The Card Game is one way of helping groups determine what kinds of local projects will help them meet their goals. The game is meant to be played after the group has set one or more goals. This game has been adapted from the work of Drew Mackie, David Wilcox and Terry Grunwald at Making the Network.

Purpose: The game is designed to help groups identify doable tasks or projects for their community. Each project needs to assign a team, a designated leader and timeline.

Time required: Approximately 2 hours.

Directions:

1. Divide into groups

   If there is more than one technology goal, assign each goal to a different part of the room and have people move to the goal they want to work on. Make sure there are at least 2-3 groups and that groups are roughly equal in size.

   If the group is working with only one technology goal, divide the group into subgroups of 2-8 people.

2. Introduce the card game
   

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   Introduce the cards (PDF). Each group gets a set of cards. Each card has category, such as Community Content or Applications and Education. Each card has a title and a brief description of a project. Finally, each card is numbered 1, 2 or 3 in the lower right corner. The numbers are a relative rank of how much time or resources the project is likely to take. Cards with the number 1 will take much less time or resources than cards with the number 3. Blank cards are included so groups add their own project ideas.
3. Groups choose and prioritize cards

   Each group chooses project cards that they believe are doable and can help the community reach towards its goals. Groups may choose as many cards as they like as long as the total of the numbers in the lower right corner don't add up to more than 15. Groups can spend up to 30 minutes discussing and choosing their cards.

   Once the cards are selected, the groups start planning by prioritizing the cards as high, medium or low priority and determining the time scale as short, medium or long. Making the Network has an excellent planning sheet in Word or PDF format. See the instructions for additional tips on using the planning sheet.

   Prioritizing the cards will take 15 minutes. When each group has completed their plan, they should present their solution to the entire group.

4. Large group reaches consensus on project cards

   This will take at least 30 minutes or longer if there are many goals to discuss.

   If the group was working towards a single technology goal, the leader posts all the chosen cards on a large version of a planning sheet, placing them in the same time scale and priority place each small group used.

   The leader facilitates a group discussion of what cards have been chosen and how many times. Next do a reality check with the group about how doable each project is within their community. The large group chooses which of the project cards chosen by the smaller groups they wish to work on. Usually, the cards given the highest priorities are chosen. This time, in order for a project card to be chosen, one or more participants must agree to take the lead on developing the project.

   If the group was working towards multiple technology goals, first discuss how many projects can be reasonably accomplished. Does the community have the capacity to carry out many projects at once? Consider only looking at projects that were given a high priority. Do a reality check with the group about how doable each project is within their community. Again, in order for a project card to be chosen, one or more participants must agree to take the lead on developing the project.

5. Create project work teams

   For each project that was chosen in the final round, post a sign up sheet on the wall with the project card taped to it, the name of the participant(s) that agreed to take the lead, and the approximate time the project will take. Participants should sign up for one or more projects before leaving.