Journal of Iranian Public Administration Studies

Journal of Iranian Public Administration Studies

Policy Analysis of Transparency in Iran’s Administrative and Governance Structures Based on the Advocacy Coalition Framework(Case Study: Transparency in the Three Branches of Government, Executive Agencies, and Other Institutions)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Yahya Morattab 1
Heidar Najafi Rastaghi 2
Iman Akbari 3
1 PhD Candidate of Public Policy & Administration Institute for Advanced Education and Research on Management and Planning (IMPS), Tehran, Iran.
2 PhD student in Public Administration, Faculty of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, School of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
3 PhD Candidate, Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran & Researcher at the Majles Research Center.
10.22034/jipas.2025.411585.1639
Abstract
Purpose: In recent years, various efforts and measures have been undertaken in the field of transparency in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which have also been reflected in bills and laws. The objective of this research is to analyze policies oriented towards “transparency: in administrative and governance structures in Iran based on the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), with the case study focusing on the law concerning “Transparency of the Three Branches of Government, Executive Bodies, and Other Institutions.”
Methodology: The research method was based on documentary study and analysis using the Advocacy Coalition Framework. Within the findings section, applying this framework, the advocacy coalition analysis was discussed and examined from the perspectives of pro and anti-coalitions, subsystems and beliefs, relatively stable parameters, events external to the subsystem, opportunity structures, constraints, coalition resources, and change and learning.
Findings: The drivers of “enhancing policymakers' and officials' understanding and awareness regarding the importance of transparency and accountability in the public sector and governance system,” “the efficiency and effectiveness of think tanks and policy institutes in designing and agenda-setting policy ideas and plans,” “the evolving role of media and social networks in realizing transparency,” “successful coordination between research centers and policy-making institutions,” and “public and public opinion accompaniment in advancing policies and plans related to transparency” were effective in the formation and ratification of the law.
Conclusion: In summary, framed within the concept of “change and learning” in the Advocacy Coalition Framework, it can be stated that the drivers-“enhancing policymakers' and officials' understanding and awareness regarding the importance of transparency and accountability,” “the efficiency and effectiveness of think tanks in designing and agenda-setting policy ideas,” “the evolving role of media and social networks in the country's public policy space,” “successful coordination between research centers and policy-making institutions,” and “public and public opinion accompaniment in advancing transparency-related policies and plans”-led to the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) approving the generalities of this bill with 183 votes in favor and 30 votes against out of a total of 217 representatives present. Accordingly, the following recommendations are proposed to enhance the concept of transparency in the country and advance the discourse of the “Transparency of the Three Branches of Government, Executive Bodies, and Other Institutions” law:
• Support, endorse, and develop research centers and think tanks in the field of transparency in the country, as key actors within the advocacy coalition for the Transparency Law of the Three Branches and Executive Bodies.
• Develop the discourse of “Open Government” within the country's managerial, planning, and governance rules, aiming to enhance the foundations for accountability, participation, and transparency, from the perspective of strengthening “subsystems and beliefs" that support the transparency of the three branches and executive bodies.
• Develop legal and infrastructural mechanisms for consolidating national data and information, aiming to prepare the country's governance structures for implementing transparency-based projects, with an emphasis on strengthening the position of the technology subsystem within the advocacy coalition for the Transparency Law.
• Promote academic studies and research in the field of transparency to identify new theories, approaches, and models of transparency and apply them within the country's governance ecosystem.
• Organize specialized meetings, conferences, and events in the field of transparency within the country, aiming to promote discourse, specialized advocacy, and demand-making in this area.
Persuade, engage in bargaining, and interact with active stakeholders in the field of transparency and governmental/regulatory bodies to operationalize the idea of “Transparency of the Three Branches of Government, Executive Bodies, and Other Institutions.”
Keywords
Transparency
Public Policy Making
Governance
Advocacy Coalition Framework
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  • Receive Date 11 January 2025
  • Revise Date 15 April 2025
  • Accept Date 27 April 2025