Introduction: Rescue and relief operations are a critical component of crisis response, where efficiency and effectiveness can directly reduce human casualties and enhance community resilience. However, systematic frameworks and standardized indicators for evaluating the performance of crisis management organizations face several challenges. This study aimed to identify and prioritize key standardized criteria and indicators for assessing rescue and relief operations within the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).
Method: A descriptive mixed-methods study was conducted in two sequential phases, qualitative and quantitative, in 2025. The study population consisted of experts employed by the IRCS, among whom 34 participants were selected through purposive sampling. For the qualitative phase, content analysis was employed, while the quantitative phase utilized multi-criteria decision-making methods, including the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS).
Result: In the qualitative phase, based on expert evaluation, 58 key indicators were prioritized (17 input indicators, 11 efficiency indicators, 15 effectiveness indicators, and 15 impact indicators. The highest scores were assigned to the following indicators: deployment level of information and communication systems (score: 0.886) under the input dimension; time required to activate early warning systems (score: 1.000) under the efficiency dimension; number of specialized teams organized (e.g., high-altitude rescue, medical, firefighting) (score: 0.872) under the effectiveness dimension; and number of post-incident performance analysis reports (score: 1.000) under the impact dimension.
Conclusion: The standardized criteria and key indicators across the four dimensions of inputs, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact can provide a comprehensive structural framework for analyzing rescue and relief operations. This framework can enhance organizational performance, improve operational readiness, increase transparency and accountability, and build public trust in responsible institutions. It is recommended that operational activities be monitored based on this framework to support learning, improvement, and capacity building for community resilience, with further development of composite indicators and integration of innovative technologies.