What is Swiss Island^®?

Swiss Island^® is a facilitated, stochastic and round-based project management simulation for two or more teams. Participants take on different roles within a project, programme or portfolio environment. They analyse situations, coordinate with other roles and make decisions to complete an initiative successfully within the given constraints.

The course of the simulation is not based on a fully predetermined scenario. As in real initiatives, new situations arise from the interplay of decisions, interests, events and mutual reactions. Each simulation therefore develops differently and, despite a defined starting point, remains predictable only to a limited extent.

Selected roles can be performed by AI. These AI-supported roles have their own information and interests, respond to participants’ decisions and influence the further course of the simulation. This allows additional roles and perspectives to be included without requiring every role to be performed by a person.

Swiss Island^® combines active decision-making with systematic observation and evaluation. Participants experience directly how decisions, communication and collaboration affect the initiative and the other roles involved.

The simulation is available in both physical and digital formats and can be configured for predictive, agile or hybrid approaches. Its starting point, complexity, roles, events and thematic focus are tailored to its intended purpose.

What makes learning through simulations so different?

by Rüdiger Geist

Simulations make it possible to test decisions and behaviour under realistic conditions. Participants take on specific roles, act within a dynamic situation and experience the immediate as well as longer-term consequences of their decisions.

AI-supported roles expand these possibilities. They represent their own information and interests, react to the participants and help ensure that the course of events cannot be fully predicted. The subsequent joint debriefing links the experience to professional practice.

What makes simulations so special?

The following characteristics distinguish experience-based simulations from conventional forms of training and development, such as case studies:

1. Simulations are experience-based.

   Participants act for themselves, make decisions and experience the consequences of those decisions. As a result, experience is gained not through the description of a situation, but through one’s own behaviour within that situation.

2. Simulations are stochastic.

   The initial situation and framework conditions are defined, but the actual course of events remains only partially predictable. Events, decisions and the reactions of roles played by humans or AI-supported agents constantly generate new situations.

3. Simulations generate dynamism.

   Decisions must be made under time pressure, with incomplete information and whilst taking different interests into account. This fosters attention, participation and an emotional connection to the situation.

4. Simulations create unfamiliar situations.

   Participants are presented with a new starting point and take on defined roles. Existing hierarchies and routines are thus pushed into the background, whilst different ways of thinking and behaving become apparent.

5. Simulations facilitate transfer.

   Behaviour within the simulation often bears parallels to everyday working life. At the same time, new ways of acting can be tested and subsequently applied to real-life situations.

6. Simulations encourage reflection.

   Participants work together to examine what happened, how the course of events can be explained, and what significance the insights gained have for their professional practice.

7. Simulations are holistic.

   They combine professional decision-making with communication, leadership, collaboration and the management of differing interests. This reveals interdependencies that remain hidden when individual methods are considered in isolation.

8. Simulations are fun.

   Active participation, unexpected developments and direct interaction encourage engagement and motivation.

9. Simulations do not have to be tedious or complicated.

   Their duration, scope and level of difficulty can be tailored to the objectives, target group and available timeframe. As well as sessions lasting several days, compact formats are also possible.

What are the benefits of simulations?

Simulations can deliver benefits at various levels within an organisation:

• for individuals, by further developing their decision-making and role-related behaviour
• for teams and departments, by improving collaboration and interfaces
• for projects, programmes and portfolios, by testing alternative courses of action
• for the organisation, by reviewing roles, authorities and governance structures

At an individual level, simulations promote, in particular, communication, decision-making, leadership, self-confidence, risk awareness and the ability to deal with uncertainty, change and conflicting interests.

Teams and organisational units can examine how objectives, responsibilities, interfaces and forms of collaboration function under dynamic conditions. AI-supported roles provide additional perspectives and respond to the decisions made by those involved.

At an organisational level, simulations can help to highlight the implications of decisions, test organisational arrangements and identify potential improvements before these are implemented in professional practice.

Success factors in conducting simulations

The success of a simulation depends on two key factors:

1. the alignment of the simulation with the specific objective, the participants and their professional environment
2. the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the experiences gained

The initial situation, roles, events, level of difficulty and thematic focus are configured according to the intended purpose. This also includes deciding which roles are to be played by people and which by AI. AI-supported roles must be appropriate in terms of content to the respective role, situation and objective.

In learning-oriented applications, the following steps of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle are repeated one or more times:

1. Concrete experience: Participants act within the simulated situation.
2. Reflective observation: The events and one’s own reactions are examined from various perspectives.
3. Generalisation: Transferable insights and preliminary assumptions are derived from the analysis.
4. Application and testing: The insights gained are tested within the simulation or in the professional environment.

Simulations of complex systems such as projects, programmes or portfolios should, in particular, include the following elements:

• a longer-term timeframe
• realistic roles with varying information and interests
• multi-layered conflicts of objectives and interests
• cause-and-effect relationships that are not immediately apparent
• a wide range of challenges and different courses of action
• opportunities for communication, negotiation and joint decision-making
• traceable consequences of decisions taken

A computer model that calculates down to the last detail is just as unnecessary for this as a large number of finely graded individual decisions. What is crucial is that the simulation makes relevant relationships, interactions and consequences visible and assessable.

Depending on the intended purpose, systematic evaluation can serve to facilitate reflection, knowledge transfer, observation during assessment, the comparison of decision alternatives or the review of organisational regulations.

AI-generated responses and behaviours can be reviewed and commented on by the supervising coaches. Approved corrections improve the local Swiss Island knowledge base and are not used for the general training of an AI model.

The role of the coach

The coach designs the framework for the simulation, monitors its progress and supports the participants during the evaluation. Depending on the intended purpose, the coach takes on various tasks: facilitating learning, moderating, observing, assessing or assisting with the analysis of decision alternatives and organisational issues.

During a simulation, professional and social tensions arise as a result of decisions, differing interests and group dynamic processes. The coach helps participants to understand these developments, take different perspectives into account and draw conclusions relevant to the specific use case.

When using AI-supported roles, the coach remains responsible for professional and pedagogical guidance. AI-generated responses can be checked and commented on in the trainer’s backend for plausibility, relevance to the role and usefulness. The AI supports the simulation process but does not take over the final evaluation or assessment.

Coaches therefore require both in-depth knowledge of project, programme and portfolio management and experience in facilitation, reflection, conversation management and group dynamics.

Conclusion

Simulations can be used for various purposes in project, programme and portfolio management. They make it possible to test decisions and behaviours under realistic conditions, to highlight interrelationships and to incorporate different perspectives.

AI-supported roles enhance the simulation by introducing additional interests, information and reactions. This can give rise to dynamic situations without the need for every role to be played by a person.

The benefits stem from combining a customisable, role-based simulation with expert facilitation and systematic evaluation. Depending on the objectives, this combination supports learning and knowledge transfer, assessments, the preparation of important decisions, or the further development of roles, interfaces and governance structures.

References

Crookall, D. (1990). Editorial: Future Perfect? Simulation & Gaming, 21 (1), 3‐11.

Crookall, D. (1992). Editorial: Debriefing. Simulation & Gaming, 23 (2), 141‐142.

Kolb, D. A. (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. New York: Prentice Hall.

Dr. Markus Ulrich: Sind Planspiele langwierig und kompliziert? Eine Abhandlung über die Planspielmethodik und die Ausbildung von Planspiel-Fachleuten; In: Planspiele in der beruflichen Bildung. Abriss zur Auswahl, Konzeptionierung und Anwendung von Planspielen. Multimedia-Publikation. Mit einer Einführung in die Planspieldidaktik, einer aktualisierten Planspielübersicht auf CD-ROM, Beispielen, Erfahrungsbeiträgen zur Anwendung von Planspielen sowie mit einem Internet-Planspielforum. Hrsg.: Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung BIBB, Bonn. Ulrich Blötz (Hrsg.) 2002. ISBN 3-7639-0959-1

SAGSAGA (2002). Swiss Austrian German Simulation and Gaming Association – Gesellschaft für Planspiele in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, www.sagsaga.org

Willy Christian Kriz & Brigitta Nöbauer: Den Lernerfolg mit Debriefing von Planspielen sichern, Fachbeitrag auf https://www.bibb.de/, Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung

How exactly does Swiss Island work?

Participants take on different roles within a project that has already been planned or launched, with a duration of 23 weeks. The original project team has been disbanded and must be replaced by the newly assigned roles.

At the start, the participants analyse the initial situation from the perspective of their respective roles. They assess the state of the project, identify any potential areas requiring action and decide which corrective measures should be implemented and what financial resources they wish to allocate to this.

The implementation then begins, spanning 23 rounds. Each round represents a reporting and decision-making cycle. Events, decisions and discussions alter the situation and influence the further course of the project.

The roles can be filled by people or, in some cases, by AI. AI-supported roles have their own information and interests, react to decisions and can trigger discussions, negotiations or the need for further action.

Depending on the configuration, random or specifically selected events occur. These may necessitate actions or coordination between the roles involved. The discussions are prepared, conducted and subsequently evaluated jointly.

The systematic evaluation forms a central component of Swiss Island^® and takes place in four steps:

1. Events:What happened?
2. Emotions:How was it experienced?
3. Empathy:How did others experience the situation?
4. Explanations:How can the events be explained, what insights can be drawn from them, and what do they mean for comparable real-life situations?

The debriefings take place regularly during the ongoing simulation. This allows the insights gained to be applied and tested in subsequent rounds.

Why Swiss Island?

Swiss Island^® creates value

Swiss Island^® can be used for training, assessments, preparing important project decisions, and testing roles, interfaces and governance structures.

Swiss Island^® is adaptable

The starting point, complexity, roles, interests, events and evaluation are tailored to the specific question and intended purpose.

Swiss Island^® makes impacts visible

Participants experience how decisions trigger reactions and influence the further course of projects, programmes and portfolios.

Swiss Island^® connects people and AI

Selected roles can be performed by AI. They represent their own information and interests, respond to decisions and create additional dynamics within the simulation.

Swiss Island^® considers the entire environment

The focus extends beyond methods and plans to include the interfaces between the initiative, the organisation, sponsors, steering committees and external partners.

Swiss Island^® is different

The course of the simulation is not fully predetermined. Human decisions, AI-supported responses and emerging events continually create new situations that can be analysed and evaluated.

Customisation

In a structured consultation lasting approximately one hour, we work with you to clarify the specific question and purpose for which Swiss Island^® will be used.

Based on this discussion, we configure:

• the intended purpose: training, assessment, decision preparation or organisational design
• the starting point and level of complexity
• the duration and delivery format
• the thematic focus
• the roles and team composition
• the roles performed by people or AI
• role-specific information and interests
• events and potential developments
• observation and evaluation criteria

The following thematic starting points are available and can be combined or adapted to your specific situation:

• No or insufficient risk management
• Missing overall architecture of the product
• Non-functional requisitions are overlooked
• No buffers (time / money)
• Insufficient tracking of subcontractors
• Key-decisions without prior clarification of alternatives
• Project goals are not in line with strategy
• Lack of sponsorship
• Project monitoring is insufficient
• Open-ended requirements
• No traceability
• Assumptions are not documented and not verified
• Inadequate governance structures
• Insufficient stakeholder involvement
• Unclear responsibilities
• Underestimation of complexity
• Project started too late
• Needs /Business Case are / is unknown to the project
• A powerful person rules in (micromanagement)
• Project in crisis is taken over
• Experts are not experts
• An uncomfortable person is parked
• Transparency is undesirable
• Promised resources are not available
• Unclear project goals
• Lack of cooperation on the customer side
• Overreporting
• Loud optimists in management
• The test as a solution
• No decisions are made
• Decisions are made too late

Swiss Island^® offers partnerships for commercial use

Swiss Island partners can use the physical, digital and AI-supported simulation as part of their own services. Depending on their qualifications and licence, this includes applications for training, assessments, preparing important project decisions and organisational design.

Certification as a Swiss Island Certified Coach^© supports:

• a high standard of quality in configuration, delivery and evaluation
• the professional and methodological qualification of Swiss Island^® coaches
• the responsible use of AI-supported roles
• the adaptation of the simulation to different client requirements

Responses from AI-supported roles can be reviewed and commented on in the trainer backend. Approved corrections improve the local Swiss Island knowledge base and are not used to train a general AI model.

Interested candidates should have:

• a PMP^®, IPMA Level B or equivalent project management qualification
• at least five years of practical experience in managing projects
• at least three years of experience in training, facilitation, consulting or assessment
• fluency in German and/or English

Please contact us if you are interested!