The Challenge of Egypt

2,560BC

Famine. War. A demanding Pharaoh. Worst of all you have forgotten the papyrus with your Gantt chart on. Can you muster all your Project Management skills and succeed at the Challenge of Egypt?

Do your projects often end up feeling like they are more hassle than they are worth?

Or do you feel your Projects Team need constant supervision to avoid making costly foul ups? Projects can be stressful undertakings but they are vital to deliver the changes necessary to make your business flourish.

While Project Management frameworks such as PRINCE2^® or APMP provide the knowledge of how to manage projects on paper they don’t fully prepare you for the challenge of running projects in the real world. In many ways, it would be like being expected to drive a car having only studied for your theory test – you would have the knowledge of how should drive but would not understand how other drivers behave or what your and your vehicle are capable of.

Our ThirdBrain™ Simulation, Challenge of Egypt, bridges the gap between knowledge and behaviour, enabling delegates to learn for themselves the importance of not just learning, but applying sound project principles.

Due the nature of Simulation training we can readily tailor Challenge of Egypt to highlight PRINCE2, APMP or your own generic Project Management processes.

Turning on the heat

Delegates will enact the roles of a project management team tasked with the daunting job of building the Pharaoh’s pyramid. Supply, construction and workforce constraints will test their Project Management skills to breaking point.

As flood and famine threaten their deadlines the team will learn to utilise Project Management tools such as Gantt charts and resource allocation matrices to good effect but, more importantly, they will learn the importance of good team work and sound communication skills.

The colossal build is broken into two phases, with each round containing 12 rounds:

Design or improve a process
Apply the process
Report on their success – or failures – and reflect on the performance with aid of one of our ThirdBrain™ Facilitators
Make decisions on what to improve in the following round

Have you pleased the mighty Pharaoh?

A post-construction briefing will discuss the successes and failures experienced by the team; were they on-time, to budget and, most importantly, is the Pharaoh pleased with their handiwork? Our ThirdBrain™ Facilitator will identify any areas for improvement and extrapolate the lessons learnt from the day into a broader context. Ultimately the discussion will move to how their experiences of Challenge of Egypt can be applied to current or future projects within their company.

Knowledge+

Challenge of Egypt is also available in our ground-breaking Knowledge+ format which combines the benefits of a Simulation with a deeper and more rounded appreciation of the following methodologies:

PRINCE2
APM Methodologies
Agile

For more information visit our Knowledge+ page.

Not quite what you are looking for?

We understand that every company has its own unique requirements. If you feel that the concept of a Simulation is right for you but have something slightly different in mind you may wish to consider one of our Tailored Simulations.

See how Challenge of Egypt has helped others

Take a look at Challenge of Egypt case studies & feedback

“Quanta ran the Challenge of Egypt for our project management learners and it definitely helped create enthusiasm about projects within the group, which included support staff as well as people tasked with managing projects. Furthermore it seems to have prepared them for the rough and tumble of real projects which is vital – passing a PRINCE2 exam leaves you well prepared to administer projects but doesn’t give you the feel for the everyday pressures in Project Management. If you focus on a methodology alone, it is easy to intellectualise the training, but the further experience our learners gained through the simulation has really reaped benefits, both in project working but also in other critical areas affecting success, such as teamwork and communication.

We consider the simulation experience to be a key component in our project management training, and will definitely be using the approach in future”

Head of HR
Government Regulator

A selection of quotes from past participants of Challenge of Egypt:

"I really enjoyed the day; I thought the simulation was excellent. Challenge of Egypt is an excellent tool to bring project management to life. The facilitator was good at highlighting key learning points throughout the course, which added to the value of the day."

"The course itself was very informative and made you think about your role within a company and the impact your actions and others can have. Really very enjoyable."

"A good expansion on PRINCE2, which can be a bit dull."

"Gave us all essential first-hand experience of all angles of a project."

"Very useful day, we learnt by doing a project rather than theory!"

View all ThirdBrain™ simulation feedback here