Objective: Disaster and crisis management, as well as policymaking and planning for disaster risk reduction, due to their multidimensional and interdisciplinary nature and the involvement of multiple actors, require the participation and coordination of a wide range of stakeholders across different governance and societal levels. Recent crisis experiences indicate that a lack of clear understanding of stakeholders’ roles, power, and interests can lead to poor coordination, overlap of responsibilities, and reduced effectiveness of interventions. This study aims to analyze and clarify the roles and positions of multiple stakeholders within the national disaster management system and to propose an analytical framework for their classification and systematic management across the different phases of the disaster management cycle, including prevention and risk reduction, preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation.
Method: In terms of purpose, this research is applied, and methodologically it adopts a qualitative approach based on a case study of Iran’s disaster management system. In the first stage, relying on upstream policy documents, relevant laws and regulations—particularly the National Disaster Management Law—a list of primary and supporting stakeholders was identified. Subsequently, data were collected through focus group discussions and consultative workshops involving experts in disaster management and representatives of executive agencies. Data analysis was conducted using the power–interest matrix to determine the level of influence and the extent of interests of each stakeholder across different phases of disaster management.
Results: The findings reveal that in each phase of the disaster management process, stakeholders can be categorized into four main groups with varying levels of power and interest: key stakeholders with high power and high interest; stakeholders with high power but low interest; stakeholders with low power but high interest; and stakeholders with both low power and low interest. For each group, distinct strategies can be defined, including active and continuous engagement, keeping stakeholders satisfied and providing targeted information, empowerment and meaningful participation, and minimal engagement.
Conclusions: The results indicate that the systematic application of stakeholder analysis and the use of the power–interest matrix can play a significant role in enhancing inter-organizational coordination, clarifying roles, and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the disaster management system. In addition to strengthening the theoretical foundations of disaster management, this approach can serve as a practical tool for policymaking, planning, and decision-making throughout all phases of the disaster management cycle (pre-, during, and post-disaster).