The Role of Khātam al-Anbiyā Construction Headquarters in Developing the Country’s Energy Infrastructure and Its Impact on the Good Governance of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Extended Abstract
 
Introduction and Objectives: Good governance (ḥukmrānī-yi khūwb) is a concept originated by the World Bank, later formulated as a model for governance. It is characterized by indicators such as rule of law (qānūnmindī), promotion of values (irtaqā-yi arzishhā), capacity building (ẓarfiyyatsāzī), accountability (pāsukhgūʾī), poverty reduction (kāhish-i faqr), participation (mushārakat), efficiency (kārāʾī), and effectiveness (aṡarbakhshī), and assists institutions, organizations, and governments in achieving worthy and appropriate performance. In good governance, the government is not the sole active player; rather, the private sector and civil society, which include non-governmental organizations and institutions, play an influential role in political, economic, and social developments.
Given the status and importance of good governance in the development and progress of societies, it is evident that governments, states, and institutions seek to implement this model and realize its indicators. Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters (Qarārgāh-i Sāzandigī-yi Khātam al-Anbiyā), as an institution and economic arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was established in 1989 (1368 H.sh.) by the order of the Supreme Leader, with its main objective being to strengthen the good governance of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since its inception, this economic institution has actively participated in the execution and completion of projects in the fields of oil and gas, road and urban development, water and power, etc. Evaluating its performance is of great importance, as it allows for the assessment of both the Headquarters’ functioning in executing these projects and its role as an institution within the good governance of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Method: The research method is a mixed quantitative-qualitative approach (rawish-i talfīq-i kamī wa kayfī), utilizing questionnaires, library, and internet sources for data collection. In the case study, the Persian Gulf Star Refinery (Pālāyishgāh-i Sitārih-ʾi Khalīj-i Fārs) was selected, and its efficiency and effectiveness were analyzed.
Good Governance Questionnaire: For the research, a good governance questionnaire was developed, focusing on seven indicators: efficiency, effectiveness, transparency (shaffāfiyat), promotion of values, rule of law, accountability, and capacity building. Questions related to these components were formulated and arranged with minor modifications.
Statistical population and sample: From among the energy experts (oil, gas, and petrochemicals) of Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters as the statistical population, 20 individuals were randomly selected as the sample size and participated in the study.
Data analysis: Subsequently, the questionnaires were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. Using the software data, both questions related to efficiency and effectiveness were analyzed and verified by the authors. Finally, based on the data related to the two mentioned components, the main research question and hypothesis were tested.
Questionnaire specifications: The good governance questionnaire consists of 42 items designed for the seven components of efficiency, effectiveness, promotion of values, capacity building, transparency, accountability, and rule of law. This questionnaire falls into the category of closed, structured, and quantitative questionnaires. The reliability (pāyāyī) of the good governance questionnaire was obtained through Cronbach’s alpha above 0.70, and content validity (rūyī-yi muḥtawāyī) was used to assess the questionnaire’s validity.
Results Analysis of the questionnaire data revealed that Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters received scores above 4 in all seven good governance indicators. Furthermore, the mean score for the role of Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters in developing the country’s energy infrastructure and good governance was 4.44, which at the significance level of 0.05 and with 19 degrees of freedom is higher than the hypothetical population mean (3), and t = 18.006 is higher than the critical t-value. Therefore, the Headquarters has performed very desirably in the indicators of efficiency, effectiveness, promotion of values, capacity building, transparency, accountability, and rule of law in the fields of oil and gas, road and urban development, and water and power.
Additionally, the Headquarters’ performance in constructing and completing the Persian Gulf Star Refinery indicates that the progress of this project over 6 years was 37%. With the intensification of sanctions and the withdrawal of foreign contractors, the Ministry of Petroleum entrusted the continuation of the project to Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, and the Headquarters succeeded in completing the project within 5 years. Currently, the Persian Gulf Star Refinery, with the production of over 50 million liters of gasoline, supplying strategic energy products, increasing daily gas condensate feedstock receipt by 120,000 barrels (from 360,000 to 480,000 barrels), achieving self-sufficiency and exporting gasoline, reducing environmental pollutants, supplying feedstock for the country’s petrochemical plants, and producing liquid petroleum and gas oil, plays a significant role in the development of the oil, gas, and petrochemical industry. This demonstrates the efficiency and effectiveness of a project built by Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters.
Discussion and Conclusion: The research data clearly indicates that Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters executes projects with lower costs compared to domestic and foreign competitors in the two dimensions of efficiency and effectiveness, utilizing domestic technology and resources to complete projects. The outcomes of the Headquarters’ performance in constructing and completing projects in the fields of oil and gas, road and urban development, water and power, etc., clearly speak of development, prosperity, deprivation alleviation (rafʿ-i maḥrūmiyyat), progress, self-sufficiency, exports, and strengthening the country’s infrastructure.

Capacity building: By creating employment and utilizing specialized and elite forces, the Headquarters has strengthened the capacity-building component.
Transparency: It was found that Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, by collecting necessary information, assists the Headquarters’ management in making appropriate decisions. Its performance in tenders and auctions, project execution, and their costs has been transparent, and it is subject to the audit organizations of the IRGC and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, as well as the National Tax Administration.
Promotion of values: The Construction Headquarters has also performed desirably in promoting values.
Accountability: Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters has had acceptable performance in realizing the accountability component, as the Headquarters, while having a clear policy for feedback on its performance, annually publishes its goals, plans, and performance, making them available to experts and the public.
Rule of law: Furthermore, the Headquarters adheres to legal frameworks in tenders and auctions and does not benefit from any special privileges or rent-seeking advantages (rānt wa imtiyāz) compared to other companies.

Acknowledgement: The authors express their sincere appreciation to all professors and experts who contributed their insights to this research.
Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest in the conduct of this study.