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The rural development plan and progress of rural systems are designed to promote sustainable development of rural settlements through spatial organization of rural systems in the form of local and regional networks, emphasizing rural-urban relationships and encouraging local governance through community participation. Additionally, it aims to strengthen the effective social and economic relationships of settlement units within the system. This plan, with a focus on activating the production cycle in rural spaces and creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, can facilitate the path to overcoming the crisis of rural development. This article employs a descriptive-analytical method to analyze the effective drivers on the implementation of the rural development plan and progress of rural systems in the central and Dotapeh districts of Khodabandeh County. Data collection was conducted through library and field studies, with a statistical population of 93,939 residents in the Dotapeh and central districts. Due to the specialized nature of the topic, a sample of 30 experts was selected using the snowball sampling method. The TODIM model and the least squares method within the DPSIR model were used for data analysis with the help of Excel and Smart PLS software. The research findings indicate that the "driving force" factor, with a score of 0.637, had a greater impact on the implementation of the rural development plan and progress of the rural systems in the central and Dotapeh districts of Khodabandeh County than other components. Furthermore, in order to achieve a more effective implementation of the rural development plan and progress of the rural systems, the following structures were found to have the greatest impact: P1. Organizing jobs related to the function and capacity of villages and the county (0.809); D2. Support from the Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation (0.782); S1. Attention to cluster economic and production capacities in the zoning of the system (0.778); and P3. The possibility of pursuing violations and laziness through decision-making institutions (provincial and governorate) (0.778). Finally, in order to achieve the goals of the rural development plan and progress of the rural systems, it is necessary to provide credit facilities through monitoring by the facilitation office, hold rural festivals, strengthen direct communication between facilitators and entrepreneurs, strengthen local organizations, and review the services provided by rural system offices.

The importance of sustainable rural development and its vital role in further development in evolving countries is evident today. According to experts and scholars, having appropriate capital, especially social capital through participation and social trust is the most important factor. This study aims to analyze social capital for sustainable rural development in the three villages of Shahid Beheshti, Jizabad and Moradabad in the Bakharz county of Khorasan Razavi province, in which the empowerment project of local communities has been implemented. The target population in this study consists of 96 people (55 men and 41 women) who are members of rural development micro-groups forming nine groups. In this research, the relationship between trust and participation in the stakeholder network is investigated using network analysis questionnaires and based on direct observation and interviews with all actors, as well as measuring macro-level indicators (including density, bidirectional, translocation and geodetic distance in the two phases before and after the project). It indicates the average level of trust, participation and social capital before the implementation of the local communities’ empowerment project. After the execution of the project, the level of these indicators has improved and reached the desired level. The speed of circulation and exchange of trust and participation between individuals has increased as well, and it has also improved cohesion, unity and solidarity and cooperation between individuals. Thus, the project has enhanced the level of trust, participation and social capital, and as a result, has provided the social context needed for reaching the desired sustainable rural development.