The Volcano of Change
The Volcano of Change is a visual scanning exercise in which a group sorts the issues it sees around a topic onto a volcano poster with four stages: dormant, active, erupting and extinct. It was written up by Judith van den Boogert for the Transition Makers Toolbox at the University of Amsterdam, which describes it as inspired by the Technology of Participation methods of the Institute of Cultural Affairs. After placing the issues, the group reads the whole picture, small groups go deeper on one issue each, and the plenary moves from awareness to what people can do with the insight.
Facilitation script
- 1
Introduce the umbrella topic. Participants individually list three to seven issues and note for each what they observe, feel, think and how they respond.
15 min - 2
In twos or threes, participants share their issues and write one keyword per sticky note, merging obvious duplicates.
15 min - 3
Explain the four stages with one everyday example each. Small groups agree where each issue belongs and place the notes on the poster.
20 min - 4
Give everyone time to read the poster in silence, then lead the plenary in three passes: clarify, reflect on patterns and tensions, name key themes.
20 min - 5
Participants regroup in threes or fours around an issue they feel drawn to and examine its advantages, disadvantages, threats and opportunities.
20 min - 6
Back in plenary, compare what the groups found and ask how people will use it personally and professionally. End with a short silent journal entry.
15 min
Tips
Disagreement about where an issue belongs is the most useful part of the placement step, so let groups argue it out and allow a note to sit on a border with a mark.
Ask for the reason behind each placement: what evidence makes this erupting now and not merely active.
Keep the stage definitions visible on the wall, because groups drift into sorting by importance instead of by visibility and momentum.
Common pitfalls
Choosing a topic that is too narrow: the group produces a handful of near-identical notes and the four stages have nothing to separate
Explaining the stages loosely: groups sort by how important an issue feels instead of how visible and active it is, and almost everything ends up in erupting
Ignoring the dormant and extinct zones: the poster loses its time dimension and the group misses issues that could return or that still shape reactions today
Cutting the individual reflection to save time: notes then reflect headlines and the loudest voices instead of what participants personally observe and feel
Stopping after the poster is filled: the group leaves with a picture but no sense of what it means for them, which makes the exercise feel like decoration
Variations
With a group smaller than about ten, skip the regrouping and go deeper on two or three issues in plenary. Remotely, draw the volcano on a shared whiteboard with four zones and use breakout rooms for the pair and small-group steps. For a shorter scan of about 60 minutes, collect issues directly in small groups and end after the plenary reading of the poster. The exercise can be repeated months later on the same topic to see which issues have moved between stages.
Where it fits
When to use it
A group faces a broad, contested topic and first needs a shared overview of what is going on before it debates solutions
You suspect important issues are simmering unspoken and want a low-threshold way to put them on the wall next to the obvious ones
People in the room see the same developments but rate their urgency very differently
At the start of a change or transition process, to decide where attention should go first
You want past developments in the picture too, because closed chapters still shape how people react today
When not to use it
The group needs a prioritised list or a decision: the volcano produces a map and shared awareness, so follow it with Dot Voting or use an Impact/Effort style prioritisation instead
You need a systematic scan across external factor categories; a STEEP or PESTLE Analysis covers the ground more completely
The task is to understand the causes behind one known problem; the Iceberg Model or a Causal Loop Diagram goes deeper
The topic involves a live conflict between people in the room: placing it as erupting on a poster exposes it without resolving it, so use a facilitated dialogue format with clear agreements first
You have less than an hour, because the placement discussion and the plenary reading are where the insight comes from
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is The Volcano of Change?▾
The Volcano of Change is a group exercise from the Transition Makers Toolbox for scanning the issues around a broad topic. Participants write issues on sticky notes and place them on a volcano poster according to four stages: dormant, active, erupting and extinct. The group then discusses the overall picture and works in small groups on selected issues.
What do the four volcano stages mean?▾
Dormant issues have faded from attention but could come back. Active issues are building under the surface without being fully visible yet. Erupting issues are visible and disruptive right now, and extinct issues are over but have left a lasting effect.
How long does The Volcano of Change take?▾
The full sequence takes about 105 minutes: 30 minutes to collect issues individually and in pairs, 20 minutes to place them, 20 minutes of plenary discussion, 20 minutes of small-group work on single issues and 15 minutes to close. A shortened version that ends after reading the poster fits into roughly an hour.
How many people can take part?▾
The source describes it for groups of roughly 15 to 25, working alone, in twos or threes and in small groups of three or four at different points. It also works with fewer people, down to about six, if you keep the deepening step in plenary. Above 25, use more than one poster so that everyone can reach and read the notes.
Where does The Volcano of Change come from?▾
It was published by Judith van den Boogert in the Transition Makers Toolbox of the University of Amsterdam. The toolbox states that it is inspired by the Technology of Participation methods of the Institute of Cultural Affairs. It is not itself an official Technology of Participation method.
Plan your next workshop with AI
Workshop Weaver helps you combine methods like The Volcano of Change into a complete, timed agenda in minutes.
Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Judith van den Boogert, Transition Makers Toolbox (University of Amsterdam); inspired by the Technology of Participation (ICA).