Meta Synthesis of Resilient Policy Making Studies

Abstract
Today, for development, societies and governments must be able to adapt and be resistant to the fluctuations and challenges ahead; therefore, familiarity with the fundamental concepts of resilience and its development is of particular importance for all types of governance. In this regard, the main goal of the current research is to identify the antecedents, characteristics and consequences of resilient policymaking. this research has been conducted using the Meta-synthesis qualitative method in order to systematically review the findings of the studies conducted in this regard. The tool for collecting data and information of the current research was valid studies and researches in the period of 2000 to 2024, including 16 articles. in this research, 140 codes were identified and then the identified codes were separated, integrated and categorized based on the degree of conceptual similarity. Based on this, the extracted codes were classified into 7 categories (Enabling factors, accelerators, characteristics of resilient policymaking, characteristics of resilient policymakers, output, results, impact) and 3 macro concepts (Antecedents of resilient policymaking, characteristics of resilient policymaking and policymakers, and consequences of resilient policymaking).
Introduction
The present study was conducted with the aim of elucidating the concept of resilient policymaking and proposing a model grounded in prior scholarship in this field. This issue gains particular significance in contexts where policymaking is confronted with volatility, uncertainty, crises, and environmental complexity, thereby requiring a dynamic and adaptive approach. Drawing on the existing body of literature, the article seeks to move beyond fragmented descriptive accounts and to uncover the internal logic underlying this mode of policymaking. Accordingly, the principal objective of the study was to identify the antecedents, characteristics, and consequences of resilient policymaking.
Case study
Given the qualitative and documentary nature of the present study and the application of the meta-synthesis method, the statistical population does not comprise individuals, organizations, or human participants; rather, it consists of the corpus of existing scientific studies in the field of resilient policymaking. Accordingly, the research population encompasses all relevant international articles and credible sources published in selected scientific databases including Google Scholar, ProQuest, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Springer between 2000 and 2025, which directly or indirectly address concepts such as resilient policymaking, resilient policy, resilient decision-making, resilient policymakers, and dimensions related to resilience within policymaking processes. This population was selected because, in meta-synthesis research, the texts of prior studies are treated as primary data, enabling the researcher to extract concepts, categories, and a new conceptual model through the systematic analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of existing findings. Consequently, given the emergent nature and conceptual fragmentation of the resilient policymaking literature, investigating studies published within this timeframe facilitates the identification of the conceptual evolution, core dimensions, antecedents, characteristics, and consequences of this concept.
Materials and Methods
This study is qualitative in nature and employs a meta-synthesis approach, using an interpretive–analytical framework based on the seven-step model of Sandelowski and Barroso. In the search process, 74 articles and sources were initially identified, of which 16 selected articles were ultimately included in the final analysis. The extracted data were analyzed through a coding procedure, resulting in 276 initial codes that were refined into 140 final codes following the process of screening and consolidation. These codes were then organized into seven main categories and three overarching concepts, and their validity was assessed through the calculation of the Cohen’s kappa coefficient.
Results and Findings
The findings revealed that resilient policymaking can be explained through three overarching concepts: antecedents, characteristics, and consequences. In the domain of antecedents, enabling factors such as crisis, uncertainty, complexity, resource constraints, and shocks were identified, along with accelerators such as feedback, learning, stakeholder participation, scenario planning, and risk management. In terms of characteristics, resilient policymaking is associated with components such as flexibility, adaptability, legitimacy, complexity management, adaptive decision-making, and foresight, while resilient policymakers are characterized by effective leadership, collaboration, strategic vision, and the capacity to lead change. The consequences of this mode of policymaking emerge at three levels—outputs, outcomes, and impacts—and include responsiveness to emerging threats, recovery from crises, continuous improvement, preparedness, resilience, transformation, and policy development.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of the article, resilient policymaking should be understood not as a temporary reaction to crises, but as an enduring logic of governance. This framework demonstrates that the sustainability and effectiveness of policies depend on the interaction among enabling conditions, accelerators, policy characteristics, and the attributes of policymakers. Accordingly, the article recommends that the causal relationships among these components be empirically tested, that the role of resilient policymakers and capacities such as leadership and resilient thinking be further examined, and that longitudinal studies be undertaken to better understand the transformation of outputs into outcomes and impacts. It also recommends applying this framework in areas such as crisis management, health, environmental policy, and urban governance.