History

Department of Local Administration (DLA) is the new governments agency established in the Ministry of Interior. Its main responsibility to promote and support the work of the local administrative organizations (LOAs) through the development and series of advices on the local development plan, personnel administration, finance, and administration in order to strengthen the capacity and efficiency of the local administrative organizations on public service provision. However, the structure, roles and functions of Department of Local Administration have been specified in the Ministerial Regulation on the Organization of the Department of Local Administration, Ministry of Interior, B.E. 2551 (2008) as follows:

Roles and Functions
1. Develop the system, organization, and structure of local administrative organizations.
2. Promote and support in formulating, cooperating, integrating the local plan, as well as design the system in monitoring and evaluating implementation of local development plan.
3. Enact, revise, and amend the laws and regulations related the local administrative organizations, including consult, advise, and supervise the local administrative organizations to carry out roles and functions.
4. Regulate the guidelines and standards concerning the local personnel management in accordance with local management laws and regulations.
5. Promote, support, and cooperate with local administrative organizations on finance, treasury, budget, supplies, revenue collection, and commerce, as well as design the monitoring system on finance, accounting, and supplies of local administrative organizations.
6. Promote, support, and cooperate with local administrative organization on public service provision and education according to the roles and functions of local administrative organizations.
7. Regulate the guidelines, systems, and key performance indicators as the standards of functioning of local administrative organizations, along with supervise local administrative organizations to the standards.
8. Promote the public participation in managing and monitoring the implementation of local administrative organizations.
9. Develop the information technology system for the local administrative organizations' services.
10. Improve the personnel of local administrative organizations and Department of local administration.
11. Perform any other works as regulated by laws and regulations in relation to the roles and functions of Department of Local Administration, or as assigned by the Ministry of Interior or the cabinet.

In year 2008, Ministerial Regulation on the Organization of the Department of Local Administration Ministry of Interior, B.E. 2551 was enacted in order to stipulate the DLA's regional administration, which is the Provincial Office for Local Administration (POLA). The purposes of the POLA are to coordinate and to implement the DLA's roles and functions of the DLA as representative of DLA in the regional area to reassure that the local administrative organizations can be supervised, administered, and supported efficiently by the DLA through the POLA. Furthermore, the Internal Audit Division and the Administrative System Development Division was also established to monitor the DLA's internal affairs, to support the implementation of the DLA, and to develop the DLA's administration for the effectiveness, efficiency, and worthiness.

Later in year 2016, Ministerial Regulation on the Organization of the Department of Local Administration, Ministry of Interior, B.E. 2559 was enacted. The Division of Strategy and Planning was established in order to be responsible for DLA's planning and budgeting of the DLA which had been one of the Office of Secretary's missions. The roles and functions of the Office of Secretary were also adapted in accordance with the Division of Strategy and Planning's establishment. Moreover, the Division of Local Education Development was founded, as to detach the missions of education from the Bureau of Local Administrative Development. Finally, the Bureau of Local Administrative Development was renamed to the Division of Local Administrative Development according to the Division of Local Education Development's foundation, which is responsible for coordinating, analyzing, and operating the DLA's budget for local administrative organizations subsidy.