Questions/Answers

Highlands cover about 17% of Thailand's total size of 513,120 km2, in 20 provinces mostly in the North where watershed forests are originated. Home to 1.2 million minorities in 4,205 villages, the highlanders were poor with their annual income at 31,000 baht per family (2004). Around 88% of total villages are in remote areas, inaccessible to transportation and basic services. They have long practiced conventional farming system and grown illicit crops, causing natural resource degradation and national security issues that become global challenges. Thailand has reduced more than 53 million rai of its forest areas since 1973. Despite the success and continued efforts for over 50 years, the problems persist, besides ethnic and cultural diversity, partly due to organizational silo way of working, resulting in failure to interact effectively and efficiently among one another, inconsistent database with manual and unsystematic management, incompatible work plan, and no people participation. Since 2006, Highland Research and Development Institute (Public Organization) (HRDI) has carried out its main mission of developing Thai highlands, adhering to Thailand's 20-year strategy and UNSDGs with people-centric development principle. Efforts have been made to enhance the effectiveness of relevant public agencies. An integrated area-based development approach, with horizontal collaboration among 33 public sectors has been employed, enhancing shared directions and goals. Local communities have been provided with opportunities to participate in the project implementation from the beginning, reducing a top-down approach. Basic information of the community has been collected, verified, and converted into a digitized form, particularly a “Farm-plot-map”, serving as collaborative tool for all concerned to jointly formulate appropriate work plans, responding to people’s problems. After 15-year implementation, 581,953 highland people in 1,530 villages have enjoyed their well-being, reduced inequality and sustainable natural resources conservation with more than one million rai of forest conserved by the communities.

The Initiative has driven effective horizontal coordination in 33 public sectors, adhering to area-based development approach with community-driven development principle. It focuses on building individual and community strengths to involve their engagement in community development with the public sector. Appropriate knowledge, innovative research results and a single digitized dataset are used by all concerned government authorities to improve the quality of life of vulnerable and disadvantaged highlanders, allowing them to have an equal opportunity to access to basic services needed and make the most of their lives while embracing sustainable natural resources conservation.

SDG1: The Initiative focuses on reducing highlanders’ poverty (1.1). 71.69% of the project farmers earn their income above the highland poverty rate (2021). SDG2: The Initiative emphasizes increased productivity of small farmers (2.3) under sustainable agriculture (2.4). 2,725 project farmers get certified Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and organic standard for their produces, creating income about 350 baht annually. SDG6: Although highlands are sources of natural water, most of highland areas have limited access to water. The Initiative has improved 587 small-scale water facilities in 169 villages with people participation. The farmers have been promoted to change from monoculture farming to environmentally-friendly agriculture, helping protect and restore highland natural resources, including water-related ecosystems (6.6). SDG10: The Initiative’s beneficiaries are mostly vulnerable minorities. With the “Leave No One Behind” principle, the Initiative has provided an equal opportunity for highland people in 1,530 villages to reach development services and basic infrastructure needed. (10.2). SDG15: The Initiative, together with relevant public authorities and local people, uses reliable and transparent data in the “Farm-plot-map” to determine appropriate land-use, with no adverse effects on natural resources (15.2). Local communities have successfully protected over 1 million rai of forest areas without any conflicts.

The Initiative has driven toward sustainable development by using an area-based development approach in a holistic manner. The highlanders are encouraged to have a lifelong learning to improve their competence to cope with changes. The Initiative with relevant public sector integration has enabled them to earn better income and participate in sustainable natural resources conservation from a “one village one plan” toward the same direction, reducing working in silos while ensuring the judicious and cost-effective use of government resources. As a result, the highlanders have improved their quality of life with 71.69% earning income above the highland poverty rate.

The Initiative is implemented by HRDI under supervision of Board of Directors to provide direction and control toward achieving its objectives in compliance with good governance. The Initiative has designed a working process to improve public sector efficiency, through an integrated approach across relevant public agencies. Community development plan has been created at a grassroots level with people participation, responding to their real needs and problems to gradually integrate into the National Framework. Committees at two levels have been appointed to ensure that all concerned authorities are gearing toward the same direction under good governance, supervise and oversee the project performance to assure that they have made the best possible use of shared resources for maximum benefits of the highland people. The Prime Minister leads the committee at the policy level while the provincial governor and district chief chair those at the operational level. The Initiative has helped solve problems at the policy level regarding restrictions on laws and regulations by providing equal rights to enable 368 indigenous communities with 31,738 people to reside and use about 700,000 rai of land for their earning and maintaining their way of life according to the National Land Use Policy 2014.

The project adheres to “Leaving No One Behind” principle to move the society forward without discrimination, to enable them to exercise their rights in development services, responding to their problems and in line with their traditional way of life. The Initiative has engendered tribal women empowerment to play an important role in driving community development. Youth have been provided with opportunities to increase knowledge and skills from both in and outside the country to ensure they can reach their full engagement, social immunity and development. The project has also created farm facility to accommodate the elderly for safety at work.

The Initiative has produced positive impacts on sustainable development for 1,530 communities with 581,953 vulnerable people, approximately 36.39% of the country's total highlanders. 1) Economic Aspect: The project farmers increased incomes per family from environmentally-friendly farming from 46,800 baht in 2013 to 99,500 baht in 2020. 2) Social Aspect: Individual and community strengths have been encouraged to drive community development with 862 farmer leaders and 442 young smart farmers. 98 strong community organizations have been established to manage their production and marketing with revolving funds of 25.20 million baht. 3) Environmental Aspect: The Initiative together with all concerned has reduced natural resource degradation in a systematic and sustainable manner. As a result, over one million hectares of forest area has been prevented from encroachment, sustaining the community food bank. The number of hot spots in 8 provinces in the project areas decreased by 70% (2021). 46 communities have been promoted to have low-carbon standard. 4) Government Basic Infrastructure: The project beneficiaries have reached basic infrastructure necessary for their livelihood. 5) Technological Aspect: Highlanders can reach different social media platforms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, their use of digital tools has increased, allowing them to access to government services, and marketing opportunities.

The Initiative working process includes • determining target areas with severe problems, • establishing area offices, as focal points, • exploring community leaders to drive development, • analyzing community information and problems with relevant agencies and local people, • formulating integrated community development plan and operational action plan involving all concerned, • conducting monitoring and evaluation. Three phases of the Initiative comprise Initial Stage (2006-2011) The Initiative started with 461 villages, 10 provinces, focusing on solving urgent community problems. Area offices were established with permanent staff. It was then found that existing public agencies were there to help. Yet, they only carried out their missions separately with non-integration and no people participation. Second Phase (2012-2016) The Initiative worked effectively in 807 villages, 11 provinces, moving towards improving public sector efficiency through an integrated collaboration approach. Local people were encouraged to share ideas and identify their problems. All collected information was analyzed and transformed into digital platforms to enhance an accurate and relevant community development plan. Unfortunately, the plan was not well synchronized with regular government budgeting cycle, and actions did not respond well to uncertainty and community problems. Third Phase (2017-Present)The Initiative has operated in 1,530 areas, 18 provinces, driving to support the achievement of UNSDGs, by scaling up from grassroot problems to the National Development Policy, coincided with the government budget year. An area-based development approach has been applied, focusing on environmentally-friendly farming, using the farm-plot-map and digital technology, with public authorities and people collaboration. Effective performance standards have been applied, i.e., good governance, Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model and food safety standards. Studies have also been conducted to cope with unpredictable challenges. National and international technical cooperation on sustainable highland development has been promoted for exchanging knowledge and experiences, aiming to become a Centre for Sustainable Highland Research and Development in the future.

1. Communication Problems: HRDI assigns staff who speak ethnic languages to station at the operational areas. Community leaders are encouraged to work with public authorities. 2. Public sector resource limitation: Integrated development plan has moved all parties toward the same direction, enjoying shared resources to jointly handle more complex challenges. 3. Remoteness problems: Most of operational areas are in restricted forestland under laws and regulations. Following the National Land Use Policy, disadvantaged people have the right to reach development services. The use of online and/or offline tools has reached all areas despite their remote locations with no digital signal.

The Initiative has led to a process innovation for enhanced quality and efficiency of public sector performance, getting rid of their silo mentality with collaboration across one another to combat poverty and inequality of disadvantaged highland minorities, and environmental issues. Local people have been encouraged to have full participation throughout the project implementation. An area-based development approach has been employed along with appropriate knowledge, reliable information and digital technology to address real problems and needs of the highland people while mainstreaming equality and human rights to gain people’s trust and satisfaction with public services.

The Initiative is modelled after the Royal Project Sustainable Highland Development. The approach has followed the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP), stressing moderation, reason, immunity, morality, and knowledge-based for problem-solving. It also incorporates three key working principles: understanding, empathy and development, under good governance guiding principles, to ensuring that public sector can truly be trusted and reliable. The Initiative has adhered to people-centric development approach and integration-based basis of all concerned stakeholders in a transparent, responsive and accountable manner. Use of appropriate knowledge to generate innovative and effective solutions has responded to community problems while coping with uncertainty and changes.

The project has employed modern technology to benefit from existing and emerging technologies, resulting in improving public sector efficiency whereas those facing difficulties will be brought into the problem-solving efforts. Several digital tools have been used such as • a farm-plot-map, digitalized from Geographic Information System (GIS); HRDI Map Application; and e-Research Report for project development planning and management • digital photos from Drone and digital information from Meteorological Highland for Smart Agriculture System for project operations • various forms of social media such as Line Official, Farmers Network Line, Facebook Page for communication, knowledge exchange, supervision and marketing management.

1. HRDI has applied its sustainable highland development guidelines in other parts of the country such as Kamphaengphet, Kanchanaburi, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit and Ratchaburi. 2. HRDI Good Practice of Sustainable Highland Development: People Live in Harmony with Forest was posted on the website of SDG Good Practices of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2020-2021. It can be replicated or scaled-up by others across the globe. 3. Since 2019, 10 sustainable highland development initiatives have received the highest National Participatory Government Award for its outstanding public sector development that can be replicated by other authorities. 4. HRDI has transferred good practices in sustainable highland development to other countries through technical cooperation including Laos, Myanmar, Bhutan and study visits of foreign agencies. Its lessons learnt were presented at the International Conference on Rising to the Challenge of Sustainable Development Goals through Sustainable Highland Development in 2019 where 17 countries participated and the International Online Seminar “Sustainable Highland Development: Challenges & Responses to COVID-19 and the Application of SEP” in 2021 with six participating countries. HRDI has continuously participated in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs held by UNODC Vienna to share its reflected experiences from implementing sustainable highland development initiatives.

The area-based development approach for poverty alleviation and career development programmes has been well-recognized following the visit of Prime Minister and the Cabinet to Sob Meoi District, Mae Hong Son Province on January 17, 2018. The villagers then reported on community development performance using the area-based development approach. The Prime Minister instructed relevant government agencies to apply this approach to develop other areas with similar contexts. Moreover, the Governor of Mae Hong Son Province was also assigned to use the approach for provincial development in order to solve problems on poverty and forest invasion. HRDI has set its 5-year strategic plan to advance the quality of learning systems on sustainable highland development for wider expansion both nationally and internationally. Several operational areas have been developed to be a “Learning Centre for Sustainable Highland Development”. Digital technology development plan has been put in place to upgrade hardware and software technology to accommodate the learning systems including curricula, media, lecturers and management.

1. Personnel include 882 HRDI staff, a number of officers from 33 integrating agencies and 20 technical cooperation networks, along with 862 farmer leaders. 2. Budget is allocated to HRDI annually about 400 million baht. Relevant government agencies have made collective efforts in project operation with about 1,000 million baht annually while private sectors also support in some specific activities. 3. Technology includes GIS, Farm-plot-map, HRDI Map Application, e-Research, various forms of social media: Line Application, Facebook Page. Researches on modern technology application have been conducted: Hydroelectric and Solar Power Generation Technology Development, Green Energy Greenhouse and Smart Farming Technology.

1. Organizational Policy: HRDI sustainable highland development as its main mission and ultimate goal is to reach the vision of “Good well-being of highland communities with research and development,” following the Royal Project Sustainable Highland Development and Sufficiency Economy Philosophy. It also supports the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, driven to the 5-Year National Sustainable Highland Development Strategic Plan (2023-2027). Such plan has involved the participation of relevant public sector and beneficiary people to build their sense of ownership and responsibility as well as to help promote transparency and integrity, ensuring the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of an intervention. By doing so, it has improved highlanders’ quality of life and reduced inequality while enhancing sustainable natural resource conservation and harmonious living with nature. 2. Economic Aspect: Highland communities can generate stable incomes from environmentally-friendly occupations. They have established strong community organizations managed by local people, leading to community stability and sustainability to cope with uncertainty and changes and being able to reduce public assistance dependency. The Initiative has empowered participating farmers, both male and female, through Farmer Capacity Building Program with a view to enhancing their capacity as “farmer leaders” to drive community development.

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1.Since 2019 outputs from the sustainable highland development projects have been assessed under the Public Sector Excellence Awards (PSEA) by the Thailand Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC). There are 10 outputs awarded this prize in the category of public services and participatory public administration. 2.In 2021, sustainable highland development projects have been assessed under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the Sustainable Development Research Group (SDRG) of Faculty of Economics, Chiang Mai University using the OKR (Objective and Key Results) framework.

In the assessment, indicators derived from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework including SDG targets and indicators of Thailand at the country level and aligned with the mission of the Institute. Tools used in the assessment include SDG OKR Dashboard that developed from the SDG concepts and employed OKR framework to collected empirical data. There are 50 areas under the projects assessed and two areas were selected as the best practices. An in-depth case study method is employed to assess their success factors to foster sustainable development under the project.

The assessment analyzed the primary data from interviews of project beneficiaries and HRDI’s secondary data as of September 2020. Based in the evaluation, the project has utilized human resources and workforce diversity to achieve sustainable development under the economic challenges of COVID 19. The evaluation shows that five key Sustainable Development Goals achieved in this project include SDG1 (No poverty), SDG2 (No hunger), SDG6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG15 (Life on Land), and SDG17 (Partnerships for the goals). The key finding shows that the project has made socio-economic impacts by increasing income of the people in the areas to exceed the poverty line set by the institute. Such incomes are from job creation and local product development. Suggestions based on the evaluation include the development of smart data system to report the progress of the project by developing data foundation from all transactions in key areas that link to missions and strategies of the institute. It is also recommended to create an online record-keeping tool with the Bullet Journal Technique, incorporating period reporting form (weekly or monthly) into the system, consistent with the existing form so as not to increase the work burden.

The Initiative has been operated in an integrated, systematic and verifiable approach to drive highland sustainable development for better quality of life of the vulnerable ethnic highlanders across the nation. People Participation: Highland people are direct beneficiaries of the Initiative, playing an important role throughout the overall working process from problem analysis, decision-making, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation to responsiveness to their real problems based on one single dataset. Government Sector: Thirty-three public authorities have engaged closely in every step of the Initiative implementation with their financial and human resource contributions under a “One Village One Plan” with a shared single dataset. In the 5-year strategic plan (2023-2017) HRDI has targeted to expand networks widely and intensively in cooperation with Non-Formal Education authorities, disseminating knowledge and information to reach about 1,000 faraway highland villages. Academic Sector: Various academic institutions foster the building of academic and research network as well as knowledge and technology exchange within the country and at the international level. Private Sector: Financial and expertise contributions from private sector, consistent with their business line, are expected in the 5-year strategic plan to promote specific development activities and to solve specific issues of more than 1,000 highland villages.

1. Integrating government agencies: The Initiative has seen all relevant government agencies’ engagement throughout the process from the start to the end, including people and community problem-analysis, data management, design and planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation. The integrated approach has enhanced the potential of public sector to achieve synergies while breaking down silo walls across all agencies, leading to more efficient and effective public services as well as maximizing the overall value of the government resources. 2. Integrating Committees: Committees at all levels have engaged in the initiative as a mechanism to oversee policy directions and operational guidelines while ensuring that annual work plan and budget of relevant government agencies are sufficiently and appropriately allocated for project sustainability. 3. Highland people and communities: Most of them are ethnic minority groups who are direct beneficiaries of the Initiative. Based on the human right principle, 581,953 vulnerable and disadvantaged highland minorities gradually have equal development treatment and opportunities to participate in the Initiative implementation from the beginning without any discrimination. The Initiative has been well-accepted by agencies involved and local communities as shown in the 2021 satisfaction assessment result at 90.60%.

1. The key lessons learned from the Initiative includes 1.1 It is recognized that a stand-alone manner is not possible to reach successful mission. The engagement of all concerned including communities, public and private sectors, using knowledge and technology, focusing on human resource capacity development under good governance principle, is an essential mechanism for sustainable development. 1.2 The government agencies need to be more dynamic and continue to sharpen their capabilities with knowledge of modern technology applications to cope with any critical challenges arising from extensive and rapid changes. 2. To address future challenges proactively, 2.1 HRDI has formulated a 5-year strategic plan (2023-2017) on sustainable highland development with relevant stakeholder collaboration including local authorities and communities. It targets 3,230 villages in 20 provinces, average 76.82% of total Thai highlands with an aim to become the “Sustainable Highland Development Centre” for sharing knowledge and experiences with others in the country and beyond. 2.2 Community-based participatory research, in which researchers and community stakeholders are equal partners, has been promoted to achieve the community real problems. With this approach, community learning and community-based adaptation process have been created while enhancing the community sustainable development.