Identification and Analysis of Stakeholders of the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health using the Demetel Technique

This study was conducted to promote the rationality of public policy-making through stakeholder participation in the codification of public policies. Accordingly, the main issue of study is the pattern of factors affecting the stakeholder’s participation in the process of public policy codification in the Iranian Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.

This study is qualitative-quantitative research. At first, the stakeholders of (IFDA) were identified through interviews. Then, 18 experts in public policymaking, managers, and experts working in the (IFDA) were interviewed by using the DEMATEL method, as a result of which the relationship between the stakeholders and the severity of their effects on each other was determined.

16 stakeholders of (IFDA) were identified. The results show that in terms of effectiveness and impressibility (D-R) of the governing board with a value of 0.906 was the most influential beneficiary and final consumer with a value of -1.971 was the most impressible stakeholder and also, in terms of the importance of stakeholders (D + R), the Ministry of Health, with the value of 5.322 has the most importance and insurance organizations with the value of 3.216 have the least importance.

By considering the important stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health and the governing board, as well as influential stakeholders such as the final consumer, and by considering the relationship and intensity of stakeholders with each other, the basis of policymakers to involve stakeholders in the policy-making of (IFDA) has been set.