Project Management Experience Simulation
Participants working in competitive teams are tasked by the CEO of a global bank to manage a complex and substantial project. This online business simulation is as close as students can get to the real thing in terms of having the responsibility of opening an office for a global bank looking to position itself in an expanding market.
Designed to develop a key employability skill
Designed to develop the in-demand employability skill of project management for all future leaders in corporate, public and third sector roles, as well as would-be project managers. Tools and frameworks within the simulation are PRINCE-2 based.
Who is it for?
The simulation is run as a curricular or extra-curricular activity at both Undergraduate and Masters level and has been designed to be flexible so that it can be integrated into Project Management modules for course credits or used for short on-campus or online events.
Develops project management competences
Develops an understanding of the four phases of project management and the ability to work within a team to complete the four phases. In each phase, teams produce the high-quality project documentation that is vital to project success.
Phase 1: Project Start-up
In Project Start-up, working to a deadline, teams must produce a project start-up document that makes the business case for the project summarising the project scope and benefits as well as identifying objectives, budgets, milestones, roles and responsibilities, risks and critical success factors.
Phase 2: Project Initiation
In Project Initiation, teams must work to produce key documentation such as Work Breakdown Structures, Stakeholder Management matrixes and Risk Management plans.
Phase 3: Project Execution
In this phase, participants have the opportunity execute the project and encounter issues that frequently arise in managing complex projects. They must make decisions that impact on their ability to deliver the project to budget, on time and to quality standards.
Phase 4: Project Close-down
In this final phase, teams learn how to effectively handover responsibility for the project outputs to business managers. They also have the opportunity to apply what they have learnt to a new project.
Learning review & scoring work produced
Students are encouraged to keep a learning review throughout the simulation. A scoring system is built into all four phases of the simulation so that it can be run competitively, where appropriate, with teams working together to produce the best scores for each individual phase and best combined score.
Miguel Prieto Alvarez
University of Dundee
‘I have learnt and put into practise lots of new skills this week. I feel much more confident about planning and executing a project of my own and feel equipped with the correct skills to do so.’
‘In this current job market, having project management skills clearly puts you at an advantage.’
Nick Kolakowski, DICE article: Project Management Most In-Demand Tech Skill Among Employers.
‘Project management skills help you manage tasks from start to finish. You make sure everything stays on time and also adjust the timeline when things aren’t going as planned. Employers want people who can not only see a task through, but who can visualize what needs to happen on a project from start to finish. This transferrable skill helps ensure that deadlines are met and projects are completed efficiently and effectively.’
Rachel Pelta, 15 Transferable Skills That Companies Want: Examples and Definitions, Flexjobs.
Delivered on The Simulation Space Platform