Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS)

INTRODUCTION: Considering the high number of incidents and disasters in Iran and the importance of the issue, this research investigates the challenges and opportunities of people's participation in the implementation of disaster management policies in the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS). METHOD: The research is applied in terms of purpose and mixed in terms of method. In the first stage, structured interviews were conducted with 20 experts and informants in the field of disaster management. Then, data was analyzed through content analysis and open coding, and components of challenges and opportunities were extracted using Maxquda software. Finally, a researcher-made questionnaire for challenges and opportunities based on the findings of the qualitative part was design and its validity and reliability using was confirmed by experts and Cronbach's alpha respectively and were distributed among 365 managers and employees related to disasters. FINDINGS: According to the findings, in the qualitative section, the main challenges include coordination and organization, lack of people’s participation in decision-making, conflict of interests, participation sustainability, level of knowledge and awareness, and resistance to change, as well as the opportunities include increasing efficiency and effectiveness, the use of local knowledge, strengthening the sense of responsibility, communication improvement, cost reduction and strengthening social solidarity. The results of quantitative part, showed that strengthening the sense of responsibility, use of local knowledge and communication improvement with an average of 11.86%, 10.38% and 9.46% respectively of the most important opportunities and conflicts of interest, the level of knowledge and awareness and coordination and organization with an average of 10.43%, 9.37% and 9.35% respectively are the most important challenges. CONCULSION: The results showed that solving the challenges and strengthening the opportunities for people's participation will lead to the success and effectiveness of the implementation of the policies and will lead the society to the direction of prosperity, prevention of wastage of resources, casualties’ reduction and sustainable development. Thus, it is suggested to develop educational programs, strengthen organizational structures, etc. in order to improve people's participation in disaster management.

INTRODUCTION: Iran, a country characterized by diverse geographical and climatic conditions, is constantly exposed to various natural and manmade disasters. Also, Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), as one of the most critical relief organizations, plays a pivotal role in rescue and relief operations. Accordingly, this study attempted to identify the challenges associated with the implementation of disaster management policies in the rescue and relief operations of the IRCS. METHODS: In this mixed method research, qualitative data were collected through field research, with 12 experts and managers from IRCS, selected through non-random purposive sampling using semi-structured interviews following the theoretical saturation and was analyzed with MAXQDA-2022 software; in the quantitative phase, a total of 365 managers and experts were selected across the country using a multi-stage cluster sampling. Then, a 36-item researcher-made questionnaire was developed using a five-point Likert scale and descriptive and inferential statistical methods were employed using SmartPLS software. FINDINGS: The findings indicate that the implementation of disaster management policies in the rescue and relief operations of the IRCS faces numerous challenges. The qualitative analysis identified 8 global themes, 19 organizing themes, and 36 basic themes. In the quantitative phase, the following dimensions were found to have significant positive effects on the implementation of disaster management policies: resources and equipment (0.561), policy (0.868), empowerment and skills (0.921), decision-making (0.859), organizational structure (0.912), information and communication (0.637), public participation (0.610) and economic, political, and social conditions (0.573). among these, human resource empowerment (0.921) and organizational structure (β = 0.912) exerted the greatest influence on the efficiency of relief operations. CONCLUSION: According to the results, lack of adequate resources and organizational structure, shortage of up-to-date equipment, deficiencies in workforce skills, and poor inter-organizational coordination are key challenges in implementing disaster management policies in rescue and relief operations. Furthermore, enhancing human resource management, improving training and empowerment programs for relief teams, devising transparent and actionable policies, and increasing public and NGO participation can significantly enhance the effectiveness of relief operations. The proper implementation of policies in rescue and relief operations can substantially improve the efficiency of the IRCS in the face of disasters and in addition to reducing human casualties and resource wastage, can also direct society towards sustainable development.