Digital Transformation Readiness Level of Royal Thai Air Force

Abstract

This research aims to develop a comprehensive toolkit to assess the readiness of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) for organizational change as it transitions into the digital era, based on the framework provided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).The primary objective of this study is to design a robust toolkit to evaluate the RTAF's preparedness for digital transformation. This toolkit is an adaptation of the UNDP's framework, tailored to address the specific context and requirements of the RTAF. To ensure the content validity of the toolkit, an expert evaluation was conducted involving three specialists. The reliability of the toolkit was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.82.The study employed a quantitative approach to determine the overall readiness level of the RTAF for organizational change, which averaged 70.49%. The assessment covered various domains, with the following readiness levels: Innovation Ecosystem (46.67%), Basic Digital Utilities (Technological Infrastructure) (63.53%), Basic Data Utilities and Data Infrastructure, Strategy, and Management (66.67%), Cyber Security, Privacy, and Resilience (70.22%), Legal Basis (73.33%), Organizational Culture and Employee Skills (76.67%), Public Administration Reform (77.50%), Management (77.62%), and User-Oriented Design (82.22%).The findings reveal that the overall readiness level has not yet met the 80% standard threshold. The relatively low score in the Innovation Ecosystem domain indicates it may not be a core mission of the RTAF. Additionally, budget constraints likely contribute to the readiness level of basic digital infrastructure falling below 70%. Nevertheless, readiness levels in other areas range from 70.00% to 80.00%, suggesting a positive trend towards achieving higher readiness in the future.Despite existing challenges, the RTAF demonstrates a promising trajectory towards enhanced digital readiness, particularly in organizational culture, employee skills, public administration reform, and user-oriented design. Strategic investments and focused efforts in weaker areas such as the Innovation Ecosystem and basic digital infrastructure will be crucial for achieving comprehensive readiness for digital transformation.This study underscores the importance of a tailored approach to evaluating organizational readiness for digital transformation. The RTAF's strengths in several key domains provide a solid foundation for future improvements. Addressing the identified weaknesses through targeted investments and strategic initiatives will be essential for the RTAF to fully embrace the digital era.