Guidelines for estimating an appropriate wastewater treatment system: A case study of Health Region 8, Udon Thani Province

Abstract

Abstract

           This participatory action research (PAR), titled Guidelines for estimating an appropriate wastewater treatment system: A case study of Health Region 8, Udon Thani Province, aimed to develop a guideline for estimating an appropriate budget for a wastewater treatment system and to evaluate the satisfaction with the developed guideline. The study employed the PAR process, which consists of four main steps: Step 1: Planning, which involved analyzing past wastewater treatment budget allocation problems and holding a joint meeting with a network of relevant stakeholders to find a solution. Step 2: Acting, which involved developing a new budgeting guideline that integrates the existing guidelines from the Bureau of Public Health Administration, the Department of Health Service Support, and Health Region 8 Office. Step 3: Observing, which involved testing the developed guideline and collecting satisfaction data. Step 4: Reflecting, which involved summarizing the evaluation results and refining the guideline.

           The research found that the developed guideline effectively solved the problem. It consists of two main parts: Part 1, readiness for requesting support for wastewater treatment system blueprints (4 steps), and Part 2, readiness for requesting a budget for the wastewater treatment system (3 steps). Overall satisfaction with the guideline was at a high level (Part 1: x̅ = 4.0268, S.D. = 0.7161 and Part 2: x̅ = 4.4196, S.D. = 0.6927), indicating that the participatory approach effectively addressed the real-world needs and problems.