Introduction
The digitalization of societies has transformed governance structures and reshaped the way they are organized. In this context, emerging technologies have not only influenced how the world operates but have also revolutionized the use of modern tools to manage democratic processes and political engagement. Accordingly, parliaments, as the highest representative institutions in a democracy, need to reform their traditional methods to align with public demands and serve as pillars of stability and trust during times of political, security, and economic crises. In this process, data plays a fundamental role. Thus, moving toward a "smart parliament" is essential. Achieving "smart parliaments"—whose main goals are enhancing transparency, increasing accountability, facilitating public participation in policymaking and implementation, and improving the efficiency of legislative and oversight processes—requires a positive approach toward new technologies and their adoption as effective tools in the development of governance systems. In this regard, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, as a legislative body and representative of the people, can play a fundamental role in increasing the quality of governance by making its processes smarter. Although some measures have been taken, such as the approval of the Transparency Law and the launch of crowdfunding systems for laws, policy studies and past experiences show that there are serious gaps in achieving effective citizen participation in the legislative process.This research, therefore, seeks to analyze existing executive policies, identify current challenges, and propose a comprehensive model for leveraging technological capacities and enhancing public participation in order to advance smart legislative governance. Attaining this framework can lead to greater transparency, strengthened social capital, more participatory decision-making processes, and ultimately, improved efficiency and democratization of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Overall, the main objective of this study is to present a comprehensive and practical framework for utilizing technological potential and public participation to smarten parliamentary governance.
Materials and Methods
The present study is a qualitative research conducted within an interpretive-constructivist paradigm, utilizing the meta-synthesis strategy based on the seven-stage model proposed by Sandelowski et al. (2007). The research population includes two main sections:
Scientific documents: Including articles, books, and theses published between 2011 and 2025 (1390 to 1403 in the Iranian calendar and 2000 to 2024 in the Gregorian calendar);
Focus groups: Including university professors, researchers in the field of smart parliament studies, managers from the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and experts from the Legal Affairs Department of the Parliament. In line with the meta-synthesis approach, purposive sampling was applied to both scientific documents and participants. As a result, 27 studies were selected for document analysis. Additionally, the snowball sampling method was used to identify suitable individuals for participation, leading to a final sample of 13 experts. Sampling adequacy was ensured using the theoretical sampling method, meaning the process continued until data saturation was achieved. To ensure the validity of the study, Lincoln and Guba's (1985) criteria—credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability—were employed. Credibility was achieved through systematic data analysis and continuous review of findings, while dependability was ensured through precise documentation and regular data verification. After completing the meta-synthesis and extracting the components of a smart governance framework with an emphasis on public participation, these components were discussed in focus group sessions. The findings were then adapted to the context of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Iran's Parliament), and practical and operational recommendations were developed in line with the proposed framework. These recommendations were refined through iterative feedback and revisions.
Results and Discussion
The present study was conducted with the aim of providing a framework for smart governance focusing on public participation in the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Based on the results obtained, 4 main categories and 19 subcategories were identified in the form of 60 concepts based on the meta-synthesis method.
Based on the results of the present study, four categories: 1- Convergence and coordination at the governance level, 2- Division of institutional work in different parts of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, 3- Facilitation and encouragement of participation and interaction with society and citizens, and 4- Determination of tasks and necessary measures in order to develop the smart governance platform, were considered as functional dimensions affecting capacity building in smart parliamentary governance.
In the areas of citizen participation in smart governance, five areas appropriate to the parliament were identified and refined by the focus group, which include 1) Participation in problem identification and prioritization, 2) Formulation and formation of laws, 3) Evaluation of approvals, 4) Monitoring and evaluation of law implementation, and 5) Demanding and strengthening the function of representation.
Another component of the framework presented was the levels of citizen participation in smart governance, which was examined from four aspects: 1) transparency and awareness of citizens, 2) consultation and feedback from citizens, 3) cooperation and involvement of citizens, and 4) empowerment and delegation of decision-making to citizens.
The platforms for realizing public participation in smart governance of the Islamic Consultative Assembly are one of the important components of the presented framework, which includes six systems: 1) Transparency system of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, 2) Participation system in problem identification, 3) Citizen participation system in legislation, 4) Law Observatory, 5) Public communication system with representatives, and 6) Integrated public monitoring system. These systems have been proposed as a complement to the framework extracted from scientific literature and with the aim of adapting it to the conditions of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
Conclusion
Smart governance with a focus on public participation in the Islamic Consultative Assembly requires creating appropriate platforms for citizen engagement with legislative, oversight, and policymaking processes. Achieving this goal requires providing prerequisites that, while strengthening the institutional capacity of the Assembly, pave the way for greater transparency, efficiency, and accountability. Also, it can be concluded that legal, supervisory and functional capacity building in the parliament will not only increase the efficiency and transparency of policies, but also provide the possibility of direct interaction of the people with the legislative body and will lead to the improvement of smart governance, promotion of social capital, increase of public trust and strengthening of the efficiency of the decision-making system.