Background and Objective: With the increasing complexity of governance challenges and the growing need to strengthen citizens’ participation in decision-making processes, the role of political parties, particularly emerging parties, in achieving participatory governance and social development has gained increasing importance. However, the absence of a comprehensive indigenous model for explaining the role of such parties represents a significant research gap in this field. Therefore, this study aimed to design a role-playing model for emerging political parties in promoting participatory governance and social development, using the Islamic Iran Transformation and Progress Population as a case study.
Methodology: This applied research employed a qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with experts and the review of relevant documents, and were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis method. Participants were selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved, and the final model was developed based on the extracted themes.
Findings: The findings revealed that the role-playing model of emerging political parties is based on several key components, including strengthening political and social participation, enhancing social capital, developing network interactions, increasing transparency and accountability, empowering elites and political actors, and improving the quality of policymaking.
Conclusion: The results indicate that the effective role-playing of emerging political parties can contribute to strengthening participatory governance, enhancing social capital, and promoting social development. The proposed model provides an indigenous framework for guiding the activities of emerging political parties and can serve as a basis for policymaking and decision-making by relevant institutions toward advancing participatory governance and social development.