Iranian Journal of Public Policy

Iranian Journal of Public Policy

Island-style Policymaking as a Driver of Housing Policy Failure: A Case Study of Iran's Ninth and Thirteenth Governments

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Mitra Rahnejat 1
Saba Gholiniasorkhi 2
1 Associate Professor of Public Policy and Political Economy, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
2 Master in Public Policy, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jppolicy.2026.413292.2879
Abstract
This study investigates the mechanisms underlying the formation and persistence of isolated policymaking within Iran's Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and analyzes its impact on the ineffective implementation of housing policies during the ninth and thirteenth administrations. Employing a qualitative thematic analysis approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with housing managers and experts and systematically coded. The findings reveal that the lack of a shared problem framework across deputy departments and affiliated organizations, combined with overlapping mandates, institutional parallel work, weak information transparency, sectoral interest dominance, and policy instability, has resulted in a fragmented and competitive decision-making model. This condition undermines inter-sectoral coordination, leads to resource waste, slows implementation, and reduces the effectiveness of housing policies. Consequently, isolated policymaking is identified as a fundamental structural-behavioral driver of housing policy failure. Remedying this situation requires institutional restructuring, the development of shared knowledge, and the establishment of sustainable coordination mechanisms at the ministerial level.
Keywords
Isolated Policymaking
Housing Policy
Policy Ineffectiveness
Thematic Analysis
Iran
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Iranian Journal of Public Policy
Volume 12, Issue 3
Autumn 2026
Pages 220-235