Potential-Driven Process of Reed Mat Craft Community Enterprise Group of Huay Tard Village, Na Duang District, Loei Province

Abstract

This research article was conducted with the aims to 1) study the context of the Reed Mat Craft Community Enterprise Group of Huay Tard Village, and 2) study the potential-driven process of reed mat craft community enterprise group of Huay Tard Village, Na Duang District, Loei Province. The method of participatory action research was employed in perationalization of this study with 15 informants obtained through purposive sampling technique including community developers, designers and developers, community enterprise group, community leaders, and district culture officers. Data collection process was equipped with interview, focus group conversation, and criticizing issue meetings. Then the data were analyzed using content analysis.

The results were as follows. 1) The reed mat craft community enterprise group of Huay Tard Village was established by the group of local scholars to create additional income from agricultural activities. First, the group activity was only weaving reed mats, then there was the development of new products as an alternative for target buyers. However, due to the Covid-19 situation and economic condition that some members had to stop producing the products. The strengths of the group were creativity and ability to produce the prototype, the weakness was lack of identity, and the need of development was new products with community identity. 2) The potential-driven process of the Reed Mat Craft group of Huay Tard Village was the strategy of potential development with participatory process consisted of following stages: Stage 1: meeting, exchanging, and learning about the problems; stage 2: using SWOT analysis and TOW matrix to set up the strategy for driving the group; stage 3: assessing and evaluating the potential-driven process of the group, stage 4: implementing the strategy into practice; and stage 5: following up and criticizing the development results by exchanging knowledge and learning with the participation of members and networks.