THAILAND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CO-OPERATION STRATEGIC REVIEW
Part 3: Effective and relevant functions of national focal points for Thailand as an effective
Global Partner
Final report
February 2013
Monica M Burns
Consultant for UNFPA
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Contents
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations used in the report
Executive Summary
3
4
5
1
Introduction and background to review
6
2
The context of Thailand as a development co-operation partner
7
3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
Findings
System issues
Budget and funding issues
Operational issues
The importance of perceptions
11
11
14
17
19
4
4.1
4.2
Synthesis of findings
System issues
Technical skills issues
21
21
22
5
5.1
5.2
Recommendations
High level policy recommendations
Management / co-ordination mechanisms and functions for
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and TICA
Capacity development to strengthen and promote Thailand’s role
22
23
5.3
Annexes
Annex 1
Annex 2
Annex 3
Annex 4
Annex 5
Annex 6
Documents consulted
TICA budget 2013
Thailand Development Co-operation Strategy
(headings in English)
Thailand Triangular Co-operation Strategic Framework
(headings in English)
List of Priority countries
Proposal for flow of information
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26
29
30
31
33
34
35
2
Acknowledgements
Sincere thanks to TICA for the time commitment of staff and managers to this review. Particular
thanks to the staff of the Planning and Monitoring Branch who fielded numerous questions and
provided useful information, with great patience.
Officers from a range of Ministries provided time and inputs to the review, as did officers from a
number of development co-operation agencies, through face to face discussions, telephone and
email communications. The Thammasat University team which undertook the comparative
review of development co-operation in selected countries also participated in very active
discussions and provided very useful inputs to this review. Thanks to all of them.
This review was an intensive information-gathering exercise. There will inevitably be instances
where the consultant has misunderstood or misinterpreted information. If there are factual errors
they are the responsibility of the consultant alone.
Special thanks to UNFPA’s Khun Duangkamol Ponchamni for facilitating the review and for her
keen interest in the findings and her time commitment to discussing these. Bringing her
experience of international development co-operation to the discussion and her suggestions about
approaches were very welcome and much appreciated.
Finally, thanks to all those who reviewed the draft of the report and contributed comments,
verbally and in writing.
Monica M Burns
UNFPA consultant
February 2013
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Abbreviations used
ADB
ASEAN
CLMV countries
DTEC
EC
GIZ
HISRO
HSRI
IHPP
JICA
MIC
MOA
MOFA
MOPH
NESDB
NESDP
NGO
NHSO
ODA
TICA
TORs
UNDP
UNFPA
UNJT-IC
UNPAF
Final report 15.02.13
Asian Development Bank
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam
Department of Technical and Economic Co-operation
European Commission
Deutche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit
Health Insurance Systems Research Office
Health Systems Research Institute
International Health Policy and Plan (2102 – 2016)
Japan International Co-operation Agency
Middle income country
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Public Health
National Economic and Social Development Board
National Economic and Social Development Plan
Non-governmental Organisation
National Health Security Office
Official Development Assistance
Thailand International Development Co-operation Agency
Terms of Reference
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Population Fund
UN Joint Team on International Co-operation
United Nations Partnership Framework (2012 – 2016)
4
Executive Summary
The review presented in this document looks at the effective and relevant functions to support
Thailand’s goal of becoming a respected Global Partner. It is undertaken within a world context
of development co-operation becoming increasingly interactive, with global recognition of the
value of applying the experience and expertise of countries which have achieved middle income
status in tandem with the skills and expertise available from traditional donors to contribute to
concrete support for countries still less developed than they need to be. This background is
presented in Chapter 1.
The global context is the backdrop to the review, while Thailand’s Social and Economic
Development Plan and its foreign policy provide the immediate context. Thailand’s status as a
Middle Income Country (MIC) affords both opportunities and responsibilities in the context of
development co-operation. The immediate context for the review is described in Chapter 2 and it
leads to the findings of the review in terms of system issues, budget and funding issues,
operational issues and perceptions in Chapter 3.
In Chapter 4 the findings are synthesised into system issues and technical skills issues which are
the two key areas of note for a development co-operation agency.
The recommendations presented in Chapter 5 are divided into three sub headings, the first of
which refers to high level policy issues – for government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Getting unambiguous agreement as to the expectations of government of the designated
development co-operation agency and its relationship with its allocated Ministry, as well as the
relationships across and between Ministries is critical. The second sub heading provides
recommendations for effective management and co-ordination of development co-operation and
how these relate to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and TICA, assuming the acceptance of the
recommendations about the high level policy issues. The final section of the recommendations
chapter refers to technical skills development, primarily for TICA, as it moves towards its new
role, but also for other agencies, as they support the achievement globally of the Millennium
Development Goals.
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1
Introduction and background to the review
This review is one part of a wider strategic review of Thailand’s international co-operation,
given its situation as a middle income country, and its commitment to assuming a role as a
significant development co-operation partner both in the region and globally. Thailand’s
development co-operation is featured in the 11th National Economic and Social Development
Plan and is a key aspect of the UN Partnership Framework 2012–2016, developed to reflect the
changing roles of the UN and Thailand as partners, with a key aspect of the framework being
development co-operation to support other countries. This part of the review is managed by
UNFPA, given its leading role in fostering South-South co-operation. The views and findings
expressed in this report are the views of the consultant and do not necessarily reflect the policy
or position of UNFPA.
Planning for the wider strategic review – ‘Thailand International Development Co-operation
Strategic Review’ - involved NESDB, TICA, MOFA, UNDP, UNFPA and UNJT-IC. Terms of
Reference for each of the three components of the wider strategic review were drafted, revised
and agreed. The overall review was planned to be carried out in sequential phases, with three
separate but related studies being undertaken by different consultants. The first two reviews were
intended to be completed before the third review (this one) and the plan was to then synthesise
all three reviews to provide a comprehensive overview and plan for development co-operation in
Thailand. The three component reviews are:
1
review of existing international development co-operation strategies of ten
Ministries or institutions and concerned departments under those ministries
2
comparative review of international co-operation policies, strategies and
management of selected middle income countries and high income countries
3
review effective and relevant functions of Thailand’s national focal points for
international co-operation
This document addresses the third planned review. The outcomes from the first two reviews
were not complete prior to the start of this review at the end of October 2012. The first planned
review (of the existing policies of Thai Ministries and institutions) has yet to be started, as of end
January 2013. However the second planned review (comparative review of policies and
strategies of selected countries) was well underway by the start of this review and draft results
were made available to the consultant. Useful discussions were also held with the review team,
from Thammasat University, at various junctures during their work.
The objective of this piece of work is to review and analyse existing policies and functions of
national focal points for international development co-operation at the national and ministerial
levels; and provide recommendations on appropriate strategies and functions of the national focal
points in the context of Thailand as a middle income country and global development partner1.
The work was carried out as specified in the Terms of Reference and as agreed through approval
of the inception report (available separately) for this review. The methodology for the review
included desk reviews of available relevant papers (in English language) and a series of
discussions with individuals and groups at the heart of development co-operation in Thailand.
1
See Terms of Reference, Consultant for Strategic Review: effective and relevant functions of national focal points
for Thailand as an effective global partner, as agreed by TICA, NESDB and UNFPA
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The most useful documents reviewed and/or consulted are listed in Annex 1. A mixture of oneto-one discussions, small group discussions and larger meetings were held during November
2012 and January and February 2013. The discussions were held with individuals and groups in
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TICA, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Public Health,
Bureau of Budget, Thammasat University, UNDP, UNFPA, and GIZ. Additional information
and follow up questions were discussed by email and through subsequent meetings with
individuals.
2
The context of Thailand as a development co-operation partner
Thailand has a long history of being both a recipient of international assistance and also as a
provider of international assistance, especially to less well off neighbouring countries. As a
middle income country (MIC) the decision was made in 2004 that Thailand would no longer be a
recipient of external assistance (except for very exceptional specialist circumstances) but would
instead become a development partner to provide support and technical assistance to other
countries. Thailand’s strong and rapid economic growth and the availability of highly skilled and
well-qualified human resources, in technically relevant fields, provided a solid basis for offering
co-operative support.
Globally there is a growing recognition of the role which can be played, to great effect, of middle
income countries using their recent economic growth experience and expertise to support other
less developed countries in their own growth and development. This has been done through what
is known as ‘South-South Co-operation’ and, is increasingly known as ‘triangular co-operation’,
where a third ‘traditional’ development co-ordination partner joins with the recipient country and
an ‘emerging’ development partner to maximise the expertise of all for the greater good.
This changing global picture of development co-operation requires adaptation of national
policies, plans and inputs to meet the changing needs of an increasingly accessible world. It
requires the development of new skills and modalities to position Thailand as a fully fledged
global partner. An early response to this changing global environment was the establishment in
2004 of Thailand International Co-operation Agency (TICA): the challenge now is to ensure that
this designated agency and the country’s policy makers are well placed to address the challenges
of a global economy and its contribution to the growth and sustainability of economies which are
less well developed.
The Department of Technical and Economic Co-operation (DTEC), previously responsible for
liaising with international donors and targeting incoming international development assistance,
was re-branded as Thailand International Development Co-operation Agency (TICA). The
transitional period since 2004 until the present day has seen TICA adopt the role of an outwardfocused agency, providing assistance to multiple countries through relatively small scale
activities, with a commitment to both South-South co-operation and a desire to build trilateral
agreements between ‘traditional’ development partners, Thailand, and third country partners
which would benefit from the consolidated knowledge and expertise. The bulk of assistance
provided by Thailand has been provided to four neighbouring countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR,
Myanmar and Vietnam, known colloquially as CLMV countries. More recently assistance has
been provided to a small number of projects in Africa. It is internationally acknowledged that
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providing development assistance to poorer countries is less to do with altruism, philanthropy or
historical obligations (such as with previous colonial countries); it is instead part of a targeted
foreign policy of developing global partnerships, building trade links and gaining market access
around the world2.
It is clearly acknowledged that the role of TICA is to support Thailand’s foreign policy – as is
usual with every country providing international development co-operation. The subordinate
status of TICA within the government structure has probably contributed to a prolonged
‘transition’ period since it was established in 2004. Despite its re-branding in 2004 the necessary
organisational development, and recruitment of skilled specialist staff, such as development
economists, has not transpired. The structure of the organisation remains tied to Civil Service
Commission norms rather than reflecting the mixture of management, technical and
administrative needs of the agency. These organisational and skill-mix limitations restrict the
ability of TICA to undertake a more proactive, technical, professional role in development cooperation.
There are differing opinions about the role of TICA – and the opinions vary within TICA, within
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and within other Ministries. Working as it does under the aegis of
MOFA some people have expressed an expectation that TICA should act as an arm of the
diplomatic service, using its resources to provide ‘soft diplomacy’ for Thailand by responding to
requests from Ministers and foreign-based Thai Embassies to provide opportunities to showcase
Thailand and ‘fly the flag’. Soft diplomacy is a well established diplomatic tool, particularly
when initiating or developing relationships in new areas but it is not considered a standard role of
an effective development co-operation agency. Equally, the provision of emergency
humanitarian aid (following a natural disaster, for example) is not normally part of the role of a
development co-operation agency which focuses on long-term systemic development rather than
immediate short-term assistance. At the other end of the spectrum there is an expectation that
TICA will act as a semi-autonomous agency, working under the umbrella of Thailand’s foreign
policy, to undertake development co-operation using the full range of analytical tools and
technical skills to position Thailand as a fully participating global development partner
supporting less developed countries to build their own skills and knowledge and contribute
towards sustainable socio-economic development.
This lack of clarity about expectations within and between the agencies and Ministries was
reflected in the tensions and frustrations expressed during the review.
The growing role of Thailand as a development co-operation partner is acknowledged as an
important socio-economic development tool in the 11th National Economic and Social
Development Plan (NESDP) 2012 - 2016. The issue was subsequently taken up by the joint Thai
- UN team to review, revise, and target the joint efforts to support Thailand to consolidate its
own economic and social development and to contribute to sustainable development elsewhere.
The UN Partnership Framework for Thailand (UNPAF) 2012 – 2016 was the result of very
focused discussions with a wide range of technical teams addressing the crucial issues of the
National Economic and Social Development Plan and identifying areas of responsibility for
different agencies within the Thai structure and the UN structure in Thailand. As a working
2
Development Co-operation Report 2012, Lessons in linking sustainability and development, OECD-DAC
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document, the UNPAF offers the opportunity to respond in a more systematic way to challenges
for Thailand as it takes its place in ASEAN and its place on the world stage as a middle income
country with a track record of rapid social and economic development. In the UNPAF document 3
the two key outcomes on international co-operation are synthesised in Table 5:
Outcome 1
Increased and effective international co-operation based on a
harmonized national development co-operation strategy
Thailand’s development experience is effectively shared with other
countries
These are followed with indicators, means of verification, the risks and assumptions associated
with achieving the outcomes, the role of partners, and indicative resources which may be
available from both the UN and Thai counterpart agencies. It is in the context of this new
partnership arrangement between Thai authorities and UN agencies that this review (the broad
review as well as the component parts of it) is being undertaken.
Outcome 2
Legal status
An additional important context for this review is the expected endorsement of Cabinet to raise
the status of TICA to become a Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While this higher
status has not been implemented yet, preparations for it are underway.
Human resources
There is a small window of opportunity to use this preparatory time to re-engineer TICA to make
it fit for purpose into the future. The Civil Service Reform Commission is responsible to review
the staffing and competency needs of TICA as per its elevated status. A key question is: who can
appropriately advise the Commission about the correct or appropriate skill mix necessary to
undertake the full range of diplomatic, technical and administrative tasks required from a
forward-thinking development co-operation agency? It will be difficult to identify critical
competencies, the skill mix required, the level of technical speciality needs, and the appropriate
numbers or distribution of staff without a clear unambiguous agreement within and across
Ministries about the role and responsibilities of TICA.
Thailand’s contribution to development co-operation
It is estimated, by TICA, that the vast majority of development co-operation assistance provided
by Thailand is provided outside of TICA’s involvement or resources, through Ministries,
agencies of Ministries, institutions (including academic), and sometimes through NGOs. A rough
estimate by TICA suggests that the TICA budget represents up to 25% of all Thailand’s
international development co-operation spend4. It is currently impossible to verify this figure,
given that (a) TICA does not have the authority to require Ministries to submit data on their
development co-operation activities, programmes, or expenditure, (b) Ministries are reluctant to
expose the extent of their spending on development co-operation in case it adversely affects
budget allocations, and (c) even within each sector, individual Ministries acknowledge that there
are no mechanisms to collect data about development co-operation activities or expenditures by
UNPAF 2012 – 2016 pp48-49
TICA’s budget for official development assistance for 2013 amounts to approximately US$16.9 million. See
Annex 2 for the breakdown
3
4
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related agencies or institutions in the sector. The absence of a reliable information system to
reflect the total picture of Thailand’s international development co-operation has an adverse
impact on the capacity of the Prime Minister, Ministers and Ambassadors to showcase Thailand
as a ‘player’ in international development co-operation abroad.
At the outset of the first mission for this review a meeting was held (on 1st November 2012) with
a large group of managers and staff of TICA to facilitate the articulation of their objectives for
the work, expanding on the objectives already agreed in the Terms of Reference (TORs). The
discussion was wide-ranging about development co-operation issues and Thailand’s increasing
role as a global partner. In terms of this review a number of issues were emphasised:
- wanting TICA to develop its role as an active global partner;
- focusing on the functions of TICA rather than on budgets;
- strengthening knowledge and capacity to meet the competency needs of a development
co-operation agency;
- identifying mechanisms to improve the way in which Thai development co-operation
could be used to showcase Thailand among global partners
These views were taken on board as part of the review and followed up in more detail, after the
review of pertinent documents, during one to one and group discussions.
During discussions with TICA staff and their managers the Paris Declaration was referred to as
their guiding principle for building triangular co-operation partnerships. It is therefore useful for
the purposes of this review to explicitly state the principles inherent in the Paris Declaration:
Ownership: Partner countries exercise effective leadership over their
development policies and strategies and co-ordinate development actions
Alignment: Donors base their overall support on partner countries’ national
development strategies, institutions and procedures
Harmonisation: Donors actions are more harmonised, transparent and
collectively effective
Mutual accountability: Donors and partners are accountable for development
results
(With thanks to GIZ for providing a very succinct description)
This is a useful reference when reviewing the roles, responsibilities and effectiveness of
Thailand’s development co-operation programme. To look at Thailand’s co-operation
programme through the prism of the four key principles of ownership, alignment, harmonisation
and mutual accountability exposes some of the tensions, challenges, system gaps and skills gaps
Final report 15.02.13
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which need to be met to enable Thailand to take its place as a fully fledged global development
partner.
3
Findings
Having reviewed numerous documents and having had many discussions with a range of
stakeholders, the findings are wide ranging and, inevitably, overlapping. For ease of reference
the findings have been divided into four separate categories: System issues (3.1), Budget and
funding issues (3.2), Operational issues (3.3), and The importance of perceptions (3.4).
3.1
System issues
3.1.1 The overarching strategy governing social and economic development in Thailand is the
National Economic and Social Development Plan 2012 – 2016. All strategies produced and
approved by government Ministries must comply with this and are designed to support the Plan.
Foreign policy is also predicated on the NESDP. Strategies of individual Ministries for
international development co-operation are drafted and submitted to Cabinet for approval. Most
Ministries include in their sector strategies a section on international development co-operation
but there is no requirement for individual Ministry strategies to comply with or to reference the
strategy of TICA, the government designated development co-operation agency. This absence of
two-way consultation means that there is a disconnect at national strategic level for development
co-operation and this has a knock-on effect on diplomatic, political and administrative ability to
reflect the total picture for Thailand’s overall development co-operation inputs.
3.1.2 As a Department of MOFA, TICA does not have sufficient authority to require Ministries
and agencies to report on development co-operation activities. It is therefore not possible for
TICA to even approximately reflect the extent of development co-operation provided, in terms of
which sectors, for which countries, the focus of the co-operation requested or provided, technical
assistance inputs, expenditure, sustainability of the inputs, value for money, or impact of the
inputs.
3.1.3 Changing Thailand’s position in 2004 from being an aid- recipient country to being a
development partner was a major and far-reaching policy change. It is a lot less straightforward
to change the functions of an organisation from being responsible for receiving and targeting aid
(DTEC) to being a development partner (TICA). The organisational structure and design of a
development co-operation agency is very different to that of an aid recipient. At its most
simplistic level the change is from being inward looking (to determine areas of most need and
how to maximise the benefit of incoming aid) and being outward looking (to analyse the
potential maximum gain for Thailand by addressing specific sectors and specific countries).
Without a complete re-engineering of the structure and design of the new organisation, or an
objective assessment of the skills and competencies needed, it would be highly unlikely that
DTEC could transform into TICA as it was envisaged. Add to that the lack of clarity about
TICA’s roles, responsibilities and level of authority on behalf of the government, and it is
unsurprising that TICA finds itself struggling to perform as it should and frustrated at the
opportunities lost through this long transitional period.
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3.1.4 As a development co-operation agency everything has to be connected – from the
umbrella of the foreign policy to the approach and strategy adopted by TICA and sector
Ministries for offering development co-operation, to prioritising countries of interest,
determining the added advantages of the technical support Thailand can offer, and the
assessment of the advantage gained for Thailand in terms of better foreign relations and
improved economic growth for both the recipient countries and Thailand.
The two major strategic papers prepared by TICA5 clearly address those issues of connectivity –
connectivity to the national goals and strategies and connectivity to the world stage of
development co-operation. The papers deal with (a) Thailand’s development co-operation
strategy and (b) Thailand’s triangular co-operation strategy. Both of these papers deal in a
comprehensive way with the issues pertinent to development co-operation in a changing world
and Thailand’s potential role in that evolving situation. The substance of the papers (both in Thai
language) was reviewed through discussions for this review.
Thailand’s Development Co-operation Strategy 2012-2016 is a detailed presentation of the
direction and goals for development co-operation, putting it firmly in the context of Thailand’s
foreign policy, the NESDP and the millennium development goals. It addresses issues of
Thailand’s mission and vision for development co-operation and the areas where Thailand can
offer added advantage to other nations through recent experience in a rapidly developing
economy and the availability of relevant technical skills. The document has been read and
discussed in TICA (where there was significant consultation throughout the preparation process)
and reviewed by all Ministries. It is planned to submit it for approval, in February 2013, to the
policy committee chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This should be the document
guiding the operation of TICA and could be used as the basis for identifying appropriate skills
and competencies to support it implementation. It should also be the document used and
referenced by other Ministries to target their own international development co-operation
interests. The document highlights Thailand’s key areas for support, to which all development
co-operation inputs should be targeted: poverty reduction, alternative or sufficiency economy,
public and community health, and community enterprise.
The fact that TICA’s own strategic framework has not been submitted or officially endorsed
suggests an absence of strategic positioning by TICA management. Other Ministries have
already submitted and got approval for their own development co-operation plans (for example
Ministry of Agriculture), without any requirement to reference the key strategic document of the
agency charged and tasked with leading the international development co-operation programme
for the country. This serves to reinforce perceptions within other Ministries that TICA does not
have the position or the authority or the skills to lead on development co-operation issues.
The Triangular Co-operation Strategy framework addresses an issue which is gaining momentum
among development partners, and specifically in Thailand. Triangular co-operation is a
mechanism for global development partners to work in tandem to provide assistance to a third
country. The partnerships usually consist of a ‘traditional’ donor, an ‘emerging’ donor and the
Thailand Development Co-operation Strategy – Strategic Framework, 2008 and Thailand’s triangular development
co-operation strategy. See Annexes 3 and 4 of this report for an English language list of headings from both
documents
5
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recipient countries. As of January 2013 Thailand has either signed or is negotiation to sign
fourteen MOUs with other development partners, either international organisations (such as
UNDP, UNFPA) or national development co-operation agencies (such as JICA, GIZ), to enter
into trilateral (or triangular) agreements. This document is a comprehensive critique of what
triangular co-operation is, why it benefits Thailand, and why it benefits third countries. It
addresses the issues that are crucial building blocks for Thailand for successful triangular
partnership, such as: improving the teaching tools of Thai academics to provide training
programmes in third countries; promoting and building networks and partnerships, such as
university to university, for specialist skills development and knowledge exchange; promotion of
partnerships with the private sector and community organisations. It also identifies some of the
skills gaps within TICA for undertaking this type of collaborative co-operation.
This key document has not been discussed with other Ministries or agreed with MOFA or
Cabinet – and yet arrangements have continued for signing of MOUs with other organisations as
a triangular partner to provide support to third countries. It is surprising that such an important
strategy, in terms of Thailand’s emerging role as a global partner, has not been discussed at the
highest level of government. The absence of high level discussions or endorsement suggests that
Thailand’s enthusiasm for triangular partnerships is not based on any potential strategic
advantage but rather on ‘being friends with everyone’. What is clearly missing is a deep
understanding of the substance of trilateral partnerships, and that these partnerships carry
responsibilities – responsibilities for providing technical skills and input into project design,
project management, programme development, monitoring and evaluation, accountability, and
impact assessment. Triangular co-operation is not just about having Thailand’s name or flag on
the project office in a third country – it carries with it a shared responsibility for the success of
the projects undertaken in those countries. It also presumes a joint commitment – a strategic and
operational alliance – between the two ‘donor’ countries. It is clear through discussions with
TICA managers and with at least one triangular development partner that TICA may be signing
triangular co-operation MOUs without fully appreciating the long term responsibilities involved
or the extent to which Thailand is committing itself in these strategic alliances, or the extent to
which Thailand’s inputs will be open to public scrutiny by international agencies who peer
review development co-operation projects and programmes6.
3.1.5 While fully recognising that TICA operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, it could be argued that, for the three key management positions in TICA, appointing
officials who are on a diplomatic career path does not provide the technical leadership or the
continuity required to enable TICA to function properly. Skilled specialists in international
development co-operation, working under the umbrella of Thailand’s foreign policy are needed
to lead and direct the development co-operation function of Thailand: those technical skills are
not usually to be found among career diplomats. That is not to undermine in any way the
management capabilities of the three senior post holders – it is a comment on the functional
needs of a development co-operation agency.
3.2
6
Budget and funding issues
Such as the annual peer reviews on aid effectiveness undertaken by OECD-DAC
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3.2.1 Budget proposals submitted by Ministries to the Bureau of Budget are not required to
separately identify resources planned to be used to support development co-operation
programmes or activities. There is no separate budget line for this. It is therefore impossible for
the Bureau of Budget to know the full of extent of expenditure (planned or actual) of Thailand on
development co-operation, even for government Ministries and their associated agencies.
3.2.2 The development co-operation budget of TICA is limited – as it is in all countries. It is
often hard to persuade an electorate of the need for offering development co-operation to other
nations, especially if systems at home are not fully funded or functioning well. It is imperative,
therefore, that strong technical financial management skills are available in TICA and that
economic gains for Thailand can be clearly demonstrated. Use of the budget for soft diplomacy
rather than socio-economic development of the receiving country, is unlikely to contribute to
long term gain for Thailand.
3.2.3 During discussions about the budget for development co-operation, with TICA, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Bureau of Budget and with other Ministries and agencies, it is clear that the
overall goal for expenditure on development is not defined at the national level. Commitment to
development co-operation is usually reflected in a national budget as a percentage of the
country’s GNP. Often this figure is a goal rather than a reality but being explicit about the goal
provides an indicator against which to measure year-on-year expenditure on development cooperation. The National Economic and Social Development Plan does not have such an indicator.
It would seem that the issue of expenditure goal (as a percentage of GNP or otherwise) is not
currently part of the national debate. This – and the fact that there is currently no mechanism to
measure the totality of what is being spent on development co-operation – makes it difficult to
argue for increased funding. Including a percentage GNP goal in the NESDP would create the
impetus to collect data and information about all development co-operation expenditure on
behalf of Thailand as a nation.
3.2.4 The budget process was seen by TICA as a key issue, impacting on the potential to plan
programmes into the future. It is difficult to balance the annual budgeting process with longer
term ODA commitments. The TICA budget is assessed by Bureau of Budget as part of the
overall Ministry of Foreign Affairs budget and the amount TICA receives depends on defence of
the budget proposal by MOFA officials. Given the lack of clarity (and understanding) of the
substance of the roles and responsibilities of a development co-operation agency, this may not be
advantageous to TICA. In order to target resources in a much more focused way towards projects
and programmes which have the potential for long term gain for Thailand and sustainable
economic growth for the recipient country a much more skilled approach is needed within TICA
to budget projection and planning. Planning for longer term projects and programmes with more
potential impact, including those with trilateral partners, needs to be done with a more innovative
approach, offsetting budgets to take account of year on year planned and actual expenditure.
Skills to develop this approach to budgeting are necessary within TICA. A Cabinet-approved and
-endorsed Strategic Plan would also serve to support the budget application for more than short
term inputs.
Final report 15.02.13
14
3.2.5 An objective look at the budget reveals a huge mismatch between aspirations of the
agency and resource availability and targeting. The following are a few of the issues that are
apparent from an objective review of the budget for 2013:

The budget for international economic and technical co-operation (budget line 2) is
divided between neighbouring countries and other countries (See Annex 2). TICA has
identified a list of priority countries which they (a) have been working in, (b) want to
continue working in, (c) would like to provide assistance to as part of the outreach for
Thailand and (d) are providing assistance to, through bilateral, sub-regional, regional,
trilateral and multilateral arrangements. In the current TICA list7 there are more than 50
countries identified as ‘priority’ countries, some of which are longstanding recipients of
Thailand’s assistance, such as Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam; other
countries span the rest of the developing world. This is a huge number for any
development co-operation agency to address. The list also includes regional and sub
regional groups to which development co-operation resources would be targeted.
The budget for international economic and technical co-operation – budget line 2 under
the Development Co-operation’ heading- is subdivided into ‘neighbouring countries’
(which also includes the regional and sub regional groups) and ‘other countries’ which
targets all other listed priority countries. The budget for the CLMV countries and regional
and sub regional groups is the US$ equivalent of $15,102,000. The budget allocation for
all other countries is US$3,020,410. The huge disparity reflects a clear disconnect
between aspiration and reality. TICA clearly wants to gain credibility as a respected
development co-operation partner and aspires to providing assistance to countries which
could benefit from Thailand’s experience and expertise, and also to contribute to a winwin situation which promotes Thailand’s continued economic development. But the
investment capacity is simply not there. The resources available are so limited as to be
negligible when they are stretched across multiple recipient countries.

7
8
A key strategy of TICA is to develop new partnerships with other international and
national co-operation partners, to work in triangular co-operation supporting third
countries. This is in line with international development co-operation evolution and the
‘smarter thinking’ adopted by OECD-DAC, through the Paris Declaration on Aid
Effectiveness 2005 and the Accra Agenda for Action 2008. Thailand certainly has much
to offer in terms of its skills and experience in growing into a middle income country.
Currently Thailand has signed MOUs or is in negotiation to sign MOUs with fourteen
triangular co-operation partners. The total budget projection for triangular partnership
programmes, in budget line 3, amounts to the equivalent of US$503,4018. While it is
recognised and understood that the trilateral programmes currently underway are not
based on equal sharing of the budgets, it is unlikely that this amount would be enough
even to meet the shared project management responsibilities of TICA as a partner. It is
equally understood that projects and programmes will not be running with all fourteen
partners in any one year (the baseline management capacity in TICA is simply not there),
the fact is that this amount represents a tiny amount in terms of development co-operation
See Annex 5 for the TICA list of priority countries
US dollar equivalents are based on currency exchange rates available on www.oanda.com, on 29 th January 2013
Final report 15.02.13
15
partnership and reflects a lack of understanding of the substance and responsibilities
inherent in triangular co-operation agreements.

The TICA budget does not provide for the skills training and technical training required
for TICA staff, to develop a forward-thinking development co-operation agency –
especially one which is in transition to a new role and with a new status. Instead, the
resources for training of TICA staff is embedded in the training budget at the MOFA,
which is inevitably targeted to training of diplomats. This suggests that there is no clear
understanding within the Ministry of the urgent need for skills training and technical
development to position TICA to take on the responsibilities of a respected development
co-operation agency.
There is a working hypothesis that TICA’s budget provides up to 25% of the total Thai
development co-operation expenditure by all Ministries and agencies. This suggests that the
overall Thai investment in development co-operation amounts to about US$68 million for 2012.
To put that investment in the context of other ‘emerging’ donors, the ODA budget for the Czech
Republic in 2011 was US$250.46 million; for Korea it was US$1.5 billion; for technical cooperation investments by Brazil in 2010 approximately US$25.5 billion.
While, of course, Thailand’s development co-operation investment is relatively modest, in order
to gain maximum benefit from the investment it is crucial that TICA, on behalf of Thailand, is
very focused on where comparative advantages can be gained: this requires strategic positioning
in terms of potential recipient countries and the building of strategic alliances with trilateral
partners, based on strong technical skills for planning, monitoring, and accounting for resources.
In terms of the identification of priority countries TICA needs clear analysis of both the potential
gains to be made in the recipient country’s socio-economic development and the potential gain
for Thailand, in terms of improved diplomatic relations or potential growth in trade. If the budget
allocations for ‘other countries’ and ‘triangular co-operation’ are to remain at the current levels
then a serious review of ‘priority countries’ is required immediately, to focus on a very small
number of countries with direct importance for Thailand. The risk of TICA spreading its limited
resources too thin to have any positive impact is high.
These anomalies between the institutional aspiration to be a proactive global partner and
resource allocation and resource targeting, as evidenced by the budget, expose a limited
understanding about the practical, strategic and technical implications of offering a development
co-operation service.
3.3
Operational issues
As a development co-operation agency with an increasing number of bilateral and trilateral
partnership agreements, TICA will be required to assume its share of the responsibilities for
management and monitoring of planned programmes with third countries
Discussions about skills and competencies for development co-operation and global partnerships
are often general, with an assumption that everyone has the same understanding. Rather than
make that assumption an explicit list of necessary skills and competencies is presented here and
Final report 15.02.13
16
can be further expanded and described during the implementation of Recommendation 5.1.2.
Some of the competencies required to be an effective development co-operation agency, with a
growing bilateral and trilateral agreement portfolio include:

Development economics: socio-political, geo-political and socio-economic analysis to
determine the appropriateness of embarking on development co-operation in a country

Needs assessment: to ensure that proposed projects and programme are (a) in line with
Thailand’s foreign policy and development co-operation priorities, (b) with the receiving
country’s sector plans and (c) do not overlap or undermine other development cooperation programmes in the country

Poverty reduction policies and strategies

Alternative economic development and sufficiency economy

Primary care and community based care

Community enterprise development

Public private partnerships

Accountancy: to ensure accountability and transparency for use of public monies; and
assessment of value for money

Health Economics: to enable appropriate project and programme planning in a key area
of comparative advantage – cost benefit analysis, cost projections, sustainability
assessments

Agriculture economics: to enable appropriate project and programme planning in a key
area of comparative advantage – cost benefit analysis, cost projections, sustainability
assessments

Project management – project design, development of TORs, project negotiation, contract
management, technical reviews, measurements of achievement, accounting, impact
assessments

Skills development (such as language skills) and development of training and teaching
tools for Thai experts who will provide technical development assistance to other
countries
3.3.1 Building closer relationships with other development partners (bilateral and multilateral)
operating in third countries is an important function of a national development co-operation
agency, especially in neighbouring countries where Thailand has a long history of providing
assistance. Currently TICA holds annual meetings with counterparts in neighbouring priority
countries to assess their development co-operation needs and to determine what Thailand can
Final report 15.02.13
17
offer. The nature of the assistance provided by Thailand has changed very little over the years,
comprising in the main of short term technical assistance, fellowships and short study visits to
Thailand, equipment and volunteers. There is no objective assessment of the value of the
intervention – either to Thailand or the recipient country. The fellowships and study visits on
offer are not tied into any strategic framework to improve a recipient sector’s capacity to develop
and are not part of a longitudinal development process for the recipient individuals or sectors.
3.3.2 TICA wants to move towards cost sharing with neighbouring countries for development
co-operation, given the relative economic growth and development of CLMV countries. There is
some frustration that other Thai Ministries do not comply with this or adopt a similar approach,
thus undermining the strategic goal of TICA to encourage more self-sufficiency in the
neighbouring recipient country.
3.3.3 There is a perception within TICA, among other Ministries and among other
development co-operation partners, that what is on offer through TICA is ‘stale’. It does not
reflect the expressed needs of the recipient countries, most of which are now seeking support in
the form of advanced technology.
3.3.4 An in-depth assessment of needs in priority neighbouring countries is urgently needed.
Such an assessment would take into account Thailand’s comparative advantage in some sectors,
Thailand’s recent experiences of rapid economic growth and the challenges that exposes,
Thailand’s growing need for migrant labour to allow fishing and agricultural enterprises to
function in Thailand, and Thailand’s position vis-à-vis ASEAN. Such a technical study would
highlight areas where Thailand could provide useful technical co-operation which would
contribute to a win-win situation for both Thailand and the recipient country. Alternatively,
existing country reports and needs analyses such as those produced by ADB, EC, World Bank,
for example, could be used as the basis of country needs analyses and superimposed with
Thailand’s challenges and comparative advantages.
3.3.5 In neighbouring countries which are recipients of international development assistance
there are annual or bi-annual (every two years) meetings held jointly between a group of
development co-operation partners (multilateral and bilateral) and the priority sectors in each
country. Thailand is invited to join these meetings but often TICA is effectively excluded
because the Embassies field their own diplomatic staff for these meetings rather than referring
the invitation to the designated agency. These are technical meetings: they are not diplomatic
meetings. Having the diplomatic staff from Embassies participating in the meetings compounds
the confusion between the technical role and the diplomatic role. This has a twofold effect, in
terms of external perception of Thailand’s development co-operation (see section 3.4 below), and
in terms of limiting the capacity of TICA to understand the context in which development cooperation is being requested by the sectors in each country and how it is being provided by other
partners. There is no suggestion that, with its limited budget, TICA would be able to ‘buy into’
any of the major development co-operation programmes. But there is every possibility that TICA
could offer added value to many of these programmes and projects, given its recent economic
growth experiences, its cultural closeness to a number of the countries, and the advantage, in
LAO PDR at least, of Thai language being understood throughout the country where people have
access to television. Joining in these annual commitment meetings would offer a concrete way
Final report 15.02.13
18
for TICA to engage on a collaborative level with other multilateral and bilateral development cooperation partners, to build up expertise in how they function and to use the experience to refocus on priority inputs from Thailand.
3.4
The importance of perceptions
3.4.1 While some people have commented that TICA is ‘too concerned about its status’, the
fact is that status is important when dealing with other nations and with bilateral and multilateral
development co-operation agencies. Without the appropriate government authority TICA is not
in a position to deal on an equal basis with other development co-operation agencies. This
creates a perception barrier in terms of building useful alliances and in sharing knowledge,
experience and expertise.
3.4.2 Status is also important within and across Thai Ministries and agencies. Communications
between Ministries in Thailand are fairly formal. Without a specific government requirement to
do so it is unlikely that Ministries will accept TICA as the lead agency on development cooperation, since it is a Department of a Ministry. Discussions with a limited number of other
Ministries indicate a general ambivalence towards TICA: the agency was variously described as
‘an extension of diplomatic services’, ‘providing back-up support to MOFA for developing good
diplomatic relations’. This perception undermines the potential for TICA to act as a proactive
lead agency for development co-operation.
3.4.3 TICA is described by other Ministries as having a diplomatic function rather than a
technical function. Other Ministries also argue that they should be free to pursue their technical
development co-operation interests separately, some of which would be funded through TICA.
This very limited perception of the role of the national development co-operation agency serves
as a barrier to information and knowledge sharing and a barrier to effective management of
Thailand’s development co-operation programme.
3.4.4 Countries in the region perceive TICA primarily as a source of fellowships and study
visits. For more technical programmes and projects the sector groups directly approach the
technical specialist agencies in Thailand. This situation was described by other Ministries and
agencies and through informal communication with sectors in neighbouring countries. This
perception of TICA is compounded by the fact that, as previously mentioned in Section 3.1.3
above, the development co-operation on offer is viewed as ‘stale’ and no longer relevant or
meeting the emerging needs of neighbouring countries. This is partly a budget issue, since the
TICA budget available does not offer opportunities for large scale projects or programmes. More
importantly it reflects a lack of insight or analysis on the part of TICA to keep abreast of the
changing development needs of neighbouring countries, to ensure that the services they can offer
with a limited budget at least meet the needs of the recipients.
3.4.5 Through limited discussions with other development partners who are working with
TICA there is a prevalent perception that TICA is still in a state of transition from its previous
life as DTEC, despite the re-branding of the organisation more than ten years ago. This
perception is backed up by comments about limited project management skills, very limited
technical understanding of the responsibilities associated with triangular co-operation, and
Final report 15.02.13
19
confusion about what constitutes a project, programme or activity in development co-operation
terminology.
3.4.6 There is evidence from discussions with development partners and from the report of the
Thammasat University team that other ‘emerging’ partners, in the region and elsewhere, have
grafted essential skills (management, technical, project management, and sector specific) into
their development co-operation agencies, to maximise the added value of what they have to offer
(such as in Chile, for example). Simply co-financing services provided by another donor or
partner does not qualify as triangular co-operation – it is the substantive technical inputs to the
project which reflect the trademark of triangular co-operation. In triangular co-operation all three
partners make specific and complementary contributions that create measurable added value for
the beneficiary country9. Using the opportunity of the triangular co-operation label as a public
relations opportunity is not going to build positive perceptions of Thailand as an engaged
triangular co-operation partner. The motivation to become a triangular co-operation partner,
especially as an ‘emerging’ donor, should be to adopt a new responsibility to work together to
jointly address global issues. Triangular agreements are not intended to be one-off agreements:
they are long term relationships. Through sharing the responsibilities for delivering on the
agreement in a professional technical way, the ‘emerging’ donor gains visibility and respect both
with traditional donors and with beneficiary countries.
3.4.7 While perceptions may seem to be a soft issue it is clear that even marginally negative
perceptions can have a major impact on the effectiveness of an organisation. If there is not a
robust institutional response to such perceptions through, for example, taking a much more
proactive role in the management, accountability and monitoring and evaluation of joint projects,
then the tendency is for the negative perceptions to become fixed. External perceptions of an
organisation usually find their way into the general organisational mindset. It is certainly
apparent from discussions with TICA staff that they sense TICA is not perceived as a confident,
technically capable organisation. That perception among the staff is at risk of growing into a
general organisational malaise, where there is no clear organisational mandate or organisational
identity.
4
Synthesis of findings
Based on the findings presented in Chapter 3 and on issues raised about the context of the review
at Chapter 2, this section provides a brief synthesis of the issues which need to be addressed in
order to position Thailand, through TICA, as a respected global development partner. The
synthesis is divided under two headings: system issues and technical skills issues. These will not
be new to TICA but presenting them in this way will hopefully allow MOFA and TICA to focus
more closely on issues which need to be addressed to gain Thailand much increased and
respected visibility as a global development partner and will also allow UN partners to identify
areas which they could support in helping Thailand achieve that goal.
4.1
System issues
Lack of clarity about the role and functions of TICA is undermining its effectiveness both within
the organisation and in its external relationships. Explicit acknowledgement by the government
9
Triangular co-operation: a guideline for working in practice, GIZ, 2012
Final report 15.02.13
20
of TICA as the national lead agency for development co-operation is essential if it is to take on
the role with the authority and backing necessary to function on the world stage.
The tension between the diplomatic role and the development co-operation role, and between the
co-ordination role and the implementation role, needs to be addressed and resolved at the highest
level, including Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NESDB and Cabinet.
Without an agreed and endorsed technical co-operation strategy TICA is effectively working
with its hands tied behind its back. The documented strategies produced by TICA and agreed
internally should be presented for formal adoption and endorsement to Cabinet without further
delay. Both the broader strategic framework and the strategy on triangular co-operation form the
basis for Thailand’s position and role in global development co-operation. The issues are much
too important to remain as internal documents. Both documents also offer a concrete way to
engage MOFA and other Ministries and Cabinet, to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of
TICA are well publicised and acknowledged and to clarify the expectations of others.
As it is currently structured TICA is not in a position to support the strategic and operational
needs of the agency into the future. The Civil Service Reform Commission works on the basis of
norms to determine the numbers of staff, the necessary technical skill mix and the management
structure. But civil service norms are not suitable or applicable to a technical agency. Close
analysis of other development co-operation agency structures should be undertaken with a view
to re-engineering the structure of TICA to create a smaller agency, with higher levels of relevant
skills and competencies, with a management structure which facilitates the operational activities
necessary, while at the same time establishing a solid information system to ensure full
accountability to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cabinet.
Entering into triangular co-operation agreements with other development partners is a serious
undertaking. The responsibilities which go along with such partnerships need to be explicitly
recognised and the institutional environment built to accommodate them and allow them to
function. Having numerous signed MOUs with other development partners will place a huge
demand on TICA to understand how each of the development partners operates and what TICA
needs to do in an environment of shared responsibilities. Triangular co-operation poses both
institutional demands and demands for specialist skills which TICA is currently not able to meet.
4.2
Technical skills issues
The analytical skills and specialist knowledge base available in other development co-operation
agencies (‘traditional’ or ‘emerging’) are not available in TICA. While there are historical
reasons for this the situation cannot continue into the future if Thailand is to meet its interest in
gaining a higher level of visibility and respect, as it stretches its development co-operation
involvement to Africa and the rest of the world, and as it enters into agreements with established
international development partners to join in triangular co-operation.
The skills identified at 3.3 are not an exhaustive list: additional skills will be needed depending
on the route Thailand decides to take into the future. Growth in some industries (such as the
fisheries industry, for example) may offer Thailand an opportunity to use its comparative
Final report 15.02.13
21
advantage. There is a risk that the current skills gaps will become all too obvious as triangular
projects and programmes are developed and negotiated, thus risking a loss of face for Thailand
and reluctance on the part of other development partners to engage with Thailand on an ongoing
basis.
5
Recommendations
Thailand has a long and well-respected history of ‘finding a Thai solution for a Thai problem’
rather than adopting any off-the-shelf option. So too it will be with addressing the roles and
functions and competencies required for Thailand to take its place as a respected development
co-operation partner. The following sections of this chapter respond to the requirement in the
Terms of Reference for this review (in the context of the broader review) to provide applicable
and actionable recommendations for the United Nations Joint Team, especially UNDP, UNFPA
and TICA10.
TICA does not work in a vacuum but is the visible agent of the Thai government in international
development co-operation, so the recommendations are not restricted to TICA only but also
relate to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other Ministries, the Civil Service Reform Commission,
NESDB and Cabinet, as well as to UN partners.
The recommendations presented below are grouped under three headings: 5.1 High level policy
recommendations, 5.2 Management and co-ordination recommendations, and 5.3
Recommendations for capacity development.
It should be noted that recommendations at 5.2 and 5.3 should be supported with UNJT
investment on condition that Recommendations at 5.1 are completed. Without the explicit
commitment to the two strategic documents and the re-engineering of TICA’s structure there is
little point in investing further in capacity development.
5.1
High level policy recommendations
5.1.1 Approval and endorsement of Thailand’s Development Co-operation Strategy
Framework 2012 – 2016 and Thailand Triangular Co-operation Framework.
These two documents are essential baseline policies of Thailand development co-operation. They
form the cornerstone of how Thailand will respond in the coming four years to international
development challenges. They reflect Thailand’s interest in building collaborative partnerships to
address some of the key global issues, to Thailand’s growing influence in Asia and further afield,
and to the need to support Thailand’s efforts to build sustainable trade and industry relationships
with new and emerging partners.
This is an urgent recommendation.
5.1.2 Re-engineering of TICA
10
See page 2 of TORs, ‘Specific Objectives’ paragraph 3
Final report 15.02.13
22
As the national focal point to drive Thailand’s international co-operation policy, there is a need
for the relevant agencies to undertake a detailed and comprehensive assessment to identify the
technical skills and knowledge required to restructure TICA to make it fit for purpose into the
future. Basing such an assessment on historical civil service human resource norms will simply
not address the technical skill needs of the organisation. The re-engineering of TICA should be
predicated on the acceptance by Ministry of Foreign Affairs that a fully functional technical cooperation agency, fully accountable to MOFA, needs to have institutional knowledge and skills
which meet the technical needs of undertaking the task assigned by government. The numbers
and seniority of the staff are much less important than the availability of people with the right
technical skills and knowledge.
The role of NESDB in this re-engineering process should not be underestimated. NESDB has the
overall strategic vision of Thailand’s development and growth into the future and definitions of
the expectations of a development co-operation agency in contributing to the achievement of that
goal should be made explicit by them and shared with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and TICA as it
undergoes the re-engineering.
TICA senior staff and MOFA officials have indicated interest in and preferences for a number of
the internationally respected development co-operation agencies such as GIZ, JICA and New
Zealand. Advice should be sought from one or a number of these agencies to advise on the
critical mass of skills necessary to function as a development co-operation agency in the current
and changing development climate. Equally, the review of emerging and traditional development
co-operation partners undertaken by Thammasat University as one component of this broader
review provides good examples of different management and organisational structures: these
should be studied to identify which, if any, of these structures meets the technical needs of
Thailand. In addition, MOFA and TICA senior staff have visited various technical co-operation
agencies around the world with UN partners and development co-operation partners: they will
have ideas about which structures worked most effectively and these ideas need to be harnessed
and developed into a revised architecture for TICA.
The process of identifying an appropriate organisational structure for TICA should be facilitated
by an external development co-operation specialist.
5.2
Management / co-ordination mechanisms and functions for MOFA and TICA
The changed status of TICA offers a window of opportunity to re-engineer the agency to make it
fit for purpose for the future. As recommended above in 5.1.2 the architecture of TICA needs to
be re-engineered. Alongside that, this will necessitate new ways of managing the relationship
and accountability of TICA to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between TICA and other
Ministries and agencies, and between TICA and other development co-operation partners.
The management structure of TICA currently does not meet the needs of a technical agency. The
following recommendations are made to enable the organisation to evolve into a fully
functioning development co-operation agency acting on behalf of the government to promote
Thailand’s interests and to contribute to global economic sustainability.
Final report 15.02.13
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5.2.1 Senior management positions in TICA
Once there is high level policy agreement about the technical functions of TICA, it will be clear
that the current senior management structure of TICA is not longer suitable. At least one,
preferably both, of the Deputy Director General positions in TICA should be held by a technical
specialist in development co-operation. Of course this will pose a challenge for Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, in terms of its usual diplomatic way of operating. However, in order to position
Thailand to meet its obligations as a development co-operation partner a technical senior
manager is required for TICA. The argument against appointing a technical person rather than a
diplomatic person is that many of the meetings and discussion held in MOFA are of a sensitive
political nature and only someone trained through the diplomatic route would appreciate the
nuances of the discussions. This argument can be countered by continuing to have an
appropriately well-versed diplomat as the Director General of TICA.
5.2.2 TICA independence to act on behalf of Thailand
Through approval and endorsement of both the key strategic documents (see 5.1.1 above), this
positions TICA to act within the context of Thailand’s foreign affairs policy and its National
Economic and Social Development Plan. Based on these documented strategies and on the
acceptance that TICA is a technical agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should ensure that
the technical work of the agency is not then impeded by restricting TICA’s involvement in
development co-operation issues or by excluding TICA from necessary technical activities.
TICA should be encouraged to act independently on behalf of Thailand’s development cooperation interests. Embassies should be informed, for example, that invitations to participate in
national or international discussions or technical meetings on development co-operation should
be directed to TICA, rather than fielded by Embassy staff. TICA should be encouraged to act
independently in order to fulfil its technical obligations, while at the same time respecting the
diplomatic boundaries. Building technical relationships with other development partners
(bilateral and multilateral) will enable TICA to develop the reputation and respect necessary to
operate more effectively.
5.2.3 Reporting structure and information system for international development cooperation
Co-ordination is key to technical co-operation, to ensure that ‘Team Thailand’ is supported. As
the technical agency for development co-operation TICA needs authority to co-ordinate between
relevant ministries, within relevant ministries and between the UN system and national focal
points. Reporting and information systems on development co-operation activities need to be
developed and implemented in Thailand across all of the relevant agencies and Ministries. Using
TICA as an information ‘clearing house’ and collator of all development co-operation activities,
this then contributes in a very direct way to (a) the establishment and maintenance of country
portfolios and (b) to the necessary information sharing and briefings for Ministers and senior
politicians when visiting countries with which Thailand has a development co-operation history
or when participating in international meetings on development co-operation.
The key phrase here is co-ordination: this is not a recommendation for TICA to control other
agencies’ or Ministries’ development co-operation activities.
Final report 15.02.13
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For effective co-ordination of all development co-operation activities a series of sub
recommendations should be implemented:
While there is no argument about other Ministries pursuing development co-operation activities
and no intention of restricting or hampering those activities each Ministry should be required (a)
to ensure that their proposed activities fit with the overall (TICA) development co-operation
strategy and (b) to submit information about their development co-operation activities to TICA.
Information about inputs from all sectors in Thailand should be submitted for inclusion in the
country portfolios. The information should include at least the following: sector, project TORs
and evaluations, details of technical support, expenditure, and cost sharing arrangements,
counterpart agency or Ministry. All agencies, institutions and Ministries providing development
co-operation to other countries should have a clear information-reporting line to TICA, as the
government’s development co-operation agency. Information should be collated and analysed
and presented to Cabinet and to relevant Ministers, to show the total picture of development cooperation in each sector.
Co-ordination by TICA at this level will also focus on planning – with close liaison and
consultation between individual Ministries and TICA during the drafting of their plans for
development co-operation. Individual Ministry strategic plans for development co-operation
should reference the TICA strategic plan to ensure that, at least, they address key areas of
poverty reduction, sufficiency economy, public and community health, and enterprise and also
focus on Thailand’s priority countries.
Having all the development co-operation information in one place then facilitates a regular
thorough evaluation of the impact of Thailand’s development co-operation activities, and allows
for a re-focus on priorities (sectors, or countries) where necessary.
A proposed reporting and information structure is presented in Annex 6
5.3
Capacity development to strengthen and promote Thailand’s role
5.3.1 Building capacity using Thai expertise
Some of the competencies indicated at Section 3.3 above are available in Thai agencies,
academic departments and sector specialist institutions. They are needed in TICA. This
recommendation is to build a nucleus of a technical team inside TICA (a) by recruiting
development economists and by seconding academics and sector specialists, with development
co-operation experience and expertise, into TICA, on a fixed term basis. Not all of the necessary
skills and competencies indicted at 3.3 will necessarily be available but some of the key skills are
– and they urgently need to be harnessed. In addition to recruiting into TICA a number of skilled
specialists, other skills should be secured by contracting the services of skilled development cooperation specialists to serve as members of a Technical Advisory Group to TICA, which would
offer intermittent but necessary technical inputs to support strategic and operational development
of the agency.
Final report 15.02.13
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The core technical team and the Technical Advisory Group would share knowledge, experience
and expertise of undertaking and planning development co-operation projects with a view to
building a strong technical cadre within TICA who will take these technical competencies
forward. Many of the institutes and academic departments with the necessary skills are already
well known. They include, for example, Asian Institute of Technology, IHPP, NHSO, HSRI,
Thammasat University Faculty of Political Science, Mahidol University Management
Programme, Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Economics, among others.
Skills and knowledge sharing should be undertaken in the context of policy skills development
for the four key TICA objectives – poverty reduction, sufficiency economy, public health /
community health, and enterprise development
5.3.2 Building capacity by sending TICA staff on secondment
Practical medium term exposure through secondments of 1–2 years to other development cooperation agencies will afford a number of TICA staff the opportunity to learn what structures,
systems, skills and competencies work in an agency other than their own and they can bring back
this knowledge to share in the development of TICA as a technical agency. Secondments should
be focused on development co-operation agencies with which TICA has a well established
relationship, such as GIZ and JICA, and could also include New Zealand, as it is a small but very
focused development co-operation partner.
Secondments to other agencies need to be carefully planned to ensure that the secondee will get
maximum exposure to the full range of roles, responsibilities, skills and competencies which are
available in the host agency.
5.3.3 Building capacity using external expertise
There is a longstanding relationship between TICA and a number of development co-operation
agencies. Some of these are agencies with whom TICA now has signed triangular co-operation
agreements. In the interests of enhancing TICA’s capacity to operate at the necessary technical
level it would be useful to encourage secondments from other development co-operation
agencies into TICA (e.g. from JICA, GIZ, New Zealand). Skills development and knowledge
sharing could be significantly enhanced for TICA staff through such secondments or exchanges.
Secondments into TICA would need to be planned carefully to ensure that appropriately
qualified and capable people are selected and that TICA is positioned to benefit from the skills
and knowledge sharing.
Separately from the secondments into TICA, it would be beneficial to identify specific
competencies and skills training from which TICA could benefit and to have this targeted
training provided by trainers from other development co-operation agencies. TICA already has
experience of training and development programmes provided by GIZ Thailand office: rather
than replicate these (which both parties indicate have had limited impact) it would be better to
specifically identify staff from within the re-engineered TICA technical team and match their
training needs to specific training programmes offered by GIZ and, hopefully, other development
co-operation partners. If TICA is seen to be committed to developing the necessary technical
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skills, and is willing to accept technical training from their peer agencies, this helps to reinforce
the relationships for triangular co-operation and results in a win-win situation for all parties.
5.3.4 Fellowships to build development co-operation knowledge and skills
There are various national and international programmes available which offer intensive training
and learning opportunities for those working in different aspects of development co-operation.
These range from MSc and PhD programmes such as are offered by London School of
Economics programme in development economics, and global health and development,
Maastricht University MSc on Globalisation and Development Studies, to shorter courses offered
by The Graduate Institute in Geneva on development co-operation policies. Fellowships could be
provided through UN support to appropriate programmes and universities for appropriately
qualified and committed people from TICA, with the condition that accepting a fellowship
carries with it a requirement for the recipient of the fellowship to return to TICA and give five
years service, ensuring that acquired technical skills and knowledge are used in the field of
development co-operation and that they are shared to improve the technical skills of TICA.
5.3.5 Country portfolios
The nucleus technical team (of existing TICA staff and newly recruited and seconded expertise)
should establish a programme to:
 build skills and knowledge about the priority countries
 build skills in undertaking country needs assessments
 undertake analysis of Thailand’s comparative advantage in each country and priority
sector
 document the history of technical co-operation provided by Thailand (TICA and all
sector agencies) and
 undertake impact assessments of inputs to date.
These technical outputs should be collated into country portfolios for the priority countries. The
country portfolios would contain briefs on all of the development co-operation inputs across all
sectors in Thailand, thus building relationships with other agencies and Ministries but also
building a body of knowledge about the beneficiary country’s capacity to absorb assistance and
to use it to improve and sustain their own systems.
The development – and the ongoing maintenance - of the country portfolios provides both a
useful practical learning tool and a very necessary documented body of evidence about
development co-operation projects, programmes and activities across all sectors, in the context of
the four target areas of poverty reduction, sufficiency economy, public and community health,
and community enterprise.
It is understood that an informal plan to develop such country portfolios already exists in TICA.
The plan should be further developed and targeted to the new technical team with the outputs
used as the basis for determining the rationale for future development co-operation inputs by
TICA and other agencies.
5.3.6 Building competencies in other agencies
The UNJT – specifically UNDP and UNFPA – should consider providing capacity building
skills for development co-operation to agencies which specifically address their institutional
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remits. Providing these agencies with skills and competencies in development co-operation
serves to dovetail the approach and the activities of Thai and UN partners more closely, thus
gaining maximum advantage from the inputs. A number of agencies and NGOs in Thailand are
undertaking development co-operation activities which support, for example, safer pregnancies,
safer childbirth, and illness prevention and promotion of good health for children. Building
capacity, specifically in terms of internationally accepted development co-operation principles
and practices, will inevitably have a positive impact and help to address the ongoing challenges
of the MDGs. Equally, it will allow the agencies to offer other countries the expertise gained in
Thailand in meeting the MDG challenges.
Building competencies in specific agencies does not detract from the UNJT commitment to
TICA to support it in its development as a global development co-operation partner. Providing
skills and competency training to technical agencies will, in addition to the country portfolios
and through the establishment of the TICA information clearing house, serve to enhance
Thailand’s position as a global partner.
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Annex 1
Documents consulted
The following list of is the most useful documents consulted, not a comprehensive list of all
documents consulted
11th National Economic and Social Development Plan, 2012 – 2016, NESDB
Also Executive Summary accessed at www.nesdb.go.th/portals/0/news/plan/p11/Plan11_eng.pdf
United Nations Partnership Framework for Thailand 2012 – 2016, UNDP
Development Co-operation Report 2012: Lessons in linking sustainability and development,
OECD-DAC http://www.oecd.org/doc/dcr2012
Triangular Co-operation: A guideline for working in practice, Nomos and GIZ, Langendorf,
Piefer, Knodt, Muller, Lazaro (Eds), 2012
International Development Policy Statement: Supporting sustainable development, New Zealand
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, March 2011 www.aid.govt.nz/webfm_send/3
A review of aid policy, modality and effectiveness in selected emerging and traditional donor
countries, Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University, submitted to TICA and UNFPA,
December 2012
Accra Agenda for Action (2008) http://oecd.org/dataoecd/58/16/41202012.pdf
The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005)
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/11/41/34428351.pdf
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Annex 2
Thailand Development Co-operation Budget 2013
Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency
Category
Budget (Baht)
US$ equivalent
(approximate)
Development Cooperation Budget
506,000,000
16,981,400
1. Contribution to international organizations as
40,000,000
1,342,402
450,000,000
15,102,000
360,000,000
12,081,600
90,000,000
3,020,410
15,000,000
503,401
1,000,000
33,560
Other expenditure
39,429,400
1,323,250
1.International negotiations and conference activities
2,929,400
98,310
500,000
16,780
36,000,000
1,208,160
21,280,000
714,159
13,720,000
460,444
1,000,000
33,560
545,429,400
18,304,650
membership
2. Budget for International Economic and
Technical Co-operation
- Neighbouring countries
- Other countries
3. Trilateral/Partnership Programme
4. Travelling expenses for Thai participants to
overseas training
2. International conferences
3. Support to international technical cooperation
3.1 Tax compensation for foreign experts and
international NGOs
3.2 Counterpart budget for foreign experts and
volunteers
3.3 Support for planning activities of development
cooperation programme
Total
Source: TICA
Exchange rates as per www.oand.com 29th January 2013
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Annex 3
(2008)
Thailand’s Development Co-operation Strategy Framework 2012 – 2016
The following chapter headings and contents were translated from the original Thai language by
K Banchong Amornchewin, Director of Planning and Monitoring, TICA and his assistance is
very much appreciated. This is not an official translation but presented here to give Englishspeaking readers an opportunity to get a flavour of the approach and the contents of the strategy
document. Any misinterpretations are the fault of the consultant and not K Banchong.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Overview
Direction and changes in development co-operation in line with MDGs
Improving the way aid is given
Key issues in development co-operation
South-South issues
Challenges in ODA
Thailand’s Development Co-operation
Overview
Past performance
Evaluation of Thai ODA programme
Trends, direction and change
Future direction of co-operation
SWOT analysis of THAI ODA programme
Strategic Framework (2012 – 2016 or 2013 – 2017 – not yet decided)
Overview of strategy
Foreign policy on development co-operation
Development co-operation under the NESDPlan
Vision
Our mission
Overall goal
Strategic issues
Strengthening / promoting Thailand as a centre or hub for technical cooperation
Integration of strategy and policy
Development of ODA in a more systematic way
Extending partnerships and triangular co-operation more proactively
Development co-operation to reach ASEAN community
Review of ten key areas of co-operation
Agriculture and rural development
Sufficiency economy
Community enterprise
Public health
Natural resources and the environment
Science and technology
Trade and industry
Tourism promotion
Education and Human Resource Development
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Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Energy
Target countries
Asia Pacific and neighbouring countries
Africa
Middle East
Latin America and the Caribbean
Pacific Islands
Key guidance for Thailand co-operation implementation
(Operational Framework)
Horizontal development
Aid effectiveness
Development to reach target group – more precise targeting
TICA‘s role as part of the support to solving global and regional problems
Sustainability
Transforming strategy into action
Integrating the strategy into other agencies
Preparing Country strategy reports
Realising new designs of development co-operation
Monitoring and evaluation
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Annex 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Thailand Triangular Co-operation Framework
What is triangular co-operation?
Definition
Benefits of joining in triangular co-operation
Boundaries
Key problems and obstacles
Thailand and triangular co-operation
International overview of triangular co-operation
Thailand and triangular co-operation – progress
Japan
UNDP
UNICEF
UNFPA
ESCAP
Germany
France
Sweden
Australia
New Zealand
Singapore
Brazil
Positions on triangular co-operation of key donors and development partners
Direction of triangular co-operation of donors
Policies of donors
Countries that join in triangular co-operation programmes (19 countries)
Thailand’s triangular development co-operation strategy
Overview
Overall goal
Strategic issues
External and strategic global partnerships
Promoting and networking with agencies and academics in co-operation
with triangular partnerships
Strengthening the body of knowledge and best practice of Thailand
Triangular co-operation for strengthening of region and sub region
Promote co-operation between government, private sector and civil
society in providing co-operation to other countries
Framework for Thai readiness to work on triangular co-operation
Academic competencies
Support to Thai educational agencies and universities to upgrade their training
tools for providing technical assistance
Strategic budget projection; different models
Expand development co-operation network among Thais in the key areas: helping
them to ‘internationalise’
Monitoring and evaluation
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Annex 5
Priority countries
The Thai Government, through TICA, has been providing technical assistance to neighbouring countries
and other developing countries under various frameworks such as bilateral, sub-regional, regional,
trilateral and multilateral levels:
Southeast Asia:
Lao PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam,
Other ASEAN
South Asia:
1
Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh
2
Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and India
Central Asia:
1
Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic,
2
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
3
Afghanistan
Middle East:
Palestine, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, Iran, Iraq
Africa:
1
Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Ghana, Angola, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia,
2
Madagascar, Gabon, South Sudan, Tanzania, Botswana, Benin, Namibia, Zambia, Mali,
Swaziland, Lesotho, Seychelles
3
Djibouti, Comoros, Rwanda, Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, Guinea, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger,
Malawi
Partnerships: Egypt, South Africa
South America and Caribbean:
1
High developing countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Cuba, Peru
2
Low developing countries: other than (1)
Pacific Islands
All
Regional & Sub-regional in Asia:
AEC (ASEAN Economic Community)
ACMECS (Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy)
GMS (Greater Mekong Sub-region)
ASEAN – IAI (ASEAN-Initiative for ASEAN Integration)
IMT – GT (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand – Growth Triangle)
BIMSTEC
US-LMI (US-Lower Mekong Initiative)
Mekong-ROK Cooperation
Mekong-Japan Cooperation
IOR-ARC (Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Co-operation)
Source: TICA
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Annex 6
Proposal for information flow
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