Exploring the Roots of Popularity of Policy Tools and Techniques in Iran

The our main question we address in this essay is “Why and policy tools techniques are becoming so popular in Iran?”. Our focus is on the rationales that lead policy makers and policy analysts to use such tools and techniques. We argue that this phenomenon can be analyzed as a special case of policy transfer. Based on a survey, we found that in Iran, a “scientific justification” could be assumed as the main motive of policy makers and policy analysts for using such tools. Some other actors, on the other hand, try to disseminate these tools and techniques as a part of their “commercial business”. This goes hand in hand with a lack of in-depth knowledge on the part of policy makers about these tools which, in turn, facilitates the process of import and distribution of modern policy tools and techniques in the country.