STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS IN DRIVING AREA-BASED COLLABORATION TO REDUCE EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITY IN CHIANG RAI PROVINCE

Abstract

The research article entitled “Stakeholder Analysis in Driving Area-Based Collaboration to Reduce Educational Inequality in Chiang Rai Province” aimed to: 1) Analyze the stakeholders involved in driving area-based collaboration to reduce educational inequality in Chiang Rai Province; and 2) Examine the linkages among stakeholders based on the CATWOE framework. This analytical research was an extension of a completed research project, utilizing an existing database derived from a mixed-methods research design. The study was conducted in the Regional Education Office No. 16 and the Chiang Rai Provincial Education Office. The target group consisted of 36 members of the committees and working groups responsible for educational collaboration. The research instruments included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions, while the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The findings revealed that: 1) Although the stakeholder structure was comprehensive in terms of organizational representation, the actual implementation of collaborative operations was at a moderate level, whereas the identified needs were at a high level, reflecting a gap between formal organizational structures and effective collaborative practices, particularly in the areas of interagency coordination, information sharing, and the establishment of shared roles among the relevant organizations; and 2) The CATWOE framework clearly demonstrated the systemic relationships among stakeholders, while the TOWS Matrix transformed the analytical findings into strategic recommendations for developing databases of special target groups, enhancing fundamental competencies, expanding opportunities for early childhood education, promoting educational development in border areas and special economic zones, and strengthening infrastructure and human resources. The successful reduction of educational inequality depends on the integration of collaboration among government agencies, the private sector, civil society organizations, and educational institutions within the area. Reducing educational inequality therefore requires strengthening process-oriented collaborative mechanisms that enable stakeholders to exercise shared decision-making authority, utilize shared information, and assume collective responsibility for sustainable learner outcomes.