Learning impacts of policy games: investigating role-play simulations (RPS) for stakeholder engagement in payment for hydrological services program in Veracruz, Mexico

Role-play simulations are often used in education, communication, and social science research as an instrument for experiential learning, skill development, and more recently for policy negotiation and problem-solving. RPS is a dynamic experiential activity in which multiple parties play specific roles to simulate real-life negotiations or problem-solving situations. RPS aims to create a safe forum where participants can discuss policy scenarios, make decisions, and strengthen two-way communication and collective problem-solving. This research contributes to recent research investigating the contribution of RPS as an educational tool to foster collaborative learning, empathy, and trust. We conducted two RPS workshops related to a payment for hydrological services program in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. We engaged stakeholders to discuss PHS program design alternatives and make decisions on the features that may be best for achieving PHS social and environmental goals. We use a mixed-methods approach, analyzing data from surveys, debriefings, and interviews. Our findings support using RPS as a tool to foster collaborative learning. The t test analysis shows statistically significant changes in participants’ viewpoints about their overall knowledge of PHS programs and improved understanding and empathy toward other stakeholders’ interests and concerns. Findings also support a positive shift in how participants perceived the role of PHS program administrators. We discuss the broader implications of these results and provide recommendations for future research on integrating a science-policy interface in the context of PHS programs. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.