Abstract

Due to the distance from the center, geographical isolation, and historical underdevelopment, the border regions have lagged behind the development process in sync with the central regions; Because top-down development approaches with excessive emphasis on economic growth have led to unstable development in these areas. Today, to solve regional problems, modern frameworks and institutional approaches are used with regard to cultural and social dimensions. This article examines the role of collaborative governance in the balanced development of border regions, focusing on Kurdistan province. Due to being located in national borders and facing security, economic and social challenges on the one hand and ethnic and cultural diversity on the other hand, border areas need special solutions for balanced and sustainable development. Balanced development of these areas requires cooperation and interaction between different stakeholders including the government, private sector, public institutions and people. In this regard, the concept of collaborative governance, which means cooperation and joint decision-making among different actors in an integrated process, is proposed as a new approach.

Collaborative governance emphasizes principles such as mutual trust, shared motivations, principled interaction, and shared capacities for action. This approach tries to solve the development challenges of the border areas, especially in Kurdistan province, through the creation of extensive partnerships and interaction between different institutions. In this framework, the role of initiator leadership in motivating and directing heterogeneous groups is very important. In addition, the existence of interdependencies between stakeholders and uncertainty in complex environments are among the factors that have increased the importance of this approach. The present study has been conducted with the aim of analyzing the role of collaborative governance in balanced regional development in the border province of Kurdistan. Based on documentary and library studies, the dimensions and indicators related to the 4 main concepts of the approach, such as drivers, background factors, governance regime and the dynamic cycle of cooperation in the administration of Kurdistan province, were investigated and analyzed. The research data has been collected through the distribution of questionnaires to measure the dimensions and indicators of collaborative governance in the province among local experts. The results show that the indicators of collaborative governance in Kurdistan province are lower than the standard average, and this reveals the need to change the management structure and establish collaborative governance. Also, the one-sample T-test showed that the majority of dimensions are effective in the balanced development of Kurdistan border province, and none of the dimensions alone are able to achieve balanced development. Finally, a final model for the implementation of collaborative governance in the border province of Kurdistan was developed in order to provide a balanced development context through the reform of the structure and relations of management institutions. The results of the data analysis show that collaborative governance can be an effective solution to improve the conditions. development of Kurdistan province. This research provides a model that specifies the position and mission of each stakeholder in the development process and can be used as a guide for other border regions. The result of the research shows that the balanced development of the border province of Kurdistan requires the adoption of new management and decision-making approaches in which all stakeholders are actively involved and can achieve development goals through joint cooperation and interaction. Collaborative governance, as a new model of governance, can help create balances needed in the development of border regions and stop the historical trend of imbalances. This model is particularly important by emphasizing resource sharing, trust building among stakeholders, and joint action capacities, especially in areas that face complex challenges such as insecurity and poverty. As the first comprehensive study in this field, this research examines the importance of collaborative governance for sustainable development in border areas and provides an operational model to achieve balanced development in Kurdistan province.