Explaining the Effective Factors on the Success of Strategic Planning in Waste Management Using the Fuzzy Cognitive Map Approach (A Case Study in District 12 of Tehran)

Improving the waste management system requires an all-out effort to increase public awareness and participation, create expertise and invest in infrastructure, and upgrade management systems in municipalities as the custodians of waste management. Therefore, the present research has been conducted to identify and prioritize factors affecting the success of strategic waste management planning in the 12th district of Tehran. The required data were collected by 46 researcher-made questionnaires, including experts, managers and employees of the Municipal Waste Management Organization of Tehran Region 12. The questionnaire results were analyzed using FCMapper and Pajek software, and a fuzzy cognitive map was prepared. Factors of informing the citizens in time (C31), considering the necessary arrangements for the provision of equipment (C27), checking network connections to prevent disruption in inter-organizational and extra-organizational communication (C29), domestic and international investment in Communication infrastructure (C33) and satisfaction with the organization's success (C20) are five crucial factors in terms of centrality. Also, the results showed that communication factors (with an average rating of 8.47) and training and strategic development of human resources (with an average rating of 8.21) have the most significant impact among the factors affecting the success of strategic planning in waste management. As a result, the waste management model gets the most credit from these factors. Thus, it is suggested to pay more attention to the components of these factors. Also, it seems necessary to use expert human resources and update their knowledge by using appropriate and practical training, developing the field of participation and interaction between the waste management organization and citizens.