Systems and Mechanisms Development to drive Community Based Research (CBR) in Bangkok

Abstract

The research project titled “Systems and Mechanisms Development to drive Community Based Research (CBR)  in Bangkok by Krirk University for the 2561 Fiscal Year” is a community-based research project that has the following objectives : 1)  To develop CBR projects to be conducted in the responsible areas,  follow up and support Krirk University's community-based research to meet goals with high quality and efficiency, 2) To develop systems and mechanisms used to support “Krirk University's academic researchers” and “Community-based researchers" doing  concrete and efficient community-based research, 3) To search a model of developing, following up and supporting CBR in urban areas  to be applied to guidelines for developing a Community-Based Innovation Research Center  in urban areas in the future, and 4) To analyze lessons learned in terms of knowledge about systems and mechanisms used to support Krirk university’s community-based research which is part of the research projects responsible for the targeted areas such as Bang khen, Sai Mai, Lak Si  and Don Mueang Districts. The approach used in this research study was an  analysis and a synthesis of knowledge about systems and mechanisms development to drive Krirk University’s CBR in the form of following up and supporting lessons learned by community-based researchers, who are both academic researchers and  community members participating in Krirk University’s CBR projects. They also made a study visit to a CBR Coordination Center.

The researchers found that the University succeeded in developing CB research questions in responsible areas, following up and supporting the research projects to achieve their goals for the research projects in Bang khen, Sai Mai, Lak Si and Don Mueang Districts respectively. All research projects conducted in all areas met the targets supported by the mechanism team efficiently.  The systems and mechanisms supporting the community-based researchers are clear and concrete. In other words, the learning potential development of the mechanism team in cooperation with other academic researchers trained by an agency supporting CBR and lessons learned from the networks working on CBR were useful and effective.  As a result, all the knowledge gathered from various sources can be applied to the systems and mechanisms development for driving and supporting CBR continuously. Importantly, the mechanism team working with the community network partners is required to define a targeted area for developing an issue-oriented question. The mechanism team has a process of working with the communities for building community- based researchers and setting up an agency for learning exchange and disseminating CBR, especially CBR in urban areas. 

 The mechanism team greatly benefited from all the lessons learned in terms of knowledge about systems and mechanisms used to support Krirk university’s community-based research. From the lessons learned the team was able to extract many suggestions for supporting community- based researchers that can be further applied appropriately and efficiently.