--- title: "Inquiry Workshop" description: "Participants generate exploratory questions about an initiative, cluster them into thematic categories, and refine prioritized questions to steer their project." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/inquiry-workshop/" --- # Inquiry Workshop Participants generate exploratory questions about an initiative, cluster them into thematic categories, and refine prioritized questions to steer their project. **Time:** 60 minutes. Participatory Methods suggests 60 to 90 minutes. UWT structured this run sheet for a compact 60-minute session. **People:** 4 to 24. Individual drafting, working groups of 3 to 5 people, and whole-room synthesis ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Produce a sorted set of prioritized, open-ended questions to define the scope and focus of an upcoming project or inquiry. **Use it when:** Use at project kickoff or before field research when a group needs to map out its uncertainties and prioritize what to investigate first. **Skip it when:** Skip when the project scope and research hypotheses are already fixed, or when immediate tactical decisions take precedence over exploratory investigation. ## Materials and tools - Sticky notes (three pads per small group, varied colors) - Broad-tipped markers (one per participant) - Wall charts or large butcher paper (one sheet per small group, plus one central sheet) - Masking tape or blue tape (one roll) - Dot stickers for voting (three stickers per participant) - Scratch paper (one pad per small group, optional for private drafting) - Timer or display clock ## Before participants arrive 1. Post one central blank chart titled 'Collective Question Map' at the front of the room. 2. Set up tables for working groups of 3 to 5 people, each equipped with markers, sticky notes, scratch paper, and a large chart sheet. 3. Write the central topic or project statement clearly on the main board where everyone can see it. ## Say this to open Welcome. Our goal today is not to jump straight to solutions. Instead, we are identifying the most critical questions that should guide our project. Good exploratory questions help us understand root causes, uncover blind spots, and focus our inquiry. You will start by writing down as many questions as you can about our topic. ## How to run it ### 1. Introduce the topic and criteria (5 minutes) Read the focal project statement from the board. Explain that questions should be open-ended, meaning they start with words like 'What', 'How', or 'Why', rather than yes-or-no prompts. For example, instead of asking 'Will our timeline slip?', ask 'What dependencies could alter our delivery timeline?' ### 2. Brainstorm individual questions (10 minutes) Participants work in silence. Each person writes questions on sticky notes, one question per note. They may draft privately on scratch paper first if preferred. Prompt them to consider causes, practical constraints, affected communities, and resources. There is no quota, but aim for at least four questions per person. ### 3. Cluster into themes in small groups (15 minutes) Form small groups of 3 to 5 people at tables. Group members take turns placing one sticky note at a time onto their table chart paper, briefly explaining the question in about 30 seconds. If a participant prefers not to speak, a peer or facilitator reads the note for them. As notes are posted, arrange related ones into thematic clusters such as causes, impacts, constraints, or opportunities. Label each cluster with a clear heading. ### 4. Select priority questions (10 minutes) Give each participant three dot stickers. Within their small groups, participants place dots on the questions that represent the highest priority, deepest uncertainty, or greatest potential impact. Each group picks their top two questions to bring forward. ### 5. Deepen and refine selected questions (10 minutes) Each group posts its top two questions onto the central 'Collective Question Map'. As a full room, review the selected questions one by one. Clarify terms and rephrase broad prompts so they are actionable for the project team. ### 6. Review and close (10 minutes) Facilitate a concise whole-room debrief using the prepared debrief questions. Two to three volunteers share responses. Collect the prioritized questions as the primary workshop record. Confirm who will document and distribute the final question inventory. ## Debrief questions - Which of these questions exposes an assumption we took for granted? - How will answering these prioritized questions change our next concrete steps? - What critical topic or perspective is still missing from our map? **Finished output:** A centralized visual map containing clustered inquiry questions, with two clearly refined priority questions per subgroup ready to steer project planning. ## Remote Use a shared online whiteboard. Set up separate workspace frames for each breakout room with sticky note templates. Step 1 and Step 2 happen in the main call. Send participants into breakout rooms of 3 to 5 people for Steps 3 and 4. Call everyone back to the main room for Steps 5 and 6, using the central board frame to cluster the top questions and refine wording live. ## Hybrid Keep in-person and remote participants in distinct small groups so room noise does not impair audio. During Step 3, have the facilitator ask each in-person group to designate one member as their scribe. When priority questions are chosen in Step 4, this scribe enters the group's top two questions onto the shared online whiteboard. Project the online board in the room so both remote and in-person groups review identical material in Steps 5 and 6. ## Access and participation choices - Scratch paper and typed digital entry allow participants to draft privately before posting questions. - Participants may pass on reading their notes aloud by asking a peer or facilitator to read them without explanation. ## If the session gets stuck **Participants write statements, opinions, or immediate solutions instead of inquiry questions.** Remind the room of the guiding mechanic. Gently prompt the writer: 'What question does this statement answer?' Help them rephrase the statement into an exploratory question starting with 'How' or 'What'. **One or two participants dominate the small-group clustering discussion.** Enforce the turn-taking rule: each person places one note at a time and presents it in 30 seconds. Remind the group that participants who choose not to speak may have a neighbor place and read their note. ## Terms used here - Open-ended question: A question framed to invite explanation and analysis rather than a simple one-word confirmation. ## Participant material: Question Prompt Reference Card Use these prompts if you need inspiration: - What factors contribute most to this issue? - How does this challenge affect different groups of people? - What solutions were tried before, and what were the outcomes? - What obstacles could hinder our progress? - What resources or collaborative opportunities are available? - What assumptions are we making that need testing? ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Participatory Methods under the title 'Inquiry Workshop'. The original Participatory Methods activity provided the overall sequencing (purpose introduction, brainstorming, grouping into categories, selecting key questions, deepening, and closing) along with example questions. UWT structured the timing to fit a firm 60-minute duration, added small-group clustering mechanics, introduced dot voting for clear selection, and established explicit scribe roles and non-speaking participation options. [Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/inquiry-workshop/) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/inquiry-workshop/