Designing an Indigenous Qualitative Model for Succession Planning in Iran’s Government Bureaucracy: Moving from Reactive Replacement to Systemic Capability Management

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the dimensions, components, requirements, and barriers of succession planning and to develop an indigenous conceptual model tailored to the characteristics of Iran’s government bureaucracy. This applied study employed a qualitative approach based on thematic analysis. The participants consisted of senior and middle managers of government organizations, human resource managers, and academic experts in Tabriz. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved after 16 semi-structured interviews. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. To ensure methodological rigor, Lincoln and Guba’s criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability were applied. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA 24 through open, axial, and selective coding procedures. The interpretive analysis showed that effective succession planning in Iran’s government bureaucracy requires a shift from the logic of “filling vacant positions” to “organizational capability management.” Four major domains emerged: systemic and holistic dimensions of succession planning, dimensions of successor competency acquisition, positive outcomes of program implementation, and consequences of the absence of a succession planning program. The findings further indicated that successor competency extends beyond technical qualifications and includes individual and personality competencies, political intelligence, tolerance of ambiguity, technological competencies, information security requirements, and knowledge-transfer capability. In addition, transparent appointment criteria, procedural justice, independent evaluation mechanisms, active support from senior managers, a learning-oriented culture, and data-driven monitoring were identified as essential conditions for model effectiveness. Conversely, informal relationships, distrust, talent hoarding, and person-dependent processes were found to weaken successor readiness and increase organizational risk. The proposed model indicates that succession planning in Iranian government organizations should be designed as an integrated, future-oriented, competency-based, and data-driven system encompassing the identification of critical positions, talent development, knowledge transfer, readiness assessment, and fair appointment processes. Institutionalizing such a model can strengthen continuity of public services, institutional resilience, meritocracy, preservation of organizational knowledge, and employees’ trust in managerial processes.