United Knowledge

Serious games a like a laboratory where participants can learn in a safe but true to life environment. Our management simulations provide a common experience that eases joint reflection on what happens and why in complex decision making processes. This allows for both team building and the development of strategic thinking on complex issues.

Serious games

We provide simulations and training on strategy, co-operation and innovation.

 

Setting Standards

Thinking strategically on collective interests

Setting standards is a one day simulation of a standardization process. Participants acquire hands-on experience, a feeling for the political-economic stakes in standardization, gain insight in standards-related interests and strategies and experience the relevance of procedures in standards processes. More information on the Setting Standards website.

Chain city

Experience the need for cooperation in production chains

The Chain Simulation Game is developed to support a programme to encourage the implementation and uptake of Basic Registries among civil servants in 250 Dutch municipalities. Citizens need to trust fair treatment of similar cases by their (local) governments. You are part of the town hall and you and your colleagues need each other to achieve this by increasing the integrity and quality of your back office information. Read more about this on the Chain City website.

Our concern

About planning and controll and budget discipline

Our concern is a simulation of the Planning and Controll cycle. In a fictious situation every thing is just working perfectly, when everything goes totally wrong. An emergency approach must be formulated. In this simulation the participants are forced to distinguish between the main and subgoals in the cycle and to redefine what is essential to achieve these goals. This game is currently only available in Dutch.

Tricky Transfer

Transferring sucessful innovations

One of the challenges in the public sector is to benefit from other people’s innovations. Why reinvent the wheel? Unfortunately, ‘replicating’ public sector innovations is not easy: sometimes differences seem to outnumber similarities between organizations and contexts. In Tricky Transfer we invite participants to experience the challenges of a transfer process. The goal of this management simulation is to further develop analytical and practical innovation skills. Tricky Transfer is an excellent tool for training, discussion and project preparation.

The metro of noplace

Communication in complex projects

There are projects of which we cannot learn by evaluation ex post, but only in advance. When things go wrong the consequenses are simply too big. These are complex projects like a new subway line for example. Communication and expectations that match are essential and better practised in a safe way in a simulation in advance than discussed after the fact. This game is currently only available in Dutch.

The art policymaking game

Define criteria for policy and subsidies

In the art policymaking game for teams start with expressing their ideal, as a safeguard for goal displacement. The result should match the ideal, or the goal is missed. Next, the four teams define and prioritize the criteria by excercizes and discussions. At the end the ideals are compared with the policy. This game is currently only available in Dutch. Download the factsheet (in Dutch): portait or landscape.

Mellow at the Marketplace

A policy programme management simulation

In this simulation the participants develop a feeling for the factors involved when working with several organizations on urgent complex problems. They are confronted with the perspective of others, their interests and develop intuïtion for the logic of other organizations. The main goal is awareness of these factors.

The landing strip

About political and executive sensitivity

This game is a simulation about the discision making process concerning the expansion of an airport. The goal is to help the participants develop political and executive sensitivity. This game is used extensively in 'in company' training sessions for governmental agencies and at Leiden University. This game is currently only available in Dutch.

 

Contact us

Interestend in learning more about simulation games? Call us at +31 6 24 27 14 44 or send an email to arjan@unitedknowledge.nl.

Arjan Widlak

M +31 (0)6 2427 1444
E arjan@unitedknowledge.nl