By Alexandra Frangenheim.
How can transdisciplinary researchers gain a better understanding of systemic and multi-causal problems, including recognising different thought styles, appreciating the complexity of intervening, and anticipating points of conflict?
Actor constellation is a role play for identifying the relevance of various actors involved in specific problems. It is useful for problem framing when a research team is formed, for example to plan empirical inquiries or to identify relevant actors for addressing research questions. It also enables researchers from different disciplines and practitioners to uncover hidden dynamics and possible systemic solutions to the problem of interest, and to unlock the potential of shifting perspectives to ultimately develop new narratives.
When research participants represent relevant actors in a role play, their implicit assumptions about relationships, structures, interaction and actors’ knowledge are made explicit. In turn this can reveal the potential of individual actors and coalitions to contribute to addressing the problem of interest.
Actor constellations usually follow five steps.
STEP 1. Problem definition
Participants jointly define the problem to reach a common understanding. Helpful tools, that can be used in a preparatory workshop, include group discussions to explore participants’ opinions, experiences, and suggestions, as well as brainstorming and mind mapping methods to explore diverse perspectives on the problem.
STEP 2. Identify relevant roles
The aim is to identify actors relevant to exploring or solving the problem. They may come from scientific disciplines and fields of practice, such as politics and the public sector, business, and civil society. Relevant actors can also be non-human, such as nature, or a policy strategy. Participants then identify the most relevant six to ten roles, based on actor expertise, power or interest in shaping the solution.
STEP 3. Allocation of roles
Each participant is assigned or chooses a role. It needs to be different from their own real-life roles. If there are more participants than roles, some can be observers, acting as a point of contact in case of problems and providing external feedback afterwards.
STEP 4. Constellation work
A mind map or a representative picture of the problem is placed in the center of the room, for example on a chair. Participants playing different roles are then positioned in relation to the chair, either by the facilitator or by the participants themselves. The closer they are to the chair, the more they can contribute to solving the problem or the more they are affected by it.
The discussions that follow are key to this role playing exercise and it can be useful to structure the discussions as follows:
- Each participant, playing the role of the allocated actor, is invited to comment on the actor’s experiences and knowledge (scientific or empirical) and how that influences their position on the problem. Participants (in their roles) are then invited to comment on where they are positioned in relation to the other roles, including where their attention is directed both in relation to the problem and the other actors. If the positions are close to each other, represented actors may have something in common, such as similar interests, directions of influence or close relationships.
- After discussing their own roles, participants discuss each other’s roles, including if there is a need to clarify roles after they have been positioned and if key roles are missing.
- The discussion then moves on to how actor positions on the problem can be changed, with participants (playing their allocated roles) addressing questions such as: How do I see myself in my role after the first two stages of discussion? What am I striving for? Do emotions influence my views and how? Which relationships are most important to me? The other participants (playing their allocated roles) are then invited to comment on each actor’s position and how it could be changed.
- When this discussion has run its course, participants can move on to question the system, addressing issues such as: Where is the “center” of the system and why? Are relevant actors missing? Would it be useful to review actor roles by expertise, power or interest in shaping the solution?
- Finally, the role play can move on to looking at the impacts of specific interventions, such as the implementation of a particular policy instrument. In their roles as specific actors, participants then comment on how one or more interventions would affect their positions.
STEP 5. Debriefing and documentation of results
At the end of the actor constellation role play, it is important to consciously transition out of the roles and “shake them off.” A change of room or a short break may also be useful before the debriefing phase begins.
This phase can be guided by questions such as:
- What were irritating moments, learnings, wow-effects and emotions in your role?
- What implicit assumptions did you notice (in yourself and as an observer of others)?
- What potential alliances emerged?
- Where do you see particular potential for conflict?
- Which actor could take on more responsibility with appropriate support?
If observers were involved, it is useful to ask them first. The constellation participants can be asked about their experiences and learning from their own role, as well as their observations of specific actor coalitions. In addition, thorough documentation (including photos and drawings) can help develop new narratives about the problem and possible systemic solutions, as well as supporting participants’ own recollection of key learning effects.
Conclusion
There are a range of modifications that can be made depending on the specific purposes of the actor constellation role play. It is generally helpful to have a facilitator, and the project leader often also plays a significant role.
What has your experience been with actor constellation or other forms of role play? Do you have additional suggestions for making these role plays work well and/or for avoiding potential problems?
To find out more:
Frangenheim, A. (2025). Actor constellations in sustainability contexts. Participatory research methods for sustainability–toolkit #13. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 34, 2: 94-96. (Online) (DOI): https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.34.2.22.
For all tools from the partnership with the journal the journal GAIA, see: https://i2insights.org/tag/partner-gaia-journal/. Thanks to GAIA for making Alexandra Frangenheim’s paper free to access until 19 February, 2026.
Useful information is also available in: Pohl, C. (2020). Actor constellation. td-net Toolbox Profile (2), Swiss Academy of Sciences: Bern, Switzerland. (Online – open access): https://naturalsciences.ch/co-producing-knowledge-explained/methods/td-net_toolbox/actor_constellation_final_
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Statement: Generative artificial intelligence was not used in the development of this i2Insights contribution. (For i2Insights policy on generative artificial intelligence please see https://i2insights.org/contributing-to-i2insights/guidelines-for-authors/#artificial-intelligence.)
Biography: Alexandra Frangenheim PhD is a scientific project collaborator of the Institute of Development Research at BOKU University (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences) in Vienna, Austria. Her research interests include agrifood sustainability studies, geography of innovation, interdisciplinary research, and transdisciplinary and foresight methods.
Thanks! will implement it in a resettlement project! any recommendations for it? https://www.elcolombiano.com/antioquia/asi-va-el-traslado-de-murindo-antioquia-ML26960048
Wow, that’s very interesting Daniel, I’d love to hear your experiences afterwards!
What problem or system would you like to explore? The process or the new settlement situation? I recommend to make sure that people change their perspectives, i.e. give those who take a certain position (e.g. someone who is affected) an opposite role (e.g. someone who decides/pays).
Good luck!
Thank you so much, Alexandra. I am actually interested in both problems — the process and the new settlement situation — because in this case they are inseparable.
This is a multidimensional intervention unfolding in iterative stages (3DC): Diagnosis, Dialogue, Decision, and Change, and dimensiones: social, ecological, infrastructural, spiritual, cultural, governance and economic dimensions are all intertwined. We are not only designing a new physical habitat, but also intervening in the decision-making processes, power relations, and collective imaginaries that shape it.
For that reason, I found your recommendation extremely valuable — especially the idea of deliberately shifting perspectives by assigning opposite roles (for example, someone affected by flooding taking the role of the State or the financier of the solution). That inversion of position could reveal hidden assumptions and redistribute empathy within the system.
In fact, we have been working with a transdisciplinary intervention design methodology that I developed (shared here in i2Insights: https://i2insights.org/2023/10/24/intervention-design-process/). I would love to integrate the Actor Constellation Role Plays into the Dialogue and co-design phase of our process, as a way to surface systemic tensions and broaden understanding before moving into concrete design decisions.
Thank you again — this tool feels highly aligned with the kind of systemic intervention we are attempting.
That’s a nice feedback, Daniel – I am happy to hear that you want to integrate the method into your intervention design process, which seems to fit very well.
In the dialogue phase of your process, you already agreed on the most critical problem(s) (during diagnosis), which is a great precondition for the constellation work (i.e. would be step 1).
Since you are really into the topic, you could pre-define the roles and only add and prioritize them during step 2.
Regarding step 3: If you know the people, their power and perspectives, I would pre-define who could take on which role – e.g., the actor who is particularly affected by ones decisions take that role, or vice versa; who has normally a very narrow position, can step into an intermediary or more strategic, longterm perspective, …
Regarding the constellation work itself: In such groups, some people talk a lot and often say the same thing over and over again. These personalities may have difficulties to step into a new role. Instead, they might always explain the position of (and comment immediate learnings about) their real-life-role, which can interfere with the exercise and make it difficult for others to talk from this role. However, these people especially learn a lot! You can either make sure that they are not in a strategic position (because you might loose this voice when they are not able to take on that role), or, if you have observers, let him or her be an observer or replace this person with an observer during the role play (maybe announce this option in advance). Observers are not only useful for the debriefing. When you realize that there is one actor missing, you can always assign this new role to an observer who steps into the play.
After 45 to max. 60 minutes, you realize that people get suddenly tired. The movements become less and you really feel that they have difficulties to stay in their roles. That is the point when you gain saturation of understandings.
The debriefing (and documentation) is very important! People want to talk about their learnings and if you manage to keep some highlights, it will be useful to argue in future tension situations.
I would love to eavesdrop 😉
Good
How can use the same idea to identify causes and resolve conflicts
Hi Peter,
thanks for your comment. I am not sure if I understand it correctly but let me try to answer as follows: I consider actor constellation work as an explorative approach that may be combined with other methods. With a constellation role play, you might find causes of conflicts between actors. A repositioning of actors to each other may also help to understand new perspectives and indentify solution approaches. However, to really resolve (longterm) conflicts, I would apply mediation, collaborative problem solving or consensus-building methods.
What an interesting and thought-provoking idea! I’m wondering whether you need a good representation of people to take part in the role play? Would it work just as well to run this as a table top exercise but perhaps with some persona cards, descriptions…maybe audio file that brings.to life the personality of the person or thing?
Tabletop exercises and games, albeit related to role playing, are a different method. I appreciate that. How do you grapple with the challenge of having enough people to take part in this role play?
Thanks for your important thoughts, Mariana!
Indeed, it takes several people to fill the roles. However, the method is effective when working on real-world problems, where even most lay people have an experiential understanding of different perspectives. I have often worked with students, and I am always surprised at how well they adopt the perspectives and roles of the given actors.
Compared to theater methods that produce some comparable effects, constellation work produces insights within a relatively short timeframe, which also reduces needed resources.
I encourage students to experiment with role cards on a table, but to be honest, I never tried it myself (yet). It is a good idea to combine it with tablestop exercises and audio (or visual?) support tools – thank you!