Analytical Review and Legal Examination of the Structural Reforms in Iran’s Seventh Development Plan
Subject Areas : Public law
1 - Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
Keywords: Seventh Development Plan, fiscal governance, legal assessment, Iran’s planning system, institutional reforms,
Abstract :
Over recent decades, development plans in Iran have served as one of the principal instruments of medium-term public policymaking. However, assessments of their performance indicate that despite the substantial resources devoted to their formulation, achieving development objectives has been hindered by persistent structural challenges. Adopting an analytical and legal approach, this article examines the Draft Seventh Development Plan and demonstrates that a significant portion of its provisions lack conceptual coherence, clear implementation mechanisms, and a well-defined legal status. The content analysis reveals overlaps between programmatic provisions and permanent laws, ambiguity in the designation of responsible institutions, an absence of measurable indicators, and weak oversight mechanisms. Moreover, the misalignment between the political and programmatic timelines, insufficient institutional capacity, and the limited preparedness of Iran’s fiscal structure for medium-term budgeting further undermine the feasibility of implementing the plan’s provisions. The findings emphasize that enhancing the effectiveness of Iran’s development planning system requires legal reforms, strengthened institutional capacity, and the establishment of continuous evaluation mechanisms. Without such reforms, the risk of repeating the persistent cycle of underperformance observed in previous development plans remains high.
