Conflict, Legitimacy and Government Reform: Equitable Allocation of ...

Reforming Local Government for the Achievement of Fairness in Thai Society
From Conflict to Innovation:
Participatory Budgeting in Suanmon Tambon
Administrative Organization, Khonkaen
Phavinee Chanyprakhang
Abstract
Conflict is not necessarily negative.
S o m e t i m e s i t i s a s t i m u l u s o f
innovation, for new, creative ideas,
procedures or approaches to mitigate and
s o l v e p r o b l e m s . S u a n m o n Ta m b o n
Administrative Organization’s participatory
b u d g e t i n g c a n b e a g o o d e x a m p l e o f
changing conflict into innovation. This paper
explores how Suanmon TAO managed to
discard an old, conflicting, pork-barreling
budget allocation approach and set up
participatory budgeting in which citizens
deliberate and negotiate over the distribution
of public financial resources. Suanmon
TAO’s participatory budgeting not only
reduces heated conflict, but also improves
performance and responsiveness to citizens’
needs.
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