A Sociological Assessment of the Local Management Model in Ilam City, Iran: Implications for Sustainable Development

Jamali Rad, Roya; Rahmani Khalili, Ehsan; Sabouri Khosrowshahi, Habib

doi:10.22034/ijumes.2026.2089601.1366

A Sociological Assessment of the Local Management Model in Ilam City, Iran: Implications for Sustainable Development

Document Type : Case Study

Authors

Roya Jamali Rad ¹

Ehsan Rahmani Khalili ¹

Habib Sabouri Khosrowshahi ²

¹ Department of Sociology, CT.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Sociology, ET.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/ijumes.2026.2089601.1366

Abstract

Local management models in Iranian intermediate cities face compounding pressures arising from rapid demographic growth, resource scarcity, and deeply embedded governance deficits. Ilam City, the provincial capital of Ilam Province in western Iran, epitomises these tensions: rapid post-war population growth, a heavily state-dependent economy, significant ethnic and tribal complexity, and a municipal administration whose institutional capacities remain critically underdeveloped. This study proposes a validated sociological assessment framework for local management in Ilam City and examines its implications for sustainable urban development. The research adopts an analytical–applied design; data were gathered through documentary and library methods and assessed qualitatively. Following a systematic review of theoretical foundations, twenty-one initial indicators were extracted and subjected to evaluation through the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM), employing a participatory decision-making approach within a fifteen-member expert panel over four sequential rounds. Successive rounds applied escalating consensus thresholds (2.5, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 on a five-point Likert scale), progressively reducing the indicator set from 21 to 18, 15, 13, and confirming 13 indicators as the validated proposed model. Consensus was verified by Kendall's coefficient of concordance, which reached 0.794 in the final round. Findings indicate that institutional transparency (4.26), local council effectiveness (4.22), community participation rate (4.18), and service distribution equity (4.15) exert the highest influence on local management effectiveness. The study concludes that the integration of participatory governance principles, equitable service distribution, and institutional accountability constitutes a strategically viable path toward sustainable urban development in Iranian western-border cities.

Graphical Abstract

A Sociological Assessment of the Local Management Model in Ilam City, Iran: Implications for Sustainable Development

Highlights

· A validated 13-indicator local management assessment model was developed for Ilam City.

· A four-round Fuzzy Delphi process achieved strong expert consensus (Kendall's W = 0.794).

· Institutional transparency and local council effectiveness ranked as the highest priorities.

· Community participation and equitable service distribution were key governance drivers.

· The proposed framework supports sustainable urban development in Iranian intermediate cities

Keywords

Fuzzy Delphi method

Ilam City

local management

sociological assessment

sustainable urban development

urban governance

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