Extended Abstract
Introduction: Land governance deals with how resources are utilized and responsibilities are distributed among various individuals and groups in managing the land. Achieving sustainable land governance requires organizational cohesion and a robust structure for information exchange. As a social-ecological system, land governance emphasizes the holistic approach, highlighting the interactions and cooperation among various elements (political, social, economic, and administrative). The governance regime is the institutional framework within which land governance operates, including the interdependencies of institutions and their roles in managing land resources (water and soil). This study aims to analyze the dynamics of organizational cohesion and determine the governance regime in the governance system of Gachsaran County before and after the implementation of the Development and Advancement Plan of the Rural Constellation.
Materials and Methods: In this study, organizations involved in the Development and Advancement Plan of the Rural Constellation in Gachsaran County were identified. The level of cooperation, coordination, and power distribution were assessed using density and centralization indices in social network analysis. The Organizations were categorized into subgroups based on their institutional roles, including “protective, intermediary, developmental” and “agricultural and natural resources, infrastructure and development, culture and education, welfare and social services, monitoring and security.” The density of all sungroups and the ratio of intra-group and extra-group relations (E-I) at micro, macro, and meso levels of the network were calculated. Using the degree centrality index, the distribution of information receipt and transmission within the network was analyzed. Finally, the type of land governance regime in the region, before and after the project implementation, was determined.
Results and Discussion: The implementation of the Development and Advancement Plan of the Rural Constellation led to a significant improvement in network density, indicating increased cooporation, coordination, and organizational cohesion. Examining subgroup density and the ratio of intra-group and extra-group relations (E-I) in various groupings revealed that the project has enhanced inter-group cooperation and interactions. The highest density was found in the protective, agricultural and natural resources, and monitoring and security subgroups. Notably, after the project’s implementation, the protective, culture and education, and infrastructure and development subgroups significantly increased their cooperation. However, there remains a need to strengthen internal and inter-organizational cooperation among intermediary organizations. The distribution of degree centrality, with increased average and median in both in-degree and out-degree centrality, reflects an increase in organizational connections and influence. Despite the overall increase in activities, the constant maximum and minimum outgoing degree centrality confirm that some organizations still engage in minimal activities. The increase in the minimum and first quartile values in the overall and in-degree centrality box plot charts shows an improvement in the organizations with the fewest previous connections, while the increase in third quartile indicates further strengthening of more active organizations. These results demonstrate that disparties and inequalities in access to information and collaboraton tools have decreased after the project, with all network levels benefiting from the project. Moreover, the reduction in network centralization reflects a more balanced distribution of authority and access to information and resources within the network. The determination of the governance regime indicated a shift from a fragmented to a polycentric regime, signifying increased cooperation and coordination among organizational stakeholders.
Conclusion: This research demonstrated that the implementation of the Development and Advancement Plan of the Rural Constellation had positive impacts on the land governance network and organizational cohesion. The increase in density and decrease in centralization indices after the project indicate improved interactions, information exchange, and collaboration among organizations. These changes enhanced organizational cohesion and transformed the governance regime from a fragmented and uncoordinated regime to a polycentric regime. A more balanced distribution of power and information, along with access to collaboration tools and organizational synergy, can lead to sustainable development and enhance the efficiency of the governance system. This research emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for governance systems, and they should be designed according to specific conditions. The approach used in this study can be applied to evaluate the effectiveness of future projects. Future research should focus on a more detailed examination of inter-organizational interactions and the long-term impacts of these projects.