AUICK Newsletter No.48 City Report and Action Plan

AUICK Second 2006 Workshop

City Report and Action Plan - Khon Kaen

Mrs. Nudnapa Juntavaree
Chief, Department of Promotion of Participation
and Decentralization,
Khon Kaen Municipality,
Thailand

CONTENTS

1. City Report

2. Action Plan

2.1. Identification of Problems and Issues
2.2. Objectives to be Attained
2.3. Proposed Activities to Achieve Objectives
2.4. Implementation Agency/ Agencies
2.5. Monitoring System
2.6. Action Plan Flow Chart

1. City Report

Khon Kaen is the heart of the Northeast of Thailand. Lying some 250 miles northeast of Bangkok it is the center of a large region bordered on the north and east by the Mekong River, separating Thailand from Laos and Cambodia. The city has grown rapidly from central government policies aimed at creating growth poles throughout the country to balance the dominance of Bangkok. Khon Kaen is a small city, with a population of less than 150,000.

With the rest of the country, it has come through the demographic transition with especially rapid declines of infertility since about 1975.

The city’s Total Fertility Rate is now below replacement level. The young are now a declining portion of the population, less than 22 percent, and the aged are beginning to rise; today they are 8 percent, and they are projected to grow to over 20 percent by 2050.

Thailand is unique for its low level of official urbanization. Only 30 percent of the population lives in urban areas. At present many of the elderly prefer to remain in the village and rural areas and do not swell the urban population. Nonetheless, Khon Kaen City has begun to develop programs for the elderly. They focus on health and welfare issues, with the Health and Welfare agencies of government given major responsibility. Welfare subsidies of 300 baht per person per month are available. There are some 25 city staff directly concerned with the aged and the budget for the aged has grown from 1.8 million baht in 2005 to 2.88 million in 2006; it is projected to rise to 7.56 million in 2070.

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2. Action Plan

2.1. Identification of Problems and Issues

Khon Kaen Municipality (KKM) is located in Muang District, Khon Kaen Province. The total area of the city is 46 square kilometers. The current estimated city’s population is about 130,000 with relatively low growth. Thailand had a very successful national Family Planning program which brought down the total fertility rate in Khon Kaen Municipality Area. However, experience shows that there is an increasing rate of people 60 years and over in KKM every year.

Changes in the Total Fertility Rate

Changes in Population Structure

During previous years, the ageing population began to manifest itself, and the demographic transition has changed the structure of its population. This change in the population structure has a great impact on the community’s economy and shrinks social-security services, and has become burdensome to the future Khon Kaen Municipality.

At present, KKM has an existing program which promotes a self–help project, including the creation of healthy-lifestyle awareness as a strategy to promote healthy aging.

The KKM also provides welfare assistance to the senior citizens by giving a subsidy of 300 baht per person/month to senior citizens. It has adopted a mechanism to visit people in 80 communities on Thursdays. These services are made available to one to three communities, including the nearest area, at a time.

The Bureau of Public Health and Environment Services is in charge of providing general health care assistance and a disease prevention program. The Centers are open on Mondays to Fridays. KKM has four Public Health Service Centers.

In the past, the program of KKM towards the ageing population was to provide welfare assistance by way of health care and monthly subsidy. It shall be noted, however, that the City does not have an institutionalized activity aimed at enhancing the personal capabilities and empowering the elderly citizens based on the following social principles:

That the elderly are human resources that are worth contributing in community development;

That elderly citizens, given the proper training and orientation, still have the capacity to help not only themselves, but their families and others;

That the elderly citizens can be tapped in various social endeavors of the society and the community.

2.2. Objectives to be Attained

The Action Plan aims to enhance personal capacity building for the senior citizens.
The Plan shall help to organize a support system between and among the elderly citizens by organizing social groups.
The Plan shall help organize community services, which would involve various elderly social groups.

2.3. Proposed Activities to Achieve Objectives

Name of Project: “Healthy life care in the Future”

Location: Khon Kaen Municipality Area

Target group: Elderly Citizens aged between 55 - 65 year. The rationale for this aged limitation is the general belief that senior citizens within this age-bracket have the physical and mental the capacity to learn new skills and have the capacity to help one another.

Key Implementation:

Prepare Action Plan stating its goals, objectives, strategies, activities and measures necessary for its administration.

Presentation of the Action Plan and its general overview to the City Mayor, for his support and commitment.

Coordinate and discuss the Plan with the various department and agency heads of the city government, faculty of Khon Kaen University, the College of Asian Scholars and other non-government organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders for support and, perhaps, revision of the Plan to make it more effective and conducive to all concerned.

Through the tri-media, conduct information, education and communication (IEC) drive to inform the city residents, especially the senior citizens, on the concept of the Plan.

Implementation of the Plan.

Monitoring Activity.

2.4. Implementation Agency/ Agencies

While the project implementation will entail the involvement and participation of various government agencies and offices, the Social Welfare Division and Department for Promotion of Participation and Decentralization of Khon Kaen Municipality shall be the lead agency/ agencies.

Year of Enforcement: 2007-2008

Project Activities

Note: All three activities are aupported by Khon Kaen Municipality

2.5. Monitoring System

A Program Secretariat will be created for the purpose of overseeing the overall performance and activities of the project. A regular monitoring process shall be put in place, including, but not limited, to the following:

Monthly review and program evaluation and quarterly meetings with the various stakeholders, including the members of the academy who are involved in the program implementation;

Site visitations of communities where elderly support groups were organized, to check and evaluate their activities, performance and problems. Results of these site visitations must be documented for discussion during the meetings.

Preparation of progress reports to the City Mayor and continuous communication with other department heads as often as necessary, to keep them informed of the status of the program.

2.6. Action Plan Flow Chart

Khon Kaen Action Plan Flow Chart

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