Dimensions and Constituents of a Desired Model for Setting Guidelines within the Iranian System of Education

The educational system of any country plays a significant role in its sustainable development and progress. However, to fulfill this function there must exist a set of guidelines and policies aimed at such development. The process of setting such a set of guidelines requires a homegrown model for development of the guidelines, and their implementation and supervision. To this end, 14 interviews were conducted with educational experts. Data analyses revealed 62 basic, 13 organizational, and 3 general themes. Furthermore, it seems that the process of setting guidelines within the Iranian educational system, consists of three dimensions of compilation, utilization, and evaluation. The constituents of this process include problem identification, identification of the organizational setting, benefitting from the past experiences, cooperation of the players and beneficiaries. Furthermore, the requirements for compilation of the guidelines are leadership, operationalization, and departmental and intra-departmental cooperation. The existing conditions for implementation include assessment of the inputs, processes, and outputs, as well as the consequences.