The Problems with Project Management Simulations

The Problems with Project Management Simulations

The Problems with Project Management Simulations. PM Simulations are not that easy to develop. Consider the issues:

Project Management is a Huge Topic

• Project Management is a big subject.  The APM Body of Knowledge (BoK) covers 17 topics in 4 major categories over 231 pages. Creating a Project Management simulation to cover all of those topics within a short time frame is just not possible. The solution is to employ several simulations covering different aspects of Project Management. If you think a Project Management simulation is required, check the different simulations available. Then understand what is being simulated. Training courses and simulations from AbleSim are clear in which Project Management topics are covered.

Hangar Project Management Simulation

Classroom Time is Constrained

• Creating a simulation to fit within a defined time period is often a constraint. A classroom session may be timetabled at 60, 80, 90 minutes or 2 hours. If a simulation takes longer to introduce, complete, review and feedback, then a special session and room booking needs to be arranged. Targeting students on week long residential or training courses offers more opportunity. However, this may exclude the many students who study Project Management for 2 or 3 hours a week. AbleSim offers simulations that take place either on-line, and can be completed within an hour, or as paper base exercises designed to take 60 minutes.

Free Trial Screen Shot

Project Management is about People and Communication

• Project Management in real life involves people, communication, leadership, and team working. Therefore any simulation taking place in groups within a classroom environment must cover these topics. However it may be difficult to concentrate attention for success on the real project management topics being simulated. Failure may be down to communication or leadership issues rather than a chance to learn about the Project Management concept being introduced. Individual Project Management simulations delivered on-line are alternatives, as long as it is remembered that real projects involve people, team-working, and communication.

On-Line Project Management Simulation

Delivering Project Management Simulations to Large Classes is Hard

• Project Management simulations need to be available to everybody. There are over 20 million students in Europe, over 3 million in the UK. A good proportion of these will be studying Project Management as part of their qualifications. Some cohorts of students in some institutions can number over 200. (I have had a cohort of 470 myself one year!). Delivering Project Management simulations to such large groups is impossible. However individual Project Management simulations can be delivered on-line and undertaken by students in their own study time.

Project Management simulations are difficult to produce, but attempts can be made to select the correct simulation for the correct audience via the correct medium.

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