RULES:
GOAL:
In Weather or Not you play a Red Cross disaster manager. The goal of the game is to make good humanitarian decisions. Rows of players become Red Cross teams in charge of shelter, health, etc. and must decide whether or not to preposition tents, medical kits or other relief items before a disaster materializes, based on a forecast of likely flooding. Upon becoming director of operations, players must consult with team members to choose between the risks of acting in vain (wasting resources, loss of trust) and failing to act (people suffering).
MATERIALS:
A facilitator runs the game, using a computer and projector for a presentation to explain the rules the Weather or Not application to act as a “roulette wheel” determining the outcomes (flood or no flood) of weather forecasts.
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TIME:
The entire experience takes about 25 to 45 minutes, with actual game play at about 15-20 minutes, with 5-10 minutes for set up and 5-15 minutes for a closing discussion.
PLAYERS:
This game can be played with one facilitator and is best played with a group of about 20-250 in an auditorium or similar room, with participants sitting in rows.
People Sitting
SETUP AND GAMEPLAY:
1. Make sure everyone is next to each other, and there are no gaps in the seating. This may take up to 5 minutes.
Your Team
2. Introduce the game with the presentation here. At slide X, ask the directors to stand up (and stay standing until further notice)
Select Directors
3. When you arrive at the last slide with the message “Let’s Play”, open up the Weather or Not application here.
4.Click on the “Forecast” button to see what are the chances of a flood. A sector of the roulette wheel will turn yellow, indicating flood probability (in the example below, 40% chance of flood) .
5. Ask the directors to decide: Do they ACT (for example, prepositioning relief items) or do they NOT ACT? Directors must visualize their choice by raising their arms above their head to evacuate, or keeping their arms at their sides stay. It is ok for members of their row “community” to shout out what they think should be the response.
6. Once the directors have made their choice (we recommend a countdown to show arms up or down), show the outcome by pressing the outcome button.
7. There are 2 possible rewards/punishments based on each outcome. It is useful to review the outcome screens from the presentation the first couple rounds so that everyone gets a sense of how they should respond to an outcome.
>back to topFLOOD
a. ACT: If the Director chose to ACT, this is the biggest reward. S/he stays put and retains his/her position as Director - and hero - for the next round.
b. DON’T ACT: If the Director chose not to ACT and there’s a flood, this is the biggest punishment for the team. Three members of their row to the immediate right of the director are deployed to the disaster site to deal with the crisis, and the Director changes places with the last person out, indicating that those to the left are no longer active. This process creates a clear visualization of team performance, with the Director moving to the right until no one is left. If this happens, that team is no longer in the game.
>back to topNO FLOOD
a. ACT: If the Director chose to ACT and there’s no flood, s/he is punished because they have spent money and resources in vain. S/he is demoted and loses his/her position as Director to the person on their immediate right. The fired director sits down, and the new director stands up.
b. DON’T ACT: If the Director chose not to act and there’s no flood, s/he stays put and retain their position as Director for the next round.
>back to top8. (optional but recommended) Have a discussion about the game. Question you might ask to prompt conversation include: Does this accurately model the challenges of disaster preparedness? What other factors might be included in the game to better simulate these situations?
9. Let us know how it went! Please email petlab[at]parsons[dot]edu with feedback and any documentation you might have so we can improve these games and share your results with others!
DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
Presentation and rules (choose a format)
PPT + Movie Files, 7.1MB
Keynote, 4.8MB
PDF, 7.2MB
Weather or Not Application (choose platform)
Mac, XXMB
Windows, XXMB
WATCH VIDEO: 18-minute recording of “Weather or Not” game session at Columbia University here.
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