ABSTRACT This article investigates the causal mechanisms linking participatory processes to policy innovation in resource‐constrained welfare systems. Utilizing Design‐Based Action Research, the study examines “ MeSitthi ,” a policy board game deployed with 27 stakeholders in Northern Thailand. Addressing the theoretical gap between Policy Innovation as a Process (PIAP) and Output (PIAO), the research identifies the “ECIR” mechanisms—Empathy Anchoring, Cognitive Friction, Iterative Constraint Navigation, and Role‐Shifting—as the drivers of innovation. Contrary to the assumption that gamification acts through simplification, findings support the “Hard Fun” paradox: high difficulty (7.35/10) stimulated deep engagement with high enjoyment (8.60/10). The simulation required participants to navigate scarcity and administrative ambiguity, resulting in four feasible and context‐responsive policy prototypes. The study concludes that game‐based constraints and ECIR mechanisms function as diagnostic instruments, rendering the cognitive dynamics of policy design observable and enabling citizens to rehearse democratic governance.
Chaichakan et al. (Thu,) studied this question.