Facilitator Guide | The Narrow Path
THE NARROW PATH · LAND, LIVES & CHOICES

Facilitator's Guide

Scenario, instructions, round scripts, scoring, surprise events and debrief.

1. The scenario

Badakichab is a fictional village where a company proposes an industrial and renewable energy complex requiring approximately 120 hectares. The preliminary land information indicates:
  • 73 hectares of private agricultural land.
  • 35 hectares of grazing land.
  • 12 hectares of community forest.
The records do not fully capture actual land use, customary claims, forest rights or the dependence of landless households on the area.

2. Players and roles

Player 1 — Project Developer: Wants to secure land, control costs and avoid delays. Player 2 — Land Acquisition Officer: Must verify records, identify affected people and follow applicable procedures. Player 3 — Community Representative: Wants to protect livelihoods, common land and community rights.

3. How to conduct the game

  1. Share each player’s individual HTML page privately. Do not share this facilitator page.
  2. Give players 3–5 minutes to read their roles.
  3. Read the scenario aloud.
  4. Conduct the eight rounds in sequence.
  5. At each round, read the situation and ask each player to respond.
  6. Allow players to negotiate and select an option.
  7. Update the scorecard after every round.
  8. Introduce surprise events at the indicated moments.
  9. At the end, announce the outcome and conduct the debrief.

4. Opening script

"Welcome to Badakichab. A company wants to establish an industrial and renewable energy complex here. The project requires 120 hectares. The company says it will bring investment and jobs. The administration must decide how the land process should proceed. The community says the land supports agriculture, grazing and forest-based livelihoods. You will make decisions over eight rounds. Every decision affects project cost, time, ecological and livelihood costs, conflict, trust and legal compliance. There is no guaranteed winning strategy. Your decisions will determine what happens to the village."

5. Scorecard

Start with the following scores. Keep all scores between 0 and 100.

Project Cost: 50
Time Delays: 0
Ecological & Livelihood Cost: 0
Conflict: 0
Trust: 50
Legal Compliance: 50

Important: For Project Cost and Time Delays, a higher score means a greater cost or longer delay. For the other four measures, a higher score means a greater cost or a better outcome as indicated below:

  • Ecological & Livelihood Cost: higher is worse.
  • Conflict: higher is worse.
  • Trust: higher is better.
  • Legal Compliance: higher is better.

6. Decision options and scoring

The numbers below are illustrative game mechanics, not estimates of actual project costs, legal penalties or social impacts. Add the changes to the current scores. Keep each score within 0–100.

Score order: Project Cost, Time Delays, Ecological & Livelihood Cost, Conflict, Trust, Legal Compliance.

RoundOption A — Consult / protectOption B — Move quicklyOption C — Shortcut
1+5, +2, −5, −5, +10, +10−5, 0, +10, +10, −5, −5−10, −2, +15, +20, −15, −15
2+5, +5, −10, −10, +10, +10−5, −2, +10, +10, −10, −10−10, −5, +20, +20, −20, −20
3+5, +5, −15, −10, +15, +15−5, −2, +15, +15, −10, −10−10, −5, +20, +25, −20, −20
4+5, +5, −5, −15, +20, +15−5, −2, +5, +15, −10, −10−10, −5, +10, +25, −25, −25
5+5, +5, −15, −15, +15, +20−5, −2, +10, +10, −10, −10−10, −5, +20, +25, −20, −25
6+15, +5, −15, −10, +15, +15+5, 0, +10, +10, −10, −10−10, −5, +20, +25, −25, −20
7+5, +5, −10, −15, +15, +15−5, −2, +10, +15, −15, −10−10, −5, +15, +30, −30, −25
8+5, +5, −15, −15, +20, +20−5, −2, +10, +15, −10, −10−15, −5, +25, +30, −30, −30

7. Round-by-round facilitator scripts

Round 1 — The project arrives

Read aloud: "A company has submitted a proposal for an industrial and renewable energy complex. It requires approximately 120 hectares. The company says the project will create jobs and investment. The administration must decide how to begin."

Ask the developer: Why this location? What alternatives have you considered?

Ask the officer: What information and documents are needed before the process begins?

Ask the community: What do you want to know before the project moves forward?

Decision: Choose A, B or C and apply the corresponding score changes.

Round 2 — Who uses this land?

Read aloud: "The preliminary map shows private agricultural land, grazing land and community forest. Residents say that the records do not capture everyone who depends on the land."

Ask: Should the administration rely on revenue records alone, or conduct a wider land-use and livelihood survey?

Decision: Choose A, B or C and update scores.

Round 3 — The common land dispute

Read aloud: "The community says that around 20 families depend on the grazing land. Women collect forest produce, and several households depend on agricultural work. The company says avoiding these areas could affect project costs."

Ask: Can the project be redesigned? Who should document the actual use of common land?

Decision: Choose A, B or C and update scores.

Round 4 — Gram Sabha meeting

Read aloud: "A village meeting is proposed. The company wants the process to move quickly. Residents want project information and a meaningful opportunity to raise concerns."

Ask: What information must be shared? Who must be able to participate? What legal requirements apply in this location?

Decision: Choose A, B or C and update scores.

Round 5 — Whose rights need protection?

Read aloud: "New questions emerge about forest rights, customary use and the rights of people whose names do not appear in the land records."

Ask: What must be verified under the Forest Rights Act, PESA and other applicable laws? Are there pending claims?

Decision: Choose A, B or C and update scores.

Round 6 — Compensation and rehabilitation

Read aloud: "The company proposes compensation for landowners. The community points out that landless workers, forest produce collectors and livestock owners may also lose their livelihoods."

Ask: Who counts as affected? What livelihood restoration measures are required?

Decision: Choose A, B or C and update scores.

Round 7 — Objections

Read aloud: "Residents submit objections about grazing land, forest access, livelihood loss and the adequacy of the consultation process. The company says further delay will increase costs."

Ask: Should the objections be recorded and examined? Which concerns require a change in the proposal?

Decision: Choose A, B or C and update scores.

Round 8 — Final decision

Read aloud: "The administration must now decide whether the proposal can proceed, requires further verification, should be redesigned or should be rejected."

Ask each player to state their final position and explain why.

Decision: Choose A, B or C and update scores.

8. Surprise events

Event 1 — A missing forest rights claim

A family says it submitted a forest rights claim, but the claim does not appear in the records being examined.

If ignored: Ecological & Livelihood Cost +10; Conflict +15; Trust −10.

If players agree to verify the claim and take appropriate corrective action: No automatic penalty.

Event 2 — Alleged forged signatures

A resident alleges that signatures on a meeting document are false and that some listed people did not attend.

If ignored: Conflict +20; Trust −15; Legal Compliance −15.

If players agree to independently verify the allegation and examine the meeting record: No automatic penalty.

Facilitator note: An allegation is not proof. Do not declare the signatures forged unless the game establishes that through verification.

Event 3 — Grazing access is blocked

The company begins fencing part of the grazing area before an alternative arrangement is made.

If ignored: Ecological & Livelihood Cost +15; Conflict +20; Trust −15.

If players agree to pause the action and assess access and livelihood impacts: No automatic penalty.

9. Final outcomes

Outcome A — Development with accountability

If Legal Compliance is 70 or more, Trust is 65 or more, Conflict is 30 or less and Ecological & Livelihood Cost is 30 or less. The project may proceed only after the necessary legal requirements and safeguards are met.

Outcome B — Project remains unfinished

If key claims, surveys or objections remain unresolved, the project is paused pending further examination.

Outcome C — Development at a cost

If Legal Compliance is below 40, Conflict is above 60 or Trust is below 30. The project may advance on paper, but the village faces serious conflict, livelihood loss or legal uncertainty.

Outcome D — A different development pathway

If the players decide to relocate, redesign or substantially reduce the project, the village pursues an alternative arrangement. This can be a successful outcome.

10. Debrief

Ask the players:
  1. Which decision had the biggest consequences?
  2. Did the land records reflect actual land use?
  3. Who was missing from the decision-making process?
  4. Could compensation address the loss of common resources?
  5. Did the Gram Sabha process provide meaningful participation?
  6. What happens when a project moves ahead before rights claims are resolved?
  7. Who bore the cost of saving time and money?
  8. Could the project have been redesigned?

11. Legal context — facilitator reference

  • RFCTLARR Act, 2013: Provides the framework for land acquisition, including social impact assessment, compensation and rehabilitation and resettlement, subject to the Act's scope and applicable exemptions.
  • PESA, 1996: Provides for Gram Sabha and Panchayat roles in Scheduled Areas. The precise requirements depend on the location and the nature of the proposal.
  • Forest Rights Act, 2006: Recognises individual and community forest rights and provides for processes concerning rights recognition and diversion of forest land.
  • Fifth Schedule: Provides a constitutional framework for the administration of Scheduled Areas and protections for Scheduled Tribes.

Legal caution: Do not present consultation, recommendation and consent as interchangeable. The applicable legal requirement depends on the project's location, land category, approvals and governing law. This is an educational simulation, not legal advice.

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