THE ROLES OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION ACCORDING TO THE AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF SUBDISTRICT HEADMAN, VILLAGE HEADMAN, DEPUTY SUBDISTRICT HEADMAN, SUBDISTRICT HEAIH OFFICERS, AND ASSISTANT VILLAGE HEADMAN IN THA RUEA DISTRICT, PHRA NAKHON SI AYUTTHAYA PROVINCE

Abstract

This research aimed to: (1) examine opinions on the roles of local administration; (2) compare opinions on the roles of local administration classified by personal factors; and (3) propose guidelines for the development of local administrative roles. The research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, a comparative study was carried out involving a sample group of 175 individuals, including subdistrict chiefs (Kamnan), village heads, deputy subdistrict chiefs, subdistrict health officers, and assistant village heads in Tha Ruea District. A questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.95 was used as the research instrument. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. In the second phase, development guidelines were proposed based on in-depth interviews with 11 key informants selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using content analysis.

The findings revealed that: (1) the overall performance of local administrative officers in Tha Ruea District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province was at a high level, with the highest average score in the area of public welfare activities; (2) opinions varied significantly by personal factors such as age, position, length of service, and compensation, with statistically significant differences; and (3) the recommended guidelines for improving local administrative roles include promoting capacity-building training, enhancing access to information, and encouraging citizen participation at all levels.