Gamification: The Challenge Of Egypt

Even though project management is a practice that exists for a long time in IT, and there are numerous manners to get certified, reality learns that failing projects are still occurring in every organisation. Depending on where you get the information from it goes as high as 80%. That is worrying. Why does this happen seems a logical question?

This is generally not because of the lack of education or theory, but lack of understanding of how to translate theory into practice, or the lack of the right behaviours within the project team.

A GamingWorks survey revealed the following top issues:

• the sponsor role in governing the project;
• end-user engagement and involvement;
• poor requirements specification and planning;
• poor project management discipline, roles and management of scope changes;
• lack of project leadership and soft skills.

An additional and for many project managers new strain is put on project management by the drive towards ‘Agile’ delivery.

With “The challenge of Egypt”, we offer a way to experiment with these challenges in fun context, making it a perfect “learn-by-failing” experience. We will take you back in time, during the period when the pyramids where build. You are in charge of managing the construction, taking into account the ever-changing wishes of the Pharaoh and other challenges which might impact the building schedule and the availability of resources. And then there is a priest who wants to make sure that all is ready for the Pharaoh’s afterlife. Yes, the pressure is on.

Like every project, it starts with capturing the requirements in which the Pharaoh (game facilitator) and the priest and his architects work towards an agreed pyramid design, the cost expected and the due date. This is the foundation for the project manager to jump into action, planning accordingly with the quarry team, the Nile team and the construction team, resulting in a realistic price and time calculation.Next to that the project team will prepare tools to manage and monitor the project, and the risk manager performs the analysis determining the risks and the countermeasures.

This results in a project plan which the project manager proposes to the Pharaoh. When accepted, a kick-off will trigger the execution of the ‘3-staged-project’, in which all possible challenges will make your life as a project manager hard. That experience will be shared after each round, improvements defined and implemented, allowing a direct exposure to the new reality and how it enables your project to be more successful.

At the end of the project, the lessons learned are captured, and a ‘how-will-this-knowledge-be-used in-your-environment’ action plan is defined.

Highly recommended gamification format for everyone who want to improve their project management skills, be it agile or not. Or as team event. Or if you need to sharpen the related soft skills. We guarantee it will have a lasting impact.