Design Process

The Real Game Series development partners, which include Real Game, Inc., National Life Work Centre, Canada Career Information Partnership, and members of America's Career Resource Network and their respective national networks, have agreed to follow a five-phase project development process:

1. Program Conception and Definition

2. Prototype Development

3. International Pilot

4. Evaluation and Revision

5. Launch and Implementation

Author Bill Barry owns the intellectual property rights and has final decision authority. An Advisory Group guides every program through all five phases of the development process. The Advisory Group is composed of US career development experts and representatives from the NLWC and RGI. It makes recommendations regarding development and implementation of the Real Game Series in the United States. Members of the US Advisory Group also participate in international advisory group meetings.

Quality Improvement

The common objective of all contributors to The Real Game Series is to make the highest quality, most effective programs available to the widest possible audiences at affordable prices. During the pilot phase for each program thousands of teachers, facilitators, counselors, students or adult participants, administrators, parents and/or spouses submit suggestions for program enhancements. As many as possible are incorporated in extensive post-pilot revisions before the final program is published and distributed.

The Real Game Series programs do not compete with other programs, products, or services available to youth and adults. In fact, every effort is made to identify and highlight exemplary resources, and encourage their use in the context of The Real Game Series.

Exceptional Value, Reasonably Priced

How are The Real Game Series programs' prices kept low? First, the programs are developed and implemented in large part through voluntary contributions of thousands of people. Second, there are no sales representatives or agents to be paid, no advertising expenses, and minimal promotional costs as most marketing is by word-of-mouth.

Initial funding from the Government of Canada (Human Resources Development Canada) and the Government of the United States (NOICC - Perkins) on the understanding that all programs in the series would be fully financially self-sustaining once launched. Although the National Life/Work Centre (NLWC) is a not-for-profit Canadian corporation, revenues must cover all training, support, communication, distribution and future development costs. Promotion and awareness-raising are done primarily by state government agencies and professional associations that helped create the programs.

Schools and community agencies that adopt The Real Game Series programs realize they are getting programs of exceptional value that make a real, measurable difference in the lives of their students or clients!