DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY POLICY INITIATION OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATIONS: THE LESSONS OF SMART CITY DEVELOPMENT IN THAILAND

Abstract

This study aims to 1) study the context of smart city (SC) development, 2) analyze the key success factors of applying digital technology to develop a SC, and 3) sum up the lessons from being a SC to formulate strategies and guidelines for digital technology development of local administrative organizations (LAOs). A qualitative method was used to study in the case studies of three LAOs in Thailand. The findings reveal that 1) although each local administrative organization has its own context in driving digital technology into SC development but in every organization, there are a process to develop a stable technology system in urban administration and management under the executive policy, knowledgeable and skilled personnels with practical potential, and guidelines for urban administration and management by integrating various public services with digital technology, 2) the key success factors of applying digital technology to develop a SC are included of (1) having an obvious digital strategy and vision, (2) digitalization and creating digital work culture, (3) digital transformation and management, and (4) conditions of using digital technology to completely transform the organization, and 3) the lessons from being a SC to formulate strategies and guidelines for digital technology development of LAOs such as policy formulation that aims to enhance urban administration and management with digital technology, database usage, making decisions on urban development in accordance with the problems and needs of the people, networks of public sectors collaborating with local agencies in designing and developing digital technology system, having sufficient human resources and materials, integrations of plans and projects and activities to upgrade local development to a SC, etc.