Performance assessment of urban renewal organization to environmental improvement (Case study: Worn texture areas of Tehran)

Introduction Performance of urban organizations, municipal and other public local institutes is effective on life quality and urban sustainable life. Assessement of the performance of these institutions is considered as constructive and corrective actions for their prosperity. That is why local organizations performance management as a management strategy has attracted the attention of local authorities and led central government officials to scientific and legal measures to improve the performance of local organizations. Among the various countries, the experience of Britain about movement performance assessment management of urban councils was accompanied with success and remarkable initiatives. Performance assessment means the actions and activities conducted to increase the efficient use of resources in order to achieve ends and means coupled with the efficiency and effectiveness. This program was common in most developed countries during recent decades. Some developing countries evaluating the performance of specific legislation considered the component requirements. The purpose of performance assessment is measurement, valuation and judgment about performance of executive bodies of the country according to the rules and regulations, effective criteria approach, efficient, economic and ethical aspects in order to improve the quality of government services. One type of performance assessment is performance assessment by the public. Performance assessment is debatable in this respect; from one side satisfaction of the people plays an important role in the success of the organization in achieving their goals. Citizens who are satisfied about the city council performances with more confidence do their citizenship duties (such as payment and participation in public programs). On the other hand, it can be said that people themselves are only those who can understand their problems as well. Reconstruction and renovation of damaged area of the cities is very important for various cultural, economic, security and social reasons. This topic is more important in city of Tehran and the necessity of build an institution responsible for this case was felt. After the Islamic revolution, urban renewal organization of Tehran in 1994, with the adoption of new articles of association, was quietly looking for a new role. Urban renewal organization of Tehran is in charge of improving the worn out tissues in Tehran so that it can prevent the consequential problems of the old textures in the city. This research attempts to review the urban renewal organization activities in making functions favorable in urban areas, in improving the lives of citizens, in solving physical problems of urban distressed areas, in solving the living problems of citizens, in renovation of damaged areas and in renovation of old buildings in urban areas. Therefore, we are to use the system functions (feedback and improvement) to promote the organizations.   Methodology Due to the nature of research and considered purposes, this research has descriptive - analytical method by survey by applied views. In this research, after collecting the required data by using existing resources in the field of subject of study,  field methods and questionnaire instrument was used to complete the information. Validity of the questionnaire of this research is based on the content validity and has been revised by professors and researchers several times. Reliability of the questionnaire has been tested by Cronbach's alpha (0.701). T-test (one sample test) is used to evaluate the performance of the organization in promoting each of the under study measures. Moderate performance of urban renewal organization in each of the functional areas of the test was 3. Kruskal- Wallis test has been used to determine that which areas have good performance in urban renewal organization and which areas have poor performance.   Results and Discussion In one sample T-test, H0 assumption showed equal stability with the general average number (3) and H1 assumption indicates the inequality of mediocre quality. Results revealed that urban renewal organization in three fields of modernization of old buildings in urban areas, improvement of the lives of citizens and improvement in the functions of the city was to some extent good. The results have also indicated that it was poor in three fields of urban old texture modernization, solving physical problems of old texture and solving problems of citizens living. According to Kruskal- Wallis test, regional performance of urban renewal organization resulted from the total functions of renewal organization in six constituencies. According to the results, renewal organization has good performance in districts of 15, 16, 9, and 18. It has average performance in the districts of 7, 8, 17, 19 and 10 and also has underperforming performance in districts of 12, 13, 14 and 11.   Conclusion In general, two important statements can be concluded from this study. The administrative and planning of Tehran municipality in the field of improvement and repairing of the worn out tissues of the city has been relatively goodin the micro scale. This means that this institution was able to put many old residential buildings and inhospitable areas in its target program and make them renewed. This can disapprove the views that state the municipality was not able to solve the problems of the worn out textures.