Guidelines for capacity building in Weavers’ Community Enterprises in Udon Thani province

Abstract

As a whole, the weavers’ community enterprises in Udon Thani Province were evaluated as having a good overall operational performance with the average score of 73.40 based on 1 – 100 rating scale. It was determined in the focus group discussion session that, in various business aspects, the following strategies and actions should be implemented to foster the development of these community enterprises.  (1) Product. Develop products to market standard and maintain the standard consistency, improve the production technique to ensure the outputs that are in market demand.  (2) Marketing. Stress market-led production of community enterprise products, seek the support from pertinent government agencies in terms of provision of trade or display facilities for the products of weavers’ community enterprises as well as regular provision of market news and information to the enterprises.  (3) Accounting system. Keep a comprehensive, up-to-date, and accurate accounting system in each weavers group for the calculation of actual production costs to help the group decide on appropriate pricing of its products. (4) Product design. Make request to pertinent government agencies for their support and coordinating services to locate or provide resource persons in the field of product design to give advice or assistance to various weavers’ community enterprises.  (5) Networking.  Establish production and marketing networks for mutual learning and for seeking support from government sector to organize seminar on weavers’ community enterprises in Udon Thani Province or arrange Udon woven products market fair once or twice a year.  (6) Transfer of traditional local knowledge in weaving.  Organize practical and skill trainings for people in younger generation to learn how to weave de-colorized and dyed fabrics as well as design weaving patterns,  or arrange with schools in local community to incorporate this local knowledge in school curriculum starting from primary education level onward and encourage schoolchildren to learn traditional art of weaving in school.  (7) Members affairs. Arrange series of practical and skill training for new members on weaving, dyeing, and designing woven patterns.