The participants explain their choices to the researchers (Jacques Rakotondranary)

Role-Playing Games in Natural Resource Management (马达加斯加岛)

描述

Participatory simulation to foster stakeholder dialogue in natural resource management, conciliate resource conflicts and enable participatory land use planning

Aims / objectives: Two role-playing games were designed to understand land users' livelihoods strategies in both “normal” but also in times of drought events and cattle raids. The aim was to find out how, and why, livelihood decisions differed between household types in south-western Madagascar. Under the role-playing methodology, land users actively participate through discussing livelihood strategies, negotiating interests, and planning for the future. The methodology proved to be very dynamic, interactive and useful.

Methods: The SuLaMa project is a five-year Malagasy and German research project involving an interdisciplinary team (consortium) that aimed at developing sustainable land use techniques in south-western Madagascar. To validate soft-models that fed into computer-based models on land use change in the region, four workshops were held in four villages on the Mahafaly Plateau. Two groups of land users, with twelve participants each, worked simultaneously in each village: a total number of 96 participated. The games, ‘Livelihood Game’ and ‘Livestock Game', were designed to foster both scientific knowledge production on land use systems, and dialogue with land users. The essence of the methodology is that participants assume the roles of different household types and simulate their annual livelihood activities on a village map. The four household types differed from relatively wealthy (owning cattle; a lot of land) to poor (no cattle, little land). Each household type was represented by two or three participants and roles were allocated randomly.

Stages of implementation: The 'Livelihood Game' covers a time span of four fictive years. Each round represents the household’s annual subsistence decisions. In contrast, the 'Livestock Game' covers just one year with each round encompassing one of three seasons. In the 'Livelihood Game', players have a set of activity options: for example they can locate fields on the map and choose how to cultivate them. Moreover, additional activities like livestock keeping, charcoal making, paid work, collecting/hunting or educating children are available to them. The 'Livestock Game' concentrates on grazing and animal feeding decisions. Each decision is visualized by pictured cards, tokens and symbols - and grazing areas are mapped. While this participatory simulation remains a game, it would be feasible to integrate the methodology into a land use planning process.

Role of stakeholders: Initially, the joint interdisciplinary team conducted a baseline survey using Rapid Rural Appraisal tools to gain a general understanding of local socio-ecologic systems. Following this, a quantitative household survey was carried out in several villages (665 households in total) to analyse household composition and structures. Based on the results, researchers designed the structure of the role-playing games.

Other important information: A crucial precondition was that local communities were well-informed and participation was voluntary. This was achieved by an ‘announcement tour’ where timings were adapted to social, cultural and labour schedules of the local population. The communities were invited to determine the participants according to specific criteria. Participants had to be those who practiced the typical livelihood activities of agriculture and livestock keeping, and who contributed to household decision-making. Furthermore, a balance in terms of gender, age and lineage was requested.

地点

地点: Betioky-Atsimo, Mahafaly Plateau, South-Western Madagascar, 马达加斯加岛

选定地点的地理参考
  • 43.70012, -24.06151

启动日期: 2014

终止年份: 2015

方法的类型
The participants simulate their livelihood activities on maps (Jacques Rakotondranary, July 2014)
The participants explain their choices to the researchers. (Jacques Rakotondranary)

方法目标和有利环境

该方法的主要目的/目标
The Approach focused mainly on other activities than SLM (Participation, stakeholder communication, joint natural resource management, mutual learning)

The community workshops were held in order to (1) validate the researchers’ systems understanding about rural livelihoods and land use activities, and to (2) discuss land users' responses to drought events and cattle raids.

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: Lack of communication and negotiation between technicians, resource users and scientists. Lack of participation of rural communities in long-term planning and decision-making. Lack of regulations for the use of scarce resources.
推动实施本办法所应用技术的条件
  • 法律框架(土地使用权、土地和水使用权): Resource and land ownership was a topic during the Role-Playing Games. Problems on conflicts could be detected and discussed, but not always solved.
阻碍实施本办法所应用技术的条件
  • 社会/文化/宗教规范和价值观: In this rural region, governmental decision-making authorities are mostly absent. Decision-making processes in the local communities follow traditional hierarchies and structures. Men and old people generally have a greater decision-making power than women and young people. Treatment through the SLM Approach: External actors organized the workshops. They controlled group composition so that it was balanced in terms of gender, age, and lineage.
  • 其他: Rural livelihoods in the Mahafaly region are vulnerable. Rainfed agriculture and livestock keeping constitute the mainstay of virtually all households. Low and unpredictable precipitation limits agricultural production. Recurrent droughts lead to harvest failures and put a major threat to rural livelihoods. Moreover, people are faced with the problem of organized and armed cattle raiders. In fear of being robbed, herders adjust their grazing grounds and paths. Treatment through the SLM Approach: Participants could relate the simulation to real-life. They were enabled to analyse their household management systems and to develop coping strategies to address drought periods. Participants discussed commonly how to respond to the risk of cattle raids in the region.

相关利益相关者的参与和角色

该方法涉及的利益相关者及其职责
该方法涉及哪些利益相关者/执行机构? 指定利益相关者 说明利益相关者的角色
当地土地使用者/当地社区 land users from the villages When selecting the participants, a balance in gender, age and lignage was asked.
地方政府 traditional village authorities
国家政府(规划者、决策者)
国际组织 German-Malagasy research consortium
领导机构
The Livelihood Game and the Livestock Game were designed by researchers on the basis of their previous findings.
当地土地使用者/当地社区参与该方法的不同阶段
被动
外部支持
互动
自我动员
启动/动机
计划
实施
Villagers participated in the workshops. As compensation for their time, they received a community remuneration.
监测/评估
After the workshops, participants were asked to give feedback on the methodology.
Research
流程图

The flow chart demonstrates the different sequences of the Livelihood Game at is was played in the workshops 2014. After an introduction, four years were simulated. Each year has a different purpose: The years one and two can be classified as 'normal' years, whereas year three and four are drought years. While year one serves to understand the game, the second year is to simulate accumulation and investment patterns. The third year consitutes a drought year which means harvest failure for the households. In the forth year, participants simulate their behaviour in the scenario of a persisting drought.

作者:Maren Wesselow
有关SLM技术选择的决策

决策是由......做出的

  • 仅限土地使用者(自主)
  • 主要是土地使用者,由SLM专家提供支持
  • 所有相关参与者,作为参与式方法的一部分
  • 主要是SLM专家,咨询土地使用者之后
  • 仅限SLM专家
  • 政治家和领袖

决策是基于

  • 对充分记录的SLM知识进行评估(基于证据的决策)
  • 研究结果
  • 个人经验和意见(无记录)

技术支持、能力建设和知识管理

以下活动或服务是该方法的一部分
能力建设/培训
向以下利益相关者提供培训
  • 土地使用者
  • 现场工作人员/顾问
  • research assistants, WWF staff
培训形式
  • 在职
  • 农民对农民
  • 示范区域
  • 公开会议
  • 课程
  • 'Learning by doing and failing'
涵盖的主题

Research assistants and WWF staff were trained to facilitate and document the method adequately.
During the workshop sessions, land users gained understanding of the interdependencies of land use and conservation practices and came to reflect the livelihood strategies in their villages.

咨询服务
已提供咨询服务
  • 在土地使用者的土地上
  • 在固定中心
Participatory simulations, role-playing games; Key elements: Taking on another households' role, Developping livelihood strategies in different scenarios, Discussion, communication and negotiation
监测和评估
technical aspects were regular monitored by project staff through observations; indicators: data on land use practices were collected socio-cultural aspects were regular monitored by project staff through observations; indicators: data on human well-being and social conventions (traditions, rituals) were collected economic / production aspects were regular monitored by project staff through observations; indicators: data on expenses and revenues were collected area treated aspects were regular monitored by project staff through observations; indicators: spatial decisions were visualised and marked on maps no. of land users involved aspects were regular monitored by project staff through observations; indicators: in each of the 4 villages 24 land users took part in the workshops management of Approach aspects were regular monitored by project staff through observations; indicators: qualitative and quantitative data on livelihood strategies were collected There were few changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: To synchronize the process in the two groups within a village, it was essential to have one observer who could move between the two groups and detect differences. For instance, it was observed that while one facilitator preferred to gather all participants around one big table, the other one arranged separate tables for each household. After the workshop sessions, observers, facilitators and documenters discussed the process and crosschecked the results of different groups. Eventually, it was agreed that it was better to have all participants around one big table. Also household assets, such as poultry or houses, were adopted in the game by the players.
研究
研究涉及以下主题
  • 社会学
  • 经济/市场营销
  • 生态学
  • 技术
  • households' livelihood strategies

An international research consortium conducted the Role Playing Game workshops to validate human decisions in their land use models. However, the approach can be applied for various purposes.

Research was carried out on station

融资和外部物质支持

SLM组成部分的年度预算,以美元计算
  • < 2,000
  • 2,000-10,000
  • 10,000-100,000
  • 100,000-1,000,000
  • > 1,000,000
Precise annual budget: 不适用
Approach costs were met by the following donors: international (German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)): 100.0%
已向土地使用者提供以下服务或激励
  • 为土地使用者提供财政/物质支援
  • 特定投入的补贴
  • 信用
  • 其它激励或手段
为土地使用者提供财政/物质支援
部分融资
充分融资
设备: 工具

maps, toolkits with pictured cards, tokens, etc.

土地使用者的劳动力为

影响分析和结论性陈述

方法的影响
是,很少
是,中等
是,支持力度很大
该方法是否帮助土地使用者实施和维护SLM技术?

Participants stated that they learned about each other’s livelihood strategies and the long-term impacts. One participant in Andremba stated (2014): “For us this game is like a lesson that makes us understand what happens in our lives. It is a reflection game that makes us think about our lives and our way of life with our subsistence activities and income sources.”

该方法是否有助于社会和经济弱势群体?

People of mixed age, gender and lineage participated in the simulations.

Did other land users / projects adopt the Approach?

So far the approach has only be tested once by researchers. However, interested practice organizations may adopt and develop the method in the future.

土地使用者实施SLM的主要动机
  • 增加生产
  • 增加利润(能力),提高成本效益比
  • 减少土地退化
  • 降低灾害风险
  • 减少工作量
  • 支付/补贴
  • 规章制度(罚款)/执行
  • 声望、社会压力/社会凝聚
  • 加入运动/项目/团体/网络
  • 环境意识
  • 习俗和信仰,道德
  • 提高SLM知识和技能
  • 美学改进
  • 冲突缓解
  • Participation, communication
方法活动的可持续性
土地使用者能否维持通过该方法实施的措施(无外部支持的情况下)?
  • 不确定

结论和吸取的教训

长处: 土地使用者的观点
  • The participants understood and generally accepted the game rapidly. They confirmed to have recognized that it was not just a game but a simulation of reality. As all the activities referred to the people’s everyday life, no long introduction or explanation was necessary to start the game. People seemed to feel comfortable in their “roles” and spoke freely about their household decisions. They could actively take part in the game not only by answering to the questions but also by manipulating the game materials on their own. . “This game is easy, because it refers to our daily life, not to something you have created for yourself. This is the reality of our daily lives.” (Participant in Efoetse, August 2014)
长处: 编制者或其他关键资源人员的观点
  • The Role Playing Game became vivid and lively by using visualization and communication tools. Complex decisions on land use system could be explained with the help of pictures and symbols from people’s daily life. The tools not only helped to capture the whole systems complexity and open discussions, they also assured mutual understanding and synchronized different agents’ perception.
    Pictures also helped to achieve a common understanding beyond language barriers. In a region with a high illiteracy rate, these visualization tools can be regarded as measures for empowerment as no writing or reading skills are necessary to take part in the game.
    Thus, the method is a dynamic and interactive tool for stakeholder integration and awareness raising.
弱点/缺点/风险: 土地使用者的观点如何克服
  • The methodology is time consuming and brings no direct or sudden benefits for land users. The method could potentially be changed so that results are less research-oriented and more visible for the participants. Now technologies or alternative livelihood activities could be simulated during the game.
弱点/缺点/风险: 编制者或其他关键资源人员的观点如何克服
  • It must be mentioned that a lot of investment and preparation is needed for conducting the workshop successfully. The Role-Playing Game not only requires very specific material and tools, but also a lot of time for development, preparation, team training, testing and on-site execution is required. If the time needed for carrying out the game cannot be planned and tested carefully in advance, it may lead to frustration and disappointment. The benefits of this approach need to be justified and proved to donors and the extension / advisory services to convince them to invest.
  • Though the methodology was generally accepted and understood, it turned out to be challenging for facilitators and documenters. It requires high communication skills, empathy, and understanding for local conditions and the willingness to listen to the peasants in order to build trust among the group. To become good facilitators, capacity building and training of extension workers or advisors is needed.
  • The role-playing games methodology is laborious to design and prepare, it usually needs one dedicated institution to initiate and coordinate the workshops. The only option for continuing this methodology is if a generally-accepted and professional organisation can be found to take on the responsibility in the long term.

参考文献

编制者
  • Maren Wesselow
Editors
审查者
  • Fabian Ottiger
实施日期: May 27, 2015
上次更新: July 12, 2017
资源人
WOCAT数据库中的完整描述
链接的SLM数据
文件编制者
机构 项目
主要参考文献
  • Wesselow et al. 2015: Participatory Gaming for Sustainable Land Management in the Mahafaly Region. A Practical Guide for Researchers and Practitioners : http://www.sulama.de/files/products/WP5_Product3_Participatory_Gaming_for_SLM_eng.pdf
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareaAlike 4.0 International