Identification and Prioritization of Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Strategies in the Implementation of Population Policies

Tavallaee, Ruhollah; Shadmanfar, Mohammad Hossein

Identification and Prioritization of Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Strategies in the Implementation of Population Policies

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Knowledge Management, Faculty of Management, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran

² PhD Candidate in Public Administration, Department of Organizational Transformation and Excellence and Institutional Systems, Faculty of Management, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

This study aims to identify and prioritize the strategies of street-level bureaucrats in implementing population policies in Iran a major socio-political challenge in recent decades. The success of such policies depends not only on macro level economic and cultural factors but also on micro level implementation and the interactions between bureaucrats and citizens. Understanding their perceptions and strategies is therefore critical to improving policy effectiveness. An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi structured interviews with eleven field managers and experts, then analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key criteria and sub-criteria. In the quantitative phase, the relative importance of these criteria was assessed through the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process . This methodological combination provided both qualitative depth and quantitative precision. Findings indicated that “professional ethics and human dignity” ranked as the most important criterion, with the sub-criterion “respect for human dignity and avoidance of humiliation” taking the highest priority implying that no population policy can gain social legitimacy without honoring human dignity. The second and third priorities were “empowerment and training of bureaucrats” and “organizational coordination and integration.” Additionally, “redefining the image of large families in the media” emerged as a key cultural driver. The results suggest that focusing on ethical principles, investing in bureaucrats’ capacity building, enhancing inter-agency coordination, and leveraging media influence can significantly improve policy effectiveness. The study’s novelty lies in developing a localized model based on thematic analysis and FAHP for prioritizing street-level bureaucratic strategies, offering a practical framework for future policymaking and implementation.

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