Intervention Mechanisms of Policy Labs in the Policy Cycle: A Case Study of Higher Education

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Technology and Innovation Policy, National Research Institute for Science Policy, Tehran, Iran.

2 Professor of Technology Management and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jppolicy.2026.107832

Abstract

Public policymaking in Iran has long suffered from inefficiencies rooted in linear, centralized, and non-participatory approaches. These shortcomings are particularly evident in higher education, where a persistent gap exists between policy design and implementation. In response, policy labs have emerged as innovative instruments of participatory governance, enabling problem redefinition and the co-creation of solutions. This study analyzes the case of the Policy Lab at the National Research Institute for Science Policy (NRISP). Using an integrated framework combining the policy cycle with the REACT model and applying narrative analysis, the paper examines the lab's intervention mechanisms in revising faculty promotion regulations. Findings indicate that the lab functions as an intermediary institution through facilitation, knowledge synthesis, dialogue-building, persuasion, consensus, and networking, thereby bridging the design–implementation gap and enhancing policy throughput legitimacy. The study highlights the necessity of institutional support and formal integration of policy labs into the policy cycle, offering a context-sensitive model for strengthening policymaking resilience in Iran's higher education sector.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Public Policy
Volume 12, Issue 2
June 2026
Pages 320-342

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