Suriyon Thunkijjanukij, Senior Advisor of NESDC“If we adopt the Policy Lab thinking, we will understand how little things can start a ripple effect and determine the success or failure of a policy. Therefore, we need to test it before applying it to a larger portion. We need to put the whole process to the test, from the beginning to completion. This is the importance of Policy Lab,” added Suriyon .
Experimentation is not the only prominent feature. Looking into the whole process that Nitasmai described, it is clear that throughout its policy development process, Thailand Policy Lab opens for participation of affected citizens in every step.
“Our core is Citizen Engagement. This goes beyond referendum. We must involve all parties in the policy design process, find a solution together. By including the lived experience of the people in policy design, we are able to respond more accurately to the main issue,” said Nitasmai. She explained that social media had become a crucial tool in drawing citizen engagement, such as providing a platform to disseminate online surveys. It is accompanied by other methods to ensure the participation of people from various demographic groups.
Citizen engagement benefits the policymakers, enabling them to design a policy that more accurately responds to the needs. At the same time, people also benefit from it. In this fast-changing world, Thai citizens are becoming more active and wanting to see a leaping growth in society. They no longer wait for the government to think for them. They are demanding to be included in designing and making decisions for the future of their society.
“Our concept is to democratise the decision making and policy design process, for people to come and voice their opinions on the issues. No matter what you do or how much you earn, we believe everyone has a point to exchange and collaborate,” said Mr. Meyer.
“Our concept is to democratise the decision making and policy design process.”
“We must root out the idea that people are clueless or that some people are of no help. Everyone has their purpose. For example, following the Nepal earthquake, we planned to rebuild the destroyed houses. At one point, it dawned on us that all people coming to this project, whether architects or engineers are all men. No women were involved, although they spent even more time at home. They know inside and out the function and purpose of each part of the house and where they should be located. We brought women to participate, and the results were noticeably improved,” Mr. Meyer added.
“Policy Lab can help reform the country because decision-makers traditionally are the elites,” said Suriyon.
“What is often overlooked in policy-making is how the policy afflicts people. And people who were afflicted, of course, want to get involved in the government’s policy design or solution. Most people might not have been trained or educated in the policy-making field and do not express in an academically appropriate manner, but their sufferings and expectations are real,” said Suriyon.
“Social Listening can enhance the psychological interpretation of people and reveal their feelings or expectations. This must be accompanied by a development value that sees people as human, respects citizenship and their legitimate right to participate in designing policies. They could speak a different language or are not well-versed in academic jargon, but we must understand them. This is the core of Policy Lab, which will lead to a more effective bureaucracy, a more people-centered policy-making process. Citizen will not be considered as triviality in the process anymore,” said Suriyon.
A response to the generation of active youth
As people’s voices become a focus, Thailand Policy Lab has to handle various challenges, for each person faces different problems and has different perspectives. To consider an issue, it should meet both NESDC’s National Economic and Social Development Plan and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) driven by UNDP.
Nitasmai revealed that Thailand Policy Lab has initially set 4-5 main issues, such as inequality, digital disruption, climate change, tourism, gender equality, and a recent pilot issue: youth.
Youth is the issue that came to NESDC’s attention. It is one of the key issues included in the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan that is due to begin in 2022. The first major challenge that NESDC forwarded to Thailand Policy Lab, it is in the survey process to find issues that are considered most urgent or relevant by the youth.
This issue was raised amidst the social and political atmosphere that is becoming sensitive to the generation gap, a major challenge in Thai society. Young people are demanding that their voices be listened to. As social listening and public participation are central to its approach, Thailand Policy Lab could be a space to listen to the current demands of the young generation.
“Youth’s ideas and those of people in control of the country’s economy and society did not go along in the past. The discrepancy is vast. For Thailand to move forward, it is imperative that they must be involved, and their voices must be heard,” said Suriyon.
Nitasmai agreed. “Youths are the driving force. They can help us find solutions to several issues. They are the country’s future, are enthusiastic and curious about what happens around them, and are ready to call out on issues. Therefore, bringing them to engage from the beginning, to share the challenges they face, will create a sense of ownership towards society. Starting from the youth is a great beginning as it has a potential to grow into other aspects.”
“I am glad that young people today become increasingly aware and active in public policy, as they are facing multitudes of challenges. At the same time, they might not have a complete understanding of the government’s policy development because they do not see the whole process. They only see that the implemented policies do not respond to their needs or do not improve their quality of life. By engaging them, they will get to see the process and limitations of policy making. They will learn that reaching a conclusion that satisfies everyone is not easy. By letting them in on the process, they will have a better understanding of what is or is not possible,” said Nitasmai.
Similarly, Suriyon said “they should get to see the complex nature of development process in the real world. However, the policymakers must also try to understand them, that what they have to say is not silly. Do not dismiss them for they have lesser experience. Lots of their concerns are reflective of the reality today, which is crucial to country development. We have to discern that signal.”
“Do not dismiss them for they have lesser experience. Lots of their concerns are reflective of the reality today, which is crucial to country development.”
Break the bureaucracy barrier: elevate Thai policy to the ASEAN model
Thailand Policy Lab merely turned six months since its formation, and most projects are in their infancy. It is too soon to evaluate the success of the first Policy Lab of Thailand, whose path ahead is long and challenging.
“I want Thailand Policy Lab to inspire not only policymakers or innovators but also general people. We need them to engage in policy development and create a truly citizen-driven policy,” said Nitasmai.
Apart from public policy development, Thailand Policy Lab aims to cultivate capabilities among public policy workers, whether in the government, private, or education sector, and establish a networking platform for innovators to exchange knowledge. The latter has been carried out, such as knowledge sharing event on policy innovation with Thailand Institute of Justice, and much more to come.
Thailand Policy Lab does not limit its goals to Thailand. It also aims to become a model to ASEAN member countries, a regional source of knowledge and resources where they can learn and adopt the method, as ASEAN nations are facing similar challenges.
Of course, before achieving this ambition, Thailand Policy Lab must prove itself successful at the national level first.
“Our highest expectation is, parts of the bureaucracy will become skilled in using the Policy lab tool to effectively design policies. Thailand Policy Lab should be recognised as a proper tool to apply to national public policy development,” said Suriyon.
But bringing down the numerous obstacles so rooted in Thai bureaucratic culture is not simple. Introducing the concept of the policy development process and organisational culture in line with Policy Lab, a foreign concept to Thai bureaucracy, could be the biggest challenge to Thailand Policy Lab.
“Is this a challenge to us? Personally, I think there are both old-school government officials and younger officials. We have many creative, younger officials. I believe the new generation of government officials can help further our objectives and believe that the collaboration of NESDC helps clear the path to some extent,” said Nitasmai.
“I believe the new generation of government officials can help further our objectives and believe that the collaboration of NESDC helps clear the path to some extent.”
Meanwhile, Suriyon said “a benefit of having Thailand Policy Lab as a NESDC unit is that our agency can accept any issue and can work with any agency. They are willing to listen to us because we are considered a neutral agency that has no interest of our own, focusing only on public interest.
“With that said, Policy Lab cannot be disassociated from bureaucracy. We must admit that bureaucracy remains the key mechanism on public policy; this is true for any country. Thai bureaucracy has its systematic problems that we need to consider. As a result, we established our Policy Lab as a slightly separate function, allowing its freedom from certain bureaucratic restrictions. Nevertheless, during the design, analysis, and experimentation process, Thailand Policy Lab still needs to work with the responsible agency,” said Suriyon.
Despite a level of independent functions under the Thai bureaucratic system, Thailand Policy Lab is not without challenges. From Meyer’s view, a major obstacle that Thailand Policy Lab must eliminate is the mindset and working style that are embedded within the Thai bureaucracy.
“One of the main challenges is the conservative mindset. Convincing people to try a new, more challenging thing, be it mindset or working style, is not easy,” said Meyer. “We can invite them to join trainings or events organised by Thailand Policy Lab, but if they come with a closed mind like a fully soaked sponge, we cannot get to them. This is an important obstacle to us.”
“What I want to do now is encourage a work culture where everyone constantly comes up with questions or challenge to themselves, and a work culture that promotes more collaborations,” said Meyer.
“I should emphasise that citizens, organisations, and governments are facing increasingly complex challenges. Old formulas cannot tackle those new problems; they require new ideas and new actions,” said Meyer.