A case study of the interests and needs of the district director to improve job performance in the Bangkok metropolitan administration

This research identifies the professional development needs of fifty District Directors employed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Bangkok, Thailand, in order to produce an operational strategy for a learning organisation and an improvement in work quality. The population sample consists of the Permanent Secretary, two Deputy Permanent Secretaries, and all fifty District Directors of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The research involves a Proactive Evaluation, in which a needs assessment of a group of fifty District Directors is undertaken. A mixed methods approach, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, is applied. The quantitative research component applies a three-round Delphi survey of the fifty District Directors. The Delphi survey identified seven areas from the sixteen originally submitted; as well, a set of five professional development strategies is identified. The seven elements needed to improve their skills and competencies were: leading an organisation; administering responsibilities rapidly and transparently in order to provide effective service; being mature; establishing good human relationships; collaborating effectively with people and their organizations; providing moral leadership that is concerned with equity and equality; understanding people in order to satisfy their needs. The five professional development strategies required to promote these needs were: improving skills and competencies; successful training; overcoming problems with training; the duration of training programs; selecting suitable training venues. Finally, in order to draw these various elements together, a professional development training policy designed to benefit present and future District Directors of the BMA is developed.