Knowledge Management

Knowledge Management (KM)

This special lecture was given when I was invited to be a trainer for the “how to build working strength seminar”. This project was organized in order to increase the educational personnel’s working ability during May 16-17, 2008 at The Airport Hotel in Udon Thani Province under the topic “KM Energetic story”

Think out of the Frame

Thank you Mr. Prawet Rattanawong and Mr. Weera Takatin, the Udonthani Educational Service Area Office 3’s vice director, for seeing my working competence. Two days ago (May 14, 2008), I was contacted by the vice director of the Udonthani Education Service Area Office 3, Mr. Weera Takatin to give a special lecture for the Knowledge Management (KM) project. This project was organized by UESAO (Udonthani Educational Service Area Office 3) on the topic of an “Energetic story”. There were 87 UESAO personnel trainees including the USEAO’s vice director and janitors. The lecture was about how to think and how to work effectively. At first, I was confused and didn’t understand why I was chosen to be the lecturer for this seminar, since I was only a small low graded personnel who has no great successful story for others. However, when I was honored by the high administrator of the USEAO, I was pleased to accept the task. Then I asked “ Are you sure that what I have done will be accepted, acknowledged, and respected especially, by the person who did not agree with my work. I protested constantly. but their answer was “I’m sure that your achievement is KM”. So the readers and the listeners will decide for themselves whether what I have done was KM or not.

Before I start, I would like to introduce myself. I am now an educational academic 7 in the educational management group, at Udon Thani Educational Service Area Office 3. Our responsibility is educational scholarship. We are responsible for 228 schools, 56,212 students. I earned bachelor’s degrees in accounting from Sukhothaithamathirach University and educational computer technology from Rachabhat University. Now, I am a master’s degree candidate in Educational Administration at Khonkaen University of Thailand.

Now, I am going to tell the step and my working process.

Around early February 2008, Mr.Somkiat Deepa, the representative of Prasert-Tasanee Pungkuman Foundation, came to UESAO 3 to inquire about for giving scholarship to the students who are poor in the northeastern region. He offered to give 70-80 scholarships of 7,000 baht each. Thus, each UESAO would get around 20 scholarship. Mr. Somkiat told me that he had gone to several Educational service areas, about 7-8 Educational service areas both inside and outside Udon Thani Province. When he got the basic information, he would make an analysis of any possible scholarships, and then he would make a proposal at the Prasert-Tasanee Pungkuman Foundation committees meeting.

After I had received this information, I suddenly had an “Out of the frame” idea. I followed the proverb that says “Know them, Know us, make war one hundred times, win one hundred times”. I started to ask for information from the other educational service areas and got the same information: they all were contacted by the Prasert-Tasanee Pungkuman Foundation representative, but nothing happened. I know, that is the weak point of a governmental system. We just only keep waiting for orders from policy makers like a rambutan seller who keeps waiting for customers at the market. When the market is slow the rambutans are bad because there are no buyers. I have a question in my mind: can we stand seeing the rambutan rotting. I mean can we standby doing nothing while our 56.212 poor students need assistance. And why not help our students as a rambutan seller brings the products to the customers in order to sell them quickly, and gain more profits.

Then I began implementing a strategy of holding to the principle of “bringing products to the buyers”. I gave to Mr. Somkiet all of the information about the number of schools and students via e-mail and messenger. It was not necessary for him to come to meet me every time he needed information. Thus, we met just only once.

One day, in the middle of February 2008. I got good news from Mr. Somkiet that the committees decided to give us about 70 scholarships, and he emphasized that the committees needed to visit the students personally. They need to see the true living conditions of the 161 students who applied for the scholarships. I consulted with the service area in regards to this case, there were both agreements and disagreements. Some said “Just give it to someone, it is just only 5,000 baht, why make it complicated”. Oppositely, I didn’t agree with them, I thought we should satisfy them as much as possible, because it is the foundation’s intention. Moreover, I began to put the pieces together:

Visiting 161 students was so problematic because it required a lot of manpower and budgets. However, if there was a private organization who wanted to work with us, why not accept their assistance?
I wanted raw data directly from this students, but it was not possible for me because of the limited budget. Accepting a lending hand from this organization was a good strategy.

3. I planed to document the project by taking pictures

and keep them on a CD.

With continuing collaboration with the foundation’s team, Udon Thani Education Service Area Office 3 has received a total of 143 scholarships including consumer goods. That was more than my expectation. Importantly, we spent only 1,132 baht for the documentation.

That was not the end of the project, I was still involved in more activities. One day, as I drove past Mark Khang School (a school in Muang District, Udon Thani Prov ince) I saw a man walking down the street. I recognized that he lives in Nonghan District, so I gave him a ride because I was going there to work, too. Udon Thani Education Service Area Office 3 is located there, and it is about 35 kilometers from Udon Thani. In the car, I proudly told him that I could find scholarships from the foundations for the poor students. He admired my sincerity and hard efforts and he promised to help me. He said “ I will give you a hand”. This gave our organization another opportunity, because I can do my job any time, any place, and any occasion, even when I am driving. By the sense of my professional seller, I gave him the students information CD together with my telephone number.

A week, later I received a call from a foreigner, Mr. Paul Hemmaplardh, an American. He told me that he was impressed for my sacrifice and was going to transfer $ 1,000 or about 29,000 baht (Exchange rate at that time) for the poor students. I refused that money, because I did not want money to pass through the middle man. I wanted it to be transparent, and it would be better if the money directly reached the receiver. Moreover, I felt so confident that if he could see the real state of the schools and the students, we would get more than that. Therefore, he told me to propose the name of a student.

Two weeks after that, I heard from Mr. Paul again,

He came representing himself, a friend named Mr. Fread Croson, and others, gave 31,000 baht to Arpatsara Santon, a fourth grade student from Sayarmkolakarn 3 school, Chaiwan District. They also gave money to the school to fund its school lunch program. Arpatsara is sick with leukemia disease. She needs to take chemo therapy twice a month for 10 years in order to recover. In addition, he promised to come back to renovate the school’s deteriorate building. However, I have never met him. At that time, I had spent only 7 baht for the CD. Now Arpatsara’s relative and the school’s director have opened a bank account and report to Mr. Paul and Mr. Fred periodically.

Believe it or not, it took only three months for these two jobs and used no more than 1,139 baht for the data copy and CD and we disbursed 802,200 baht in scholarships, which has never been done in the UESAO history. This was not due to luck but rather it was an opportunity. Do you think this is KM or not?.

Finally, I am as a teacher who want to see my 56,212 students have an equal educational opportunity. I would like to thank Mr. Praset and Mrs. Tassanee Pungkumarn for donating their personal money to the poor students. Thank you, Mr. Somkiat Deepa for understanding my genuine intention, Thank you, Mr.Chaiwat Piboolsirikul, Piboolsiriosot’s owner, for volunteering to be in my network. Thank you to younger sister, Tan, Mui, my older sister Noi, Pairin, my older brother Prapan for helping without return. Thank you, vice director, Mr. Sukan Sangchang for giving advice all the time. Finally, I would to thank Dr. Supot Duangnet and Mr. Finnbogi Samuelsen for cheering me up and guiding my work.

There are plenty of underprivileged students in northeastern Thailand. If you read my essay and want to offer some assistance to our students. Please spread this essay to your friends or you can contact me at [email protected] or by telephone +66 (0)81 717 6078

I work with “the spirit of a teacher” and “to honor my family”

Think out of the Frame

Niparat Wongwicha

Educationist

Educational Management Group

Udon Thani Education Service Area Office 3 (UESAO)