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Ms.Werawan Tangkeo
Food and Drug Administration , MOPH
Thailand

The Problem

The United Nations Public Service Awards given by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations provide a good opportunity for various organizations to be recognized for their best practice and to disseminate their innovations in governance and public administration to a worldwide audience.
The Thai Food and Drug Administration believes the One Stop Service Center to be a unique service center in the world that provides health product services in one stop and to be worthy of a United Nations Public Service Awards. Prior to the advent of the center, companies and individuals wishing to conduct required business with the Thai FDA were obliged to visit the department in question. This process was both slow and costly for both customers and the departments. Economic development also meant increased business for the Thai FDA without commensurate increases in funding or manpower, placing a critical strain on its ability to serve the public. In response to this pressure, the government’s public services development strategy and the Royal Decree regarding good governance, the One Stop Service Center was established to facilitate anyone who needs to file documents related to health products with the Thai FDA.
Since the center was opened on 17 December 2004, it has enabled the Thai FDA to successfully fulfill its obligations to the public, satisfying between 300 and 400 customers every day.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
The Thai Food and Drug Administration established the One Stop Service Center to facilitate everyone who needs to file documents related to health products with the Thai FDA. The Thai FDA has developed and improved its working systems, for example, reduction of steps and time, dissemination of authority, improvement of rules and orders, use of information technology, improvement of facilities and training of personnel. A performance evaluation found that 80% of customers are satisfied with the services. Furthermore, the Thai FDA has organized a way for customers to make comments and complaints in order to gather information for continuous service improvement.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
Activity Duration
1. Project drafting October 2003
2.Budget proposal December 2003
3.Preparation of working system improvement January - November 2004
4.Training of personnel in services and use of automatic queue tickets June – November 2004
5. Building construction June – November 2004
6.Services trial November 2004
7. Official opening December 2004
Conclusion
1.Customers are satisfied at the more than satisfactory level.
2.There are a lot of requests for study visits from both domestic and oversea agencies.
3.An average of 300-400 customers per day use the services.
4.The Thai FDA extended the achievements to every province of the country by September 2006.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
In accordance with the Thai Bureaucratic Strategic Development Plan (2004-2007) And the Royal Decree regarding Criteria and Administration of Good Governance (2004), the Thai government adopted a public reformation policy. Under this policy, the public sector has to adjust its working procedures and methods to provide the most advantage to consumers. In this regard, the Thai Food and Drug Administration has developed its working system in various ways, for example, services improvement, step and time reduction, and rules and orders amendment to correspond with the evolving current situation. One such development was the establishment of the One Stop Service Center to provide services relating to health products (excluding psychotropic substances and narcotics).
The Thai FDA is responsible for monitoring the standards and safety of health products such as food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, hazardous substances, psychotropic substances and narcotics both the pre-marketing and post marketing phrase.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
1. To facilitate filing of documents related to health products by reducing procedures and speeding-up services for all steps such as submission of an application form, collection of a licenses and payment of a fee.
2. To reduce time and expense in contacting the public sector so as to enable customers to set their market plan and conduct their businesses rapidly, which affects the economic development of and brings prosperity to the country.
3. To create transparency and fairness in the services provided and to satisfy customers.
4. To facilitate applications for certificates by exporters of health products.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
The Thai Food and Drug Administration prepared the processes before opening the
One Stop Service Center as follows:
1.Budgeting
The Thai Food and Drug Administration included a proposal for the project in its 2004 budget and was approved the amount of $ 339,750 for constructing a building ($265,000) and facilities ($75,000) was approved.
2. Building and facilities
The building is at the first floor of the building of the Thai Food and Drug Administration and it has been designed and furnished in order to be an up-to-date office with full facilities.
3.Working system
The Thai FDA has improved its working system in order to increase service quality as follows:
1. Development, improvement and amendment of rules and orders to correspond with the evolving current situation and criteria for transparency and fairness to both customers and consumers.
2. Authorizing officers to enable them to approve some files for a rapid processing.
3. Development of rapid services by reducing the steps and time for 64 application procedures so that they can be processed in one day.
4. Production of 65 application manuals that are easy to understand.
5. Introduction of Information technology into the working system, for example, automatic queue tickets, downloadable application forms and e-submission of application forms.
6. Establishment of standard operating procedures for officers to perform to the same standards
4. Personnel
1. Development of personnel regarding the potency and efficacy of services for each product type with rapid and precise services and staff rotation.
2. Training of personnel to have a service mind and provide an impressive service.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The Thai Food and Drug Administration prepared the processes before opening the
One Stop Service Center as follows:
1.Budgeting
The Thai Food and Drug Administration included a proposal for the project in its 2004 budget and was approved the amount of $ 339,750 for constructing a building ($265,000) and facilities ($75,000) was approved.
2. Building and facilities
The building is at the first floor of the building of the Thai Food and Drug Administration and it has been designed and furnished in order to be an up-to-date office with full facilities.
3.Working system
The Thai FDA has improved its working system in order to increase service quality as follows:
1. Development, improvement and amendment of rules and orders to correspond with the evolving current situation and criteria for transparency and fairness to both customers and consumers.
2. Authorizing officers to enable them to approve some files for a rapid processing.
3. Development of rapid services by reducing the steps and time for 64 application procedures so that they can be processed in one day.
4. Production of 65 application manuals that are easy to understand.
5. Introduction of Information technology into the working system, for example, automatic queue tickets, downloadable application forms and e-submission of application forms.
6. Establishment of standard operating procedures for officers to perform to the same standards
4. Personnel
1. Development of personnel regarding the potency and efficacy of services for each product type with rapid and precise services and staff rotation.
2. Training of personnel to have a service mind and provide an impressive service.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
1. The internal structure has been modified to support the management of the One Stop Service Center through its inclusion in budget plans and proposals.
2. There are performance evaluations for continuous development.
3. There is transferability to develop the working system in every province of the country.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
1. There must be planning of service management of health products approval by
reviewing working procedure to steps and time.
2. There must be personnel development plans to support the working system reforms.
3. There must be construction of building to support service points work flow.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Food and Drug Administration , MOPH
Institution Type:   Government Agency  
Contact Person:   Ms.Piangruetai Saorumnee
Title:   Director of Public Sector Development Group  
Telephone/ Fax:   662 590 7403
Institution's / Project's Website:   662 590 7025
E-mail:   pear@fda.moph.go.th  
Address:   Public Sector Development Group, Food and Drug Administration
Postal Code:   11000
City:   Nonthaburi
State/Province:   Nonthaburi
Country:   Thailand

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