based Poverty Alleviation Mechanisms: a Case Study of The Sustainable NaimNgao Area Development Coordination Center of Mae Suat Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Sop Moei District, Mae Hong Son Province

Abstract

This research aimed to (1) examine the methodology for enhancing local-based poverty alleviation mechanisms, and (2) synthesize a model for developing institutional mechanisms to drive area-based poverty alleviation, using a case study of the Sustainable Shadow Area Development Coordination Center in Mae Suat Subdistrict, Sop Moei District, Mae Hong Son Province. This study employed a qualitative research approach based on Participatory Action Research (PAR). The population and sample consisted of key informants selected through purposive sampling, including 12 members of the coordination center committee, 12 members of the Subdistrict Administrative Organization, 4 relevant officials, and 4 representatives of community enterprises, totaling 32 participants. Research instruments included in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and lesson-learned extraction through the PAR process. Data were analyzed using content analysis combined with interpretive synthesis.

The findings revealed that poverty in Northern Thailand, with a population of approximately 12 million, is particularly severe in Mae Hong Son Province, which has the highest poverty rate at 25.26 percent. Contributing factors include spatial constraints such as the predominance of conservation forest areas, mountainous terrain, overlapping land-use rights between protected areas and agricultural land, limited access to public services, and its borderland context. These conditions reflect how local ways of life are constrained under conventional definitions of poverty, despite the existence of rich indigenous knowledge and cultural capital among ethnic communities. In particular, the physical settlement patterns, such as satellite hamlets located outside formal state administrative boundaries, significantly influence livelihood conditions. Addressing these constraints requires strengthening local mechanisms. Accordingly, the research process emphasized empowerment of local actors through participatory research practices, reflective learning, data management, and the utilization of data in process design, including After Action Review (AAR), as a methodology for developing area-based mechanisms. Furthermore, collaboration among development partners enabled the application of knowledge and lessons learned to advocate for decentralization policies and legal frameworks, support local ordinance formulation, and inform planning processes. This led to the establishment and upgrading of a sustainable shadow area development coordination center as an institutional mechanism for poverty alleviation. The mechanism integrates data systems, geographic information systems (GIS), and the five livelihood capital assets within the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, alongside strategies to create shared spaces and foster multi-stakeholder collaboration in designing locally grounded poverty alleviation mechanisms.