ANNOUNCE Solid Waste Board Game Proposal

[System Dynamics Society <sds@]

Posted by System Dynamics Society <sds@csc.albany.edu>

There's an interesting proposal below from an architect working for LA on a 100% zero waste by 2030 project for that city. He is looking for a consultant to work with to create a board game to use in workshops. He seems serious about this project; he has outlined some specs below. He needs to use the game in a city-wide conference by mid-January 2008. If you are interested, please contact Stephen Coyle directly <steve.coyle@hdrinc.com>. Roberta

PROPOSAL: Thank you for your assistance. I discussed the game potential with the City's project manager and our company's project manager and we believe that a simple, interactive game that could be played in English and Spanish would be very beneficial as educational tools to the citizen-delegates. We can provide all the necessary information to design and build the game, but need to contract with someone capable of designing, building and helping debug the game, as soon as possible. I have provided some basic information below:

* The game's desired outcome - demonstrate the casual benefits and
drawbacks of strategic choices in a roughly 20 year context that includes both elements of uncertainty and certain adverse consequences of not acting.
* The physical context - the City of Los Angeles, divided into six
'waste sheds' or districts.
* The goals (examples) - 100% zero waste by 2030, eliminate all land
fills or waste disposal outsourcing.
* The objectives (examples) - 70% diversion from landfills by 2017;
50% increase in composting degradable waste by 2010. We will identify about a dozen primary measurable objectives.
* The performance measures (examples) - tons of non-degradable waste
generated, decrease in trash haul trips to and from landfill, tons of total waste diverted, percentage of airborne particulates. We will identify perhaps 25 measures or more.
* The opportunities (examples) - closing landfills (because of
political pressure or reaching capacity), growing economic 'green job'
opportunities.
* The constraints (examples) - increasing population generating
waste, increasing non-recyclable waste generated by out-of-state suppliers.
* The policies (example) - require that food container
suppliers/distributors either produce degradable products or incentives and accept the recycling of their non-degradable products.
* The programs (example) - home and business recycling programs
(e.g., supplying bins and schedule pick-ups.
* The facilities (example) - add various types of recycling centers.
* The outcomes - the desired and undesired consequences of various
combinations of policies, programs, and facilities.

For example, the object of the game could consist of achieving a set of objectives described on the game board as milestone squares. Each game player team (e.g., six players) would choose from a selection from three sets of cards that represent policies, programs, and facilities; each card would contain a measurable value. The players could use a dice roll to advance on board squares that might contain opportunities and constraints, and deploy their available policies, programs, and facilities cards to move towards the milestones. However oversimplified my game scenario, the actual game needs to be simple enough for novices to play in an hour or less, and derive benefit from selecting options and learning from delayed cause/effect cycles and from the uncertainty embedded in the game's set up.

I would appreciate a response from anyone qualified to provide a proposal for the design (and if feasible, production) of such a game.
We would need approximately 20 game sets.

Steve
Stephen Coyle, AIA
Principal
HDR | Community Planning & Urban Design
San Francisco - Portland - America
115 Sansome Street, Suite 900
San Francisco, CA 94104
O 415.814.6737 C 510 225.5594
F 415.814.6801
Email: steve.coyle@hdrinc.com
Posted by System Dynamics Society <sds@csc.albany.edu> posting date Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:49:26 -0400 (EDT) _______________________________________________