The Major Projects Simulator is a dynamic learning experience designed specifically for project professionals. In the space of a single day, participants work in teams to deliver a complex, large-scale initiative while navigating real-world challenges like stakeholder engagement, time and cost pressures, and competing priorities.
This immersive simulator puts your leadership, communication, and collaboration skills to the test in a safe yet challenging environment. It’s a unique opportunity to sharpen your decision-making under pressure, with a final debrief packed full of valuable takeaways to apply immediately in real-world project delivery.
About the Simulator
Background
The Major Projects Association has worked with Prendo, specialists in the field of simulation software, to develop a simulation that captures the universal challenges of project management. With input from across the Association’s network of experts, the simulation is a ground-breaking learning tool, designed to dramatically improve the effectiveness of project management education and preparation events, and thus reduce the risk of making mistakes in the real world.
With the same basic rationale as a flight simulator, the Major Projects Simulator allows participants, organised in competing teams, to manage and “live” a complex project in the safety of a simulated environment. It enables participants to see a whole project from start to finish and to experience in 1 day how all their decisions in the various disciplines combine to determine the final outcomes.
This will be followed by a 2 hour project “lessons” – a learning review, debrief, and results session.
It was developed after an extensive survey of the most common causes of project failure and it requires teams to make decisions and judgements in several key areas of project management.
How to access the Simulator
There are several ways in which it is possible to access the Simulator:
- By attending the Major Projects Association event
- By engaging Prendo to deliver an in-house (classroom or virtual) workshop
- By purchasing a multi-use user licence – Major Projects Association members receive a 30% discount on the standard licence fees
Major Projects Association Simulator Event
For the past few years we have been running the Simulator workshop virtually. Due to the success of this, we will continue to do so with every other course. It is aimed at delegates with at least two years of project management experience and anyone that does not claim to have perfected the art and science of project management!
Members are also invited to send managers with responsibility for project management capability and/or training, as a way of evaluating the simulation for internal learning or project initiation purposes.
During this event delegates are organised into groups of three or four and are required to make decisions and judgements in several key areas of project management such as:
- Setting and refining objectives
- Contract and procurement strategy
- Resourcing and scheduling
- Scope definition and changes
- Risk management
- Stakeholder management
“The course was great – very much aligned with the PM Competencies and gave a good insight into ‘real world’ Project Management and the challenges you would face in a project scenario – risk registers, Stakeholder management, financial management.”
“This is an excellent way to refresh Project Management skills and to see the impact of decisions made across a whole project.”
2026 Simulator dates
The next Simulator workshop will be a virtual session on 20th October 2026.
Confirmed dates for 2027 are 10th March (virtual), 23rd June (face-to-face) and 20th October (virtual)
Costs
Virtual event:
- Member: £340 (ex VAT)
- Non Member: £390 (ex VAT)
Physical event:
- Member: £475 (ex VAT)
- Non Member: £525 (ex VAT)
The cost of the physical event is inclusive of meals and programme materials. The fee is payable at the time of booking.
Cancellations
If the booking is cancelled between 14 and 30 days before the start of the programme, 25% of the fee will be retained. If the booking is cancelled fewer than 14 days before the start of the Programme, the total fee will be retained.
How to book
Those interested in attending are advised to register through Ashleigh Walsh, Tel: +44 (0)1865 818030 or please email Ashleigh Walsh via mpa@majorprojects.org.
About Prendo
Since developing a simulation for Shell in 1998, Prendo has spent over 18 years researching how to simulate people, projects, organisations and multiple stakeholder scenarios. In 2007 the Major Projects Association commissioned Prendo to develop a simulation that captures the universal challenges of project management and in 2016 Prendo completed a major upgrade to this simulation.
To learn more about in-house workshops (classroom or virtual) based around any of its simulations, please contact Prendo:
Contact details:
Guy Giffin: Director, Prendo Simulations Ltd
Email: guy.giffin@prendo.com
Tel: +44 7767 388888
Website: www.prendo.com