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Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: bf81dc12be5251f1afa7996b0d864cf80c5d4ff9e7b3ad9429f9238e778ec823

# Sandwich

Small groups categorize project components or reflections onto stacked visual sandwich layers representing vision, actions, resources, risks, and outcomes. Teams arrange notes into a clear structure and share their completed sandwich poster.

**Time:** 40 minutes. Participatory Methods suggests 30 to 60 minutes; set here to 40 minutes for a standard small-group workshop session.
**People:** 4 to 24. Small groups of 4 to 6. For 7 people, run one group of 3 and one group of 4. For other numbers, create groups of 4 to 6 with one group of 3 if needed.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Organize brainstormed ideas or reflections into structured, sequential categories using a visual layered metaphor.
**Use it when:** Use when a team needs to unpack a complex plan, evaluate a recent project, or categorize causes and solutions into distinct, clear stages.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the inquiry requires non-linear network mapping, detailed quantitative scoring, or an open brainstorm without predefined categories.

## Materials and tools

- 1 printed Sandwich Layer Template sheet per group
- 1 pad of sticky notes (76 x 76 mm) per group
- 1 fine-tip marker per participant
- 1 flipchart easel, paper pad, and marker for room reference
- 1 roll of low-tack masking tape per room

## Before participants arrive

1. Write the template layer categories (Vision, Activities, Resources, Challenges, Outcomes, and Parking Zone) clearly on the reference flipchart.
2. Print or draw a Sandwich Layer Template for each small table.
3. Set out sticky notes and markers on every table.

## Say this to open

We are going to organize our thinking using the layers of a sandwich. Look at the flipchart: the top bread is our vision, the middle fillings are activities, resources, and risks, and the bottom bread represents our expected outcomes. In your teams, you will write ideas on sticky notes, decide which layer each note belongs to, and build a complete sandwich to share.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce purpose and define layers (5 minutes)

Explain the guiding topic. Deliver the opening script while pointing to the reference flipchart displaying the layer definitions. Divide participants into teams of 4 to 6, adjusting to groups of 3 if group totals require it. Provide each table with one sandwich template, sticky notes, and markers.

### 2. Generate individual notes (8 minutes)

Participants write ideas individually on sticky notes, using one thought per note. Anyone who prefers not to write may dictate thoughts to a peer. Work in quiet reflection until each person has written two or three notes. Participants keep their notes in front of them until the group assembly step begins.

### 3. Assemble and organize the sandwich (15 minutes)

Groups review their sticky notes together and place them onto the matching sections of their sandwich template. Team members discuss placements, combine duplicates, and negotiate sequence. Notes that do not fit the established categories go into the template parking zone.

### 4. Present sandwiches and debrief (12 minutes)

Each team presents its assembled sandwich in up to two minutes. Teams choose one or more willing volunteers to speak; anyone may pass on speaking without explanation. With remaining time, lead a brief whole-room debrief using the prepared questions, taking one response per question.


## Debrief questions

- Which layers filled up the fastest, and what does that show about our focus?
- Where did your group experience disagreement about where an idea belonged?
- Looking across all the sandwiches, what critical element is still missing from the stack?

**Finished output:** A set of completed visual sandwich posters displaying categorized ideas or project steps, ready for photo documentation or action planning.

## Remote

Set up a shared digital whiteboard with identical sandwich diagram frames for each breakout group. Divide participants into breakout rooms of 4 to 6 people. Participants type ideas onto digital sticky notes and drag them into the appropriate layers. Bring everyone back to the main room to screen-share each group board during two-minute share-outs.

## Hybrid

Form in-person groups at physical tables and separate remote participants into their own virtual breakout room using a digital whiteboard sandwich template. Designate an in-person scribe to take photos of physical templates and upload them to the shared call window so remote participants can view all physical sandwiches during presentations.

## Access and participation choices

- Provide large-print templates and pre-labeled layer text boxes for participants with low vision.
- Allow participants to contribute verbally by having a team scribe write their thoughts.
- Allow participants to pass on presenting during the group report-out.

## If the session gets stuck

**Groups argue over whether an item is a resource, an activity, or an outcome.**

Remind them that layers are metaphors to help thinking, not rigid tests. Have them place the note across the border between both layers or duplicate the note.

**One team finishes assembling in five minutes while others are still writing.**

Prompt the early team to review their fillings for missing risks, dependencies, or unassigned responsibilities.


## Terms used here

- Sandwich Template: A visual worksheet diagrammed into horizontal sections representing top bread, multiple fillings, and bottom bread to categorize ideas.

## Participant material: Sandwich Layer Template

SANDWICH LAYER TEMPLATE

[ TOP BREAD: Overarching Vision / The Starting Question ]
Write the main goal or guiding purpose here.
------------------------------------------------------------
[ LAYER 1: Core Activities / Solutions ]
What actions must take place?
------------------------------------------------------------
[ LAYER 2: Resources & Collaborators ]
What tools, budget, and partners are needed?
------------------------------------------------------------
[ LAYER 3: Challenges & Constraints ]
What obstacles or risks could occur?
------------------------------------------------------------
[ BOTTOM BREAD: Expected Outcomes & Final Results ]
What does concrete success look like when completed?
------------------------------------------------------------
[ PARKING ZONE / SIDE DISH: Unsorted Ideas ]
Notes that need further review or do not fit the current stack.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Participatory Methods (CC 2025).

Preserves the sandwich layered metaphor, small-group structure, and visual template mechanic from Participatory Methods. Added explicit stage timing (40 minutes total), explicit grouping arithmetic for small or odd group sizes, a concrete flipchart setup aligned with the provided template, voluntary presentation options, and structured debrief questions. Corrected step 2 to keep initial idea generation private before collaborative group placement.

[Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/sandwich/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/sandwich/