The Project Management Game (PMG)
The project management game is a series of events that students live through to complete project management tasks with real-life companies.
Rules of the Game
This game was designed to mimic reality as much as possible. The adventures students are living through were adapted from real-life experiences as a lead project manager, working with executives.
The work of a project manager is not always glorious as the title may seem. There will be fights with teammates, and frustration with project directives. Students are graded based on their improvement and ability to assess the best strategies provided in different scenarios rather than the quality of their reports.
The major rule in this game is to always be respectful to one another. To be punctual, and professional and be there to communicate with your team and the teacher.
Know that the teacher is there to mediate and provide guidance.
How does it work?
You can find the series of events week by week below so that you know what to expect.
You will be completing different tasks as a team,
To assess your individual understanding, you will be completing KSRs.
Schedule of Events
13 Weeks Game
1. Understanding your team's dynamic
The team dynamic is crucial to project management and mastering the skill of being a project manager. You will be put in teams of 8 to 10 people and test your skills in working with different types of characters and making the most out of all the skills within your team.
*Disclaimer* - Often, students are thrown off by the large group, but once you understand dynamics, try to split the teams to work on different aspects of the project, it will help.
2. Selecting and Bidding on a Project
Projects are won most of the time, and you often have to provide a compelling argument as to
- why this project fits the portfolio of the company,
- why your team fits best to work on this project and
- why does this project include budgetary constraints?
During this week, you have to submit a report using the prioritization matrix to compare the projects.
Learning Targets: Selecting a Project
3. Project Initiation - Scope Management
This week, the projects will be awarded to your team and you will start working on the deliverables of the project together.
We will discuss different roles surrounding a project.
Learning Targets: Scope Management
4. Cycle & Players - Project Charter - Timelines and Resource Planning
This week, your team is tasked to provide a project charter and start planning the timeline of events.
Learning Targets: Resource Planning, Timelines and Project Charter
5. Project PID Continued
This week, you are responsible to bring your team together in completing the final draft of the Project Charter, Revise the Timelines, Set Resources and Set the Performance Metrics for your project.
Execution Week 1 - During Execution Week, you will have to complete minutes, and report the progress of your project at hand.
6. Board Meeting 1 - PID Presentation
This week, you will begin working on the larger document Project Initiation Document as a base for Knowledge Transfer.
This week, your team is tasked to present to the board your PID
There will be a switch in team dynamics this week and next week.
7.
8. Execution Week
This week, you will execute the project at hand and complete minutes, reports on the progress of the project
9. Execution Week
This week, you will be meeting the teacher on an individual basis per team to discuss the progression of each project
10.-12. Showtime
Showtime weeks are moments where you will be putting the project into action