Digital Public Service Ecosystems in Local Governance: Insights from Northeastern Thailand’s Administrative Organizations

Abstract

This study examines the digital public service ecosystems within Local Administrative Organizations (LAOs) in Northeastern Thailand, focusing on the factors that facilitate or hinder the adoption of key digital technologies. The research employs a qualitative design, involving in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 56 informants across 20 LAOs, to explore eight core elements of digital public services: regulatory frameworks, organizational structure, digital literacy, infrastructure, service activities, stakeholder collaborations, citizen engagement, and budget allocations. The findings indicate that while national policies and certain regulatory instruments provide an enabling environment, fragmented governance, constrained budgets, and insufficient human resource capacity persist as significant barriers to the adoption of sustainable digital practices. Larger municipalities demonstrate higher levels of digital integration and often have dedicated IT units, whereas smaller or resource-constrained LAOs struggle to deliver even basic e-services. Drawing on Digital Ecosystem Theory, this study proposes a dual strategy that combines top-down support—encompassing funding, policy directives, and legislative reforms—with bottom-up initiatives focused on local innovation, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and citizen-oriented approaches. This integrated model underscores that robust infrastructure and regulatory clarity alone are insufficient without parallel investments in institutional capacity-building and community outreach. The policy recommendations include establishing specialized IT units within LAOs, refining budgetary allocations for digital initiatives, and enhancing national-level coordination to optimize resource allocation.