Project controls: from cruise ships to Lego cities

What have cruise ships and Lego cities got in common? Not a lot, you might think. But, as one event has spiralled into another over the past six years, the APM Planning, Monitoring and Control Interest Network (PMC IN) has managed to connect the two.

In 2018, when Shaun White of Atlantic Pacific Marine, a cruise ship outfitter, realised his team needed a deeper understanding of project controls, he contacted his father-in-law, Keith Haward, an active member of the PMC IN. Haward and his PMC IN colleague Milla Mazilu (APM’s Chair), spent a day in Cardiff going through the key aspects of project controls, basing their presentation on the popular APM book Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control.

Simulation games

Since that first successful presentation, Haward and Mazilu have been invited to speak to students and postgraduates at a variety of universities, with some talks taking place online and some in person.

In November 2023, they were invited by Dr Kamalavelu Velayutham, Senior Lecturer in the School of Business at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), to deliver an online presentation on ‘Dependency and Interface Management’ to MBA students who were working on a live drone project. Subsequently, they were invited to lead a face-to-face workshop called ‘Agile Architects in Action’.

“It was a resounding success,” says Mazilu, “with active engagement, insightful discussions and positive feedback from all participants. The workshop started with a presentation from the MBA students highlighting their work on agile in a real-time drone project, followed by a session on the theory/principles of agile by Dr Velayutham.

“We employed experiential learning through simulation games (similar to Lego Serious Play),

which focused on essential agile skills such as collaborative planning, time management, continuous improvement, adaptability, teamwork and embracing uncertainty.

“During the workshop, students worked together in cross-functional teams to build a city using Lego. The simulation game was designed to help newcomers understand the principles of agile approaches through hands-on experience. Students acted as agile specialists, using practices like estimation, sprint planning, sprinting and sprint review to build a Lego city within a set timeframe. The workshop consisted of three sprints, with teams discussing improvements and updating the burn-down chart after each one.

“The students demonstrated impressive collaboration, communication and adaptability throughout the workshop. They embraced the challenges presented during the simulation game, such as working without a dedicated Scrum Master and adapting to changing and unexpected requirements. The session concluded with a release and debrief, where students reflected on their learning objectives, observed experiences and potential improvements for future agile projects.

“While the brief requested inclusion of a medieval building, the teams chose to integrate sustainability into their business model which demonstrated an entrepreneurial agile mindset in adapting to modern requirements.”

Positive feedback

The workshop was developed in collaboration with both Dr Velayutham and Dr Gavin Sim, also from the UCLan. Their expertise and guidance were instrumental in the development and delivery of this successful workshop.

“We received positive feedback from participants, with many expressing their appreciation for the interactive nature of the workshop and the opportunity to apply agile principles in a practical setting,” Mazilu explains. “Students have already expressed interest in exploring free student membership options with APM, and we look forward to following up on this opportunity with their interest in future workshops with the team.

“As passionate volunteers for APM, Keith and I were thrilled to have the opportunity to design and facilitate this engaging workshop. We believe that active learning through simulation games like Lego Cities is an effective way to develop essential project management and leadership skills in a fun and interactive way.”

Read more about Lego and Lego Serious Play in Project journal (summer 2020).