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The Online Simulation Game for Tendering is focused on the Dutch tendering process between a government agencies and private companies. Sandra van Thiel originally created this game on pen and paper, but it has now evolved into a more sustainable online variant that all EUR courses can use.
About the game
The game simulated municipalities tasked to find the right taxi company for their student transport. Students play different rolls and learn the intricacies of the tendering process. They go through a simulation of 1.5 hours and conclude the learning process in an evaluation. The game can be played by different disciplinaries that deal with the tendering process and is free to play for all EUR faculties.
Intended Learning Goals
The simulation is particularly useful for students who are learning about (aspects of) the tendering process and have not yet had practical experience with it. The following four aspects are experienced:
- Work: Working with a tendering process from different (company and municipality) perspectives.
- Persuade: Persuading through presentations
- Ask and answer: Asking and answering critical questions before and during a tender.
- Score: Scoring a tender, given that the distribution of points is decisive for a tender.
Game mechanics
- Players: 10-25 players per classroom (up to 400 simultaneously)
- Location: any room with more than 4 tables that can fit 10-25 students
- Duration: 2 hours
To start the game, teachers/tutors should read the Teaching Manual and make the necessary preparations written in the manual. All files can be found below (see Downloads).
Students play the simulation in small groups. Each student group plays a different role in the simulation. At the beginning of the simulation, students watch a short introductory video about the simulation. Then the simulation begins. Depending on their role, the students must prepare a presentation, or questions based on the available information. During this process, the team is interrupted by so-called "events" that require a response from the students or provide additional information. In the next phase of the simulation the taxi companies give a presentation to the municipality. The municipality gives a score and determines the winner.
For any bugs or problems related to the game, please contact Rene van der Eijk or the game developer Organiq. This game is free to play for all EUR employees and students. If you wish to play the game outside the EUR context, then please contact Organiq for the specifications.
Evaluation
The simulation game teaches students the practical aspects of the tendering process. However, the evaluation is the part where students get to reflect on their learnings. As a conclusion to the simulation game teachers and tutors should always spend round 30 minutes to evaluate the experience with the students. To help teachers/tutors in this process, a Powerpoint has been created to guide this process (see Downloads: Evaluation Tender).