Monitoring of stakeholder policy network based on analysis of stakeholders’ position in land governance (Case study: Gachsaran County)

Ashtari, Hasan; Ghorbani, Mehdi; Garakaani, Seyed Amir Hossein; Ghafari, Sedigheh; Amiri, Sajad; Yazdanparast, Maryam

doi:10.22059/jrwm.2024.376477.1764

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Reclamation of Arid and Mountainous Regions, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

³ Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Faculty of Urban Planning, Central Tehran Azad University, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Center of Rural Development Studies, Natural Disasters Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

⁵ Social Business Institute, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jrwm.2024.376477.1764

Abstract

In the dynamic landscape of sustainable land governance, it is crucial to identify stakeholders' positions to formulate and implement policies effectively. In this study, the position of organizations involved in the stakeholder policy network was examined using social network analysis after the implementation of the Development and Advancement Plan of Rural Constellations in Gachsaran County. Twenty-two stakeholders associated with the plan were identified, and their interactions in terms of information exchange and collaboration were assessed. Subsequently, stakeholders' position and power were determined using four primary indicators: degree centrality, closeness centrality, betweenness centrality, and eigenvector centrality. According to the results, the highest in-degree centrality belongs to organizations such as Governorate, District Office, Omid Entrepreneurship Fund, Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation, and Agricultural Jihad Organization. Therefore, the highest level of popularity and political authority in the network belong to these actors. The highest out-degree centrality, closeness, betweenness, and eigenvector centrality belong to organizations such as Governorate, Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, Omid Entrepreneurship Fund, and Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation. These actors have a higher position in terms of political influence, mediation, access to resources and information, and political power. In general, the out-degree centrality of organizations is higher compared to in-degree centrality, indicating that these organizations focus more on expanding cooperation and distributing information and resources rather than just receiving information. The findings of this research can assist managers and authorities in implementing rural development plans in other pilot areas towards sustainable land governance.

Keywords

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Monitoring of stakeholder policy network based on analysis of stakeholders’ position in land governance (Case study: Gachsaran County)

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Volume 79, Issue 2July 2026Pages 291-312

Volume 79, Issue 2
July 2026
Pages 291-312