Modeling Modern Public Services with an Approach to Urban Social, Economic, and Environmental Sustainable Development in Mazandaran Municipalities

Abstract

This study, employing a mixed-methods approach, aims to model modern public services with a focus on urban social, economic, and environmental sustainable development in the municipalities of Mazandaran Province. The qualitative population included faculty members in the fields of public administration, urban management, urban planning, and city design at higher education institutions, as well as mayors, city council members, and senior managers of municipalities across the country. For the validation phase, the target population consisted of subject-matter experts and knowledgeable professionals in Mazandaran Province. In the quantitative phase, the population included senior and mid-level managers from municipalities in Mazandaran and eight affiliated municipal organizations: Fire Department, Transportation Organization, Cemetery Organization, Waste Management Organization, Construction Organization, Cultural–Social–Sports Organization, Urban Landscape and Beautification Organization, and the Fruit and Vegetable Markets Organization, across 62 municipalities with a total of 554 participants. In the qualitative phase, 19 experts were selected through snowball sampling. For the validation phase, 17 experts were selected using purposive sampling, and in the quantitative phase, 228 participants were selected through stratified random sampling. Data analysis in the qualitative phase was conducted using thematic analysis through initial coding, theme development, and theme refinement based on semi-structured interviews. In the validation phase, a three-round Delphi method was applied using an expert review checklist. In the quantitative phase, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used with a 96-item questionnaire. To assess validity and reliability in the qualitative phase, necessary measures such as credibility (expert review), confirmability (expert feedback), and intra-thematic agreement were employed. In the validation phase, the content of the expert checklist was confirmed by experts in terms of clarity and comprehensibility, and its reliability was confirmed through the test-retest method with a coefficient of 0.88. In the quantitative phase, the questionnaire’s validity was confirmed through face validity, content validity (CVI between 0.80 and 1.00 and CVR between 0.50 and 0.90), and construct validity (convergent validity range between 0.563 and 0.730 and discriminant validity higher than inter-construct correlations). The questionnaire’s reliability was confirmed through factor loadings (greater than 0.40), Cronbach's alpha (ranging from 0.710 to 0.830), and composite reliability (ranging from 0.794 to 0.890). According to the qualitative findings, the final model comprises six main themes: (1) Sustainable and Participatory Governance, (2) Social Justice and Inclusive Services, (3) Sustainable Resource and Environmental Management, (4) Technology and Innovation in Public Services, (5) Economic Sustainability and Financial Empowerment, and (6) Citizen Education and Cultural Development; along with 24 sub-themes and 96 indicators. The validation phase findings confirmed the research components by expert consensus. Finally, the results of the quantitative phase supported the validity and explanatory power of the proposed model in a real-world statistical population.