The present study seeks to analyze the challenges associated with the implementation of administrative reform programs. To accomplish this objective, the research was conducted using a qualitative approach grounded in grounded theory methodology. Data were gathered through interviews with key actors in the field of administrative reform, employing purposive sampling. The data collection process continued until theoretical saturation was reached. After transcription, the interviews were analyzed using systematic coding procedures. Based on the Strauss and Corbin systematic approach, the findings identified the “inactive role of the political sphere” as the core phenomenon. The causal conditions include ambiguity in the national governance system and ambiguity in the dual relationship between politics and administration. The contextual conditions encompass macro-environmental influences and a culture characterized by weak commitment to programmatic planning. The intervening conditions consist of deficiencies in the planning system and weaknesses within the institutional body responsible for administrative reform planning. In response to these conditions, strategies such as formulating plans merely for symbolic compliance and imitating foreign models are adopted. Ultimately, limited implementation capacity and weaknesses in the evaluation system were identified as the primary consequences of this process. These findings provide a systematic explanation of the barriers to administrative reform and underscore the necessity of strengthening planning institutions and establishing sustainable mechanisms to enhance policy efficiency and effectiveness within the administrative system.