Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• سعید نانی ¹
• Tayebeh Abbasi ²
• Ali Asghar Pourezat ³
• Mohammad Mehdi Zolfaqarzadeh Kermani ²

¹ PhD student in decision-making and public policy, School of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, School of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

² Associate Professor, School of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, School of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

³ Professor, School of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, School of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

This study develops a model for identifying provincial issues and setting the policy agenda in Zanjan, addressing the research gap in provincial-level analysis. Using a Glaserian grounded theory approach and the Six C's framework, qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding, yielding 111 codes, 55 concepts, and 14 core categories. Findings indicate that "provincial issue identification and agenda setting" is shaped by institutional-political centralization, socio-cultural disjunctions, and stakeholder power dynamics. Key barriers to evidence-based decision-making include limited economic-technological capacity, inefficient organizational culture, coordination gaps among agencies, and a shortage of skilled human capital. Triggering events, such as social crises, and demographic-environmental shifts often lead to reactive, short-term policymaking, causing governance inefficiencies and selective issue prioritization. The study highlights the role of informal networks and recommends establishing joint monitoring systems, strengthening participatory councils with guilds and academics, and leveraging big data technology to enhance inter-agency coordination and transparency, thus improving provincial governance and policy effectiveness.

Keywords

• Public Policy
• Provincial policy
• Issue identification
• Agenda setting
• Glaser grounded theory

Main Subjects

• Policy-making