Implementation of Comprehensive Economic Development Programs in Iran

Identifying and prioritizing the key drivers of a country's economic development is one of the primary prerequisites for policymaking and economic development planning. The main objective of this study is to identify the most significant drivers of the country's economic development. In this study, content analysis and structural analysis methods have been employed to identify and prioritize these economic development drivers.In the first stage, forty economic development factors were identified through content analysis. Subsequently, expert opinions were gathered from nineteen leading specialists in economic development. To analyze the collected data, the cross-impact matrix and MICMAC software were utilized. The findings of the study indicate that the six main drivers of the country's economic development are as follows: (1) improving international and regional interactions and resolving conflicts, (2) reforming the quality of the government bureaucracy, (3) restructuring the decision-making process by enhancing awareness, increasing the application of scientific knowledge, and eliminating institutional capture, (4) improving the quality of the judiciary system, (5) restructuring the economic system, and (6) supporting domestic private sector investment. An examination of the direct effects of these drivers shows that the decision-making system is the most influential driver of economic development, as it directly impacts the reform of the bureaucratic system. Additionally, an analysis of the indirect effects indicates that the decision-making system, as a key driver of economic development, significantly influences both private sector investment support and economic restructuring.