From 9 – 13 November, VNG International organised simulation game sessions for Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Officers (MDRRMOs) in the Philippines, in cooperation with the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP). The project is funded by several Dutch municipalities who wanted to assist municipalities of the Philippines in strengthening their disaster response capabilities following the Haiyan typhoon.
This simulation game has been developed by VNG International together with a company specialised in game-based change, and places MDRRMOs in the chaotic situation right after a large fictional natural disaster strikes. It is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of local government disaster response through a ‘learning by doing’ approach. Participants are challenged to maintain the coordinating role that suits them as local government representatives, in the face of challenging circumstances and limited resources. The game has a specific focus on maintaining local ownership while working together with international organisations coming in to provide assistance. The simulation game can be applied in other regions as well with limited adaptations.
About 20 municipalities of the Philippines participated in the game sessions, which took place in Manila. During the closing ceremony, the MDRRMOs present stressed the importance of this subject and expressed their enthusiasm about the learning-by-doing approach. The week ended with a training of trainers and actors, enabling the LMP and several MDRRMOs to organise future sessions of the simulation game themselves.