Identifying Key Criteria for Evaluating Air Pollution Policies in Iran

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Management department, Faculty of management and accounting, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

2 Master of Public Administration, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

3 PhD student of public administration, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Policy evaluation, as a key pillar of the policymaking process, seeks the continuous reform and improvement of policy implementation. In the realm of environmental issues, one of the major problems facing Iranian metropolises in recent years has been air pollution, for which multiple policies have been formulated and executed over time. Yet according to official indices, the air pollution situation has not only failed to improve, but it has also deteriorated. Among the prerequisites for addressing this is the existence of criteria for evaluating policies. Through a qualitative approach and a case study strategy comprised of policy document analysis alongside semi-structured interviews with 16 expert participants, this research has sought to identify evaluative criteria. Ultimately, the findings put forward 41 distinct benchmarks across three levels of policy outputs, outcomes, and impacts for assessing air pollution policies.

Keywords


Alvani, Mehdi; Sharifzadeh, Fatah. (1396). Public Policy Making Process. Tehran: Allameh Tabatabai University Publications [In Persian]
Aslipour, Hosein. (2015), Indigenized model for environmental policy formation of Iran (Phd Thesis), Allameh Tabtabai University: Tehran    [In Persian]
Aslipour, Hosein; Zahedi, Shamalsadat; Sharifzadeh, Fatah; Ghorbanizadeh, Vajhollah. (2015). Explanation of Indigenized Model for Environmental Policy Formulation in Iran, Using Grounded Theory. Strategic Management Thought, Vol 8 (1): 41-66  [In Persian]
Bodem-Schortgens, Jutta; Becker, Annika (2020), Do You Like What You See? How Nonprofit Campaigns With Output, Outcome, and Impact Effectiveness Indicators Influence Charitable Behavior, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol. 49(2), 316–335
Bouma, J. (2021). Evaluating environmental policy: the use and usefulness of experiments. Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, 10(4), 468-480.
Braun, V; Clarke, V. (2006), "Using thematic analysis in psychology", Qualitative Research in Psychology, Vol 3:2, 77-10
Crabbe, Anne., & Leroy, Pieter. (2012). The handbook of environmental policy evaluation. Earthscan
Deap.K, Gupta. (2015). Policy Making and Public Policy Analysis. Gholipour, Rahmatollah; Faghihi, Mehdi. Tehran: Mahkameh Publications [In Persian]
Dunlop, Claire; Radaelli, Claudio (2023). Policy learning and policy evaluation. Handbook of Public Policy Evaluation, Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing. Handbooks of Research on Public Policy series : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374992062
Dye, Thomas R., Whittington, M. S. (1972).  Understanding Public Policy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1972, pp. xii, 305. Canadian Journal of Political Science, 5(04), 579. doi:10.1017/s0008423900037094 
Dye, Tomas, (2013). Understanding public policy. Fourteenth edition, Pearson.
Ebrahim, Alnoor; Rangan, V.Kasturi (2014), What Impact? A Framework For Measuring The Scale And Scope Of Social Performance, California Management Review, Vol. 56(3), 118-141
Eckersley, P., Harrison, O., & Poberezhskaya, M. (2023). A new framework to understand the drivers of policy mixes in multilevel contexts: The case of urban air pollution. Environmental Policy and Governance, 33(2), 178-190.
Feng, T., Sun, Y., Shi, Y., Ma, J., Feng, C., & Chen, Z. (2024). Air pollution control policies and impacts: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 191, 114071.
Ferraro, Paul. J. (2009). Counterfactual thinking and impact evaluation in environmental policy. New Directions for Evaluation, 2009(122), 75-84
Gerston, N. (2014). Public policy making: Process and principles. Routledge
Givarian, Hasan; Rabie Mandejin, Mohammadreza. (2006). Decsion Making and Public Policy Determining. Tehran. Yekan Publication  [In Persian]
Islamic Parliament Research Center of Isalamic Republic of Iran. (2001) Executive act of the law on how to prevent air pollution Tehran   [In Persian] 
Jonidi Jafari A, Charkhloo E, Pasalari H. Urban air pollution control policies and strategies: a systematic review. J Environ Health Sci Eng. 2021 Oct 8;19(2):1911-1940. doi: 10.1007/s40201-021-00744-4
King, N., Horrocks, C. (2010). Interviews in qualitative research. SAGE Publications Limited
Mears, Daniel. P. (2010). American criminal justice policy: An evaluation approach to increasing accountability and effectiveness. Cambridge University Press.‏
Mickwitz, Per. (2003). A framework for evaluating environmental policy instruments: context and key concepts. Evaluation, 9(4), 415-436
Mohammadi, Sara. (1399). (MA Thesis). Key Criteria for Evaluating Air Pollution Policies. Allameh Tabtabai University: Tehran   [In Persian]
Musawir, Ata UI (2015), Impact of Project Governance on Benefits Realization Management and Project Success: Towards a Framework for Supporting Organizational Strategy, MS Thesis In Master of Science in Project Management, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Lahore – Pakistan
Nachmias, David. (1979). Public policy evaluation: approaches and methods. St. Martin's Press
Pawson, R., & Tilley, N. (1997). An introduction to scientific realist evaluation. In E. Chelimsky & W. R. Shadish (Eds.), Evaluation for the 21st century: A handbook (pp. 405–418). Sage Publications, Inc.
Priya, Arya (2020), “Case Study Methodology of Qualitative Research: Key Attributes and Navigating the Conundrums in Its Application”, Sociological Bulletin, Vol 70(1), First published online November 19, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1177/0038022920970318
Routledge Handbook of Environmental Policy (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003043843
Shafritz, J; Borick, Christopher P. (2008). Introducing Public Policy. New York: Longman
Shahbazi, Hossein., Hassani, Amin., & Hosseini, Vahid. (2019). Evaluation of Tehran clean air action plan using emission inventory approach. Urban Climate, 27, 446-456
Smith, B.; Larimer, W. (2014). The Public Policy Theory Primer,  Danaifard, Hasan (Translator). Tehran: Safar Publications [In Persian]
Steinbach, Yves (2023), “Chapter 3: Environmental Policy Outputs, Outcomes, and Impacts”,
Stockton, Sean (2010), “Getting Results: Outputs, Outcomes and Impact”, Stanford social innovation review, . https://.oi.org/10.48558/6JGX-JK11
Sullivan, T. J., Driscoll, C. T., Beier, C. M., Burtraw, D., Fernandez, I. J., Galloway, J. N., ... & Watmough, S. A. (2018). Air pollution success stories in the United States: The value of long-term observations. Environmental science & policy, 84, 69-73.
Vaezi, Reza; Sharifzadeh, Fattah; Mohammadi, Mohsen. (2015).  Probing and prioritizing the public policy Evaluation models. Iranian journal of management sciences (IAMS). Vol 10 (40): 1-41 [In Persian]
White, Howard. (2010). A contribution to current debates in impact evaluation. Evaluation, 16 (2), 153-164‏