Policy analysis of spatial planning in the higher education system of Iran; Policy implications of provincial management policies of the higher education system

Regional management and spatial planning of higher education in Iran is one of the important policy issues in the field of science, technology, and innovation. In February 2016, the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution approved the country's spatial planning of higher education. Article 1 and 2 of this document directly refers to the regional management of higher education. In line with the implementation of the document, in October 2020, the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology approved the bylaw "Implementation of the National Spatial Planning of Higher Education - Provincial Management of Higher Education Institutions in the MSRT". In this research, by using the case study strategy, an attempt has been made to provide a policy analysis of the implementation of spatial planning of higher education documents, which led to the approval of the provincial management regulations of higher education institutions. The data used in this research are available documents, evidence, statistics, events, and narratives of 14 experts and policymakers. Based on the results of this research, the process of drafting documents, the commitment and expertise of the implementers of the document, and the integration of operational experiences and policy-making research during the implementation period have an important effect on the correct and faster implementation of national documents and macro policies related to them.