Provincial government agency public services: An analysis of their internal competency, internal and external environment factors

Abstract

Public services (PS) in modern societies have become increasingly difficult to keep up with, creating a strain on governments with limited budgets. As a result, new ways of delivering public value must be sought. In order to better understand the factors that influence public services of the Thai provincial government agency public services (PGAPS), the authors conducted a stratified random sample survey of 400 individuals in a rural province of Northern Thailand in 2021. The latent variable path analysis used LISREL 9.10, with the results showing that internal competency factors (ICF) were ranked as very strong, external environment factors (EEF) as strong, and internal environment factors (IEF) as weak. All four hypotheses were also supported, with an individual’s personal and educational factors having a significant effect on PGAPS. The authors suggest that gender could be used to limit corruption’s influence and should be explored in greater detail in further studies. Effective PS delivery requires good governance, community stakeholder involvement, and cross-organizational collective leadership. Good governance should also enhance economic, social, and political development values. Additionally, this study provides valuable insights for municipalities to improve their implementation processes, increase transparency, and ensure fiscal responsibility (OECD & ADB, 2019).