Ex-post Evaluation

1.1 Background of the Project

The Project was the 4th Project-Type Technical Cooperation extended to the King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) since 1961. It was emerging that the needs of researchers and engineers having adequate capabilities to conduct advanced research and development were increased under industrial restructuring in Thailand. Particularly, the needs of human resources in the field of communication and information technology (CIT) were rapidly increasing with the expansion of market and economic growth in Thailand.

1.2 Project Overview

Based on the background information, the Royal Thai Government, in 1966, submitted the request to Japan for implementation of Project-type Technical Cooperation aiming at strengthening KMITL’s research capability by establishing a research center for communication and information technology. In response to the requests, the Japanese Government conducted a preliminary study in 1996 and a long-term study in 1997. Based on the results of these studies, the Record of Discussion (R/D) was signed between Japanese Implementation Study Team and KMITL on the Project in July 1997 and in October of the same year the Research Center for Communication and Information Technology (ReCCIT) in KMITL was established.

(1) Overall Goal

KMITL reaches to international level in the field of communication and information technology and related fields (*the Field) at the Research Center for Communication and Information Technology and the Laboratories

(2) Project Purpose

1) The research capability of the Field in the ReCCIT and the Laboratories is strengthened up to international level.
2) The research program of the Field in the ReCCIT and the Laboratories for graduate studies are upgraded to international level.

(3) Outputs

1) More advanced researches in the Field is conducted in the ReCCIT and the Laboratories under the appropriate research management system;
2) The updated facilities/equipment/materials are available in the ReCCIT and the Laboratories.
3) Revised research programs for graduate studies in the Field are conducted in the ReCCIT and the Laboratories.
4) Cooperation in research of the Field is expanded between the ReCCIT and other domestic and international organizations.
5) Administrative management of the ReCCIT is established.
6) Financial source of the ReCCIT is secured.

(5) Inputs

Japanese side:

Thai Side:

3.1 Summary of Ex-Post Evaluation Result

(1) Impact

The impact of the Project was moderate in terms of the attainment of the overall goal. The overall degrees earned at the ReCCIT laboratories in relation to those of the Faculty of Engineering have increased, but not so impressively when comparing between the Project period and the period after Project completion. During the Project period (1998-2002), there were 9 Doctors and 157 Masters, while after the Project completion, (2003-2004), there were 9 Doctors and 139 Master. However, between the 5-year Project period from 1998 to 2002 and the 3-year period after the Project completion from 2003-2005, it is found that the percentage of Doctoral degrees earned increased from 64.3% to 75%, while the percentage of Master’s degrees earned increased from 28.7% to 39.8%. These can be seen from Table 3-1 and 3-2 as well. Moreover, the graduate students were increased from the total of 146 (Master 117 and Doctor 29) in 2002 to 159 (Master 112 Doctor 47) in 2003 and to 165 (Master 119 and Doctor 46) in 2004, or averagely 6% increase per year.

There were some unanticipated positive impacts found relating to five aspects: (1) the promotion of academic staffs to higher professional ranks (full professor, associate professors, and assistant professors) as a result of the research work carried out at the ReCCIT; (2) the appointment of faculty member to Senior Researcher by the Thai Research Funds; (3) Knowledge gained from the ReCCIT’s research were disseminated to teaching and learning in Thai colleges and universities by both academic staffs and ReCCIT graduates who were regular staffs of various higher institutions before studying at the ReCCIT for their Master degrees and Doctor degrees; (4) The ReCCIT has been regularly visited by ICT researchers, academic and professional staffs of universities in Thailand and neighboring countries, to learn the new developments of ICT contents and innovation as well as research methodology and research techniques and (5) Collaborations between KMITL/Faculty of Engineering and regional universities in “The Information Technology Bridge (IT Bridge) Project in Lao PDR” and collaboration of KMITL to ASEAN University Network – Southeast Asia Engineering Education Network (AUN/SEED-Net) Program. The contributions from ReCCIT to both IT Bridge and AUN/SEED-Net are in the form of human resources and research facilities. Many professors and lecturers from ReCCIT have provided support in many different ways to both IT Bridge and AUN/SEED-Net. Laboratories and facilities at ReCCIT have also been used to conduct research by students from both Projects as well. Since ReCCIT researchers were mainly from the Faculty of Engineering, the research works, experiences, and research skills will certainly be essential parts of the extension of activities in the regional level. This will ultimately bring forth to further collaborations with other universities to help upgrade research and capabilities.

(2) Sustainability

The technical sustainability of the Project is evaluated as high because the ReCCIT staff’s technical skills/capability of the Field and Laboratory in doing research and in upgrading research programs are maintained up to the international level. The ReCCIT’s researches are continuously and gradually recognized by the research communities both in Thailand and abroad, as evidenced from the increasing number of research work that were published in international journals and the increasing number of the research papers that were accepted and presented in international conferences after the Project period. The average number of research work and publications per year during 2003-2005, was 29.4 papers higher or increased by 26.11% as compared to those during the Project period. Besides, technical skills in maintaining or upgrading the equipment provided by the Project are considered sufficient through observation of staff’s capabilities in maintaining and modifying equipment for daily utilization.

The organizational sustainability is evaluated maintained considering that, though the ReCCIT status has not yet been upgraded to a Faculty level as targeted in the Project Agreement, its status as an internal unit within KMITL makes it possible for the ReCCIT to secure personnel, budget, logistics, and other support from KMITL.

The overall financial aspect was evaluated as maintained owing to ReCCIT’s capability in securing research funds both from KMITL and other organizations. However, since the ReCCIT’s status has not yet been upgraded, the ReCCIT cannot receive its own budgets directly from the Government. This affects on availability of funds for replacement and repair of equipment.

The sustainability of the Project effects, in terms of research and academic activities, is evaluated as high because the overall technical operation and research activities in terms of project activities, and numbers of official collaborations with private ICT industries as evidence with cases of collaborative agreements with international firms in Thailand, Korea, and Singapore, are increasing.

3-2 Factors that have promoted project

(1) Factors promoting impact

There are two factors those have promoted the impacts of the project. The first factor related to the management structure which is based on a Pyramid Structure of research management, in which the head researcher of each ICT field (a professor or highest academic rank staff) is appointed the Research Team Leader, assisted by members of the lower academic ranks as researchers, i.e. associate professors, assistant professors, and instructors assisted by graduate students. The second factor related to the competencies of academic staffs. During the project period, a good background on the knowledge and research skills for researchers in various labs by short-terms and long-terms experts resulted in the expansion of knowledge and research skills which were tremendously helpful in successful continuation of research activities.

(2) Factors promoting sustainability

Factors promoting the project were the organization and also the competencies factors. Factors promoting organization factors were (1) national policies of the Thai government (based on IT2010 Framework) and institutional policies of KMITL and ReCCIT in maintaining strong commitment to carry research activities of the Project, and (2) the ReCCIT research management model, the Pyramid Structure. Two factors promoting competencies were upgraded research skills and promotion of academic staff to higher ranks in their professional career path. The promotion of academic staff to higher ranks helps contribute the project sustainability because in order to be promoted to a higher academic rank, an academic staff is required to submit quality research work and publications. Thus, the research works are incentive for academic staff to join the ReCCIT in conducting research projects in the field of their specialization.

3-3 Factors that have inhibited project

Inhibiting factors consist of the rejection in promoting the ReCCIT to be an official agency, the shortage of funds for replacement and repair of equipment.

The rejection of the Ministry of Education to approve the proposed upgrading of the ReCCIT to be an official agency of KMITL as stated in the Project agreement prohibited the ReCCIT to receive its own budgets from neither KMITL nor the Royal Thai government. The budgets must be provided through the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Information Technology.

The lifetimes of equipment and research facilities are limited. The needs for the replacement and repairs of equipment in the Labs are increasing. After the termination of the Project, the ReCCIT was able to take care of the limited repair of the equipment through the allocated budget. No budget was not earmarked for the repairs or replacement of high cost equipment. Annual budgets were provided for operation cost or general use.

3-4. Conclusion

From the evaluation of all aspects of the Project, it may be concluded that the impacts of the Project, both anticipated and unanticipated are moderate. KMITL/ReCCIT has achieved its overall goal to reach to international level in the field of communication and information technology and related fields. Doctor degrees and Master degrees earned are increasing, the research activities are progressing well and the research works were published in both national and international journals and presented in both national and international conferences.

The overall sustainability of the Project in terms of technical aspects is high, while that in terms of organizational and financial aspects are maintained. The ReCCIT staff’s technical skills/capability of the Field and Laboratory in doing research and in upgrading research programs is maintained up to the international level, and their technical skills in maintaining or upgrading the equipment provided by the Project are sufficient. Although the ReCCIT is still an internal organization within KMITL, yet the ReCCIT has been keeping a strong commitment to support the effects/activities of the Project. The ReCCIT’s research activities were operated under an efficient operational management based on a Pyramid Structure of research management. The ReCCIT also increased research activities and personnel development, regardless of the slight decreasing number of research personnel and graduate students and financial supports for equipment maintenance and repairs and overall operational costs.

3-5. Recommendations

For JICA:

JICA may need to review the Project period to ensure sustainability. Since the development of ICT is extremely rapid, for new innovations of ICT, the research requires higher levels of skills, times, and financial supports than it was originally thought. Although the Project aimed at providing advanced research, due to the limited time and funds, most research projects were just the beginning and need to continue to higher-level research activities for in-depth investigation.

For KMITL:

1) KMITL should develop a definite guideline or measure for submission to the Royal Thai government to ensure sustainability of the Project in providing adequate financial supports and to take necessary actions to help the Project activities sustainable. As the study reveals, there was not adequate budgets for maintenance and replacement of expensive research equipment and facilities.

2) KMITL may seek cooperation with foreign universities and industries to provide assistance in the areas of short-terms experts to the ReCCIT; short visits by ReCCIT researchers to jointly conduct researchers, and to upgrade research laboratories equipment and facilities for some of the 14 Labs.

3-6. Lesson Learned

1) The research management model, the Pyramid Structure, was proven very efficient in conducting research works at the ReCCIT. After Project completion, more research projects were conducted by the ReCCIT staff and their graduate students by implementing this Pyramid model. This can be further developed and implemented in other universities and research centers in Thailand and other Asian countries.

2) During the Project, most expensive equipment, hardware and software were directly procured from Japan. When some of the equipment breaks down, it is very difficult to find an agent to repair it as the techniques of local resources are sometimes inadequate.

3) The discontinuation of short-term and long-term experts disrupted some on-going research activities at the ReCCIT. A measure to ensure the continuity of technical experts from other countries is a must during the time Thai researcher’s skills are developing.