Community welfare governance: Social innovation through a self-reliant and sustainable system

In Thailand, government officials and public sector employees tend to receive better welfare benefits than the general public. The objectives of this research are to study social innovation in community welfare funds, to explore the conditions and components of strong community welfare funds, and to examine development approaches for community welfare funds in the developmental phase. This research employs a qualitative methodology, utilizing focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with 50 community welfare fund leaders, six academics, and policymakers, totaling 56 participants. The key conclusion is that community welfare represents social innovation, managed by the community with co-funding from the state. Communities manage and design welfare systems to meet the needs of their members from birth to old age, encompassing education, healthcare, and living standards, as well as illness and death. There are various welfare services that the government cannot provide but communities that collaboratively design their own welfare systems can effectively address the specific needs and necessities of their members. Key factors of a strong community include honesty, transparency, and the volunteer spirit of the committee. Developing funds have learned from study visits and applied these lessons to improve, aiming to become strong funds in the future.