Constructing a Common Representation of Local Institutions and Land Use Systems through Simulation-Gaming and Multiagent Modeling in Rural Areas of Northern Vietnam: The SAMBA-Week Methodology

The authors propose to exploit the similitude and complementarity between simulation-gaming and multi-agent modeling through the development of a new methodology called SAMBA-Week, which is used for agricultural research and development. The need for such a new methodology came from the context of mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam characterized by a high social and natural diversity. As actions of research and development typically involve multiple actors, a precondition for communication is a mutual understanding of each other's point of view. The authors thus used simulation-gaming, individual interviews, and multiagent modeling to enhance communication by constructing with the stakeholders a shared representation of their system as a basis for discussion.