Ladders and Spectrums
Laddering activities help identify how individuals perceive themselves within a range of behaviours, activities, or viewpoints. Some common versions include participation, happiness, safety, wellbeing, and confidence.
Related Approaches and Tools
Participatory Rural Appraisal
Digital Tools
Thematic Analysis
Sensemaking Workshop
Generating Insights
Laddering activities are useful when exploring the underlying attitudes and beliefs of an individual or group. Where pile sorting activities require participants to cluster or group concepts, ladders require participants to put them in a clear order that requires deeper reflection and helps explores trade-offs.
Ladders can be used in four different ways within MEL.
- Observational– single point of time reflecting on the present
- Retrospective – single point of time reflecting on the past or comparing the past and present
- Comparative – single point of time comparing different types of people
- Longitudinal – multiple points of time comparing different responses of the same people
Ladders have four objectives:
- Encourage participants to reflect on their own lives and relations with others
- Support participants to identify the norms within their homes and communities
- Start deeper conversations around complex topics
- Collect GESI-related insights through laddering outputs
Step 1. Clarify the objective and modality of the ladder or spectrum
In this first step, facilitators will need to reflect on exactly what they hope to achieve using a ladder. This includes who the participants are, and how it will be conducted. Some points to think through include:
- Online facilitation, interviews or focus groups?
- Canvas or physical movement?
- What theme will be explored? Participation, wellbeing, happiness?
- Change agents, beneficiaries, or staff?
Step 2. Prepare the materials
Identify the types of physical prompts to be used in the ladder. We recommended testing any tools with a variety of participants before starting. Add visuals and translate as required. Laminate cards or templates if they will be used frequently.
Step 3. Use the spectrum or ladder
At the appropriate time, during the interview, workshop or focus groups, follow these subs-steps:
- Introduce the ladder or spectrum.
- Clarify each step of the ladder to make sure the participant(s) understand what the cards mean.
- Ask participant(s) to identify where they currently are on the ladder. Where would they like to be? What would support this change? Where are other people on the ladder? Are there differences in where different types of people sit on the ladder?
- During the activity, make a note of important aspects that are useful for analysis: age, status gender, role, religion, ethnicity, experience.
- Write down observations and probe participant(s) to explain their decisions. If applicable and with consent, take photos of the canvases for your records.
It is better to conduct one-on-one interviews for more sensitive topics. However, group engagement can also help raise awareness.
Step 4. Data analysis, sensemaking and sharing
The final step is to analyse the responses to identify key themes and share with relevant stakeholders.
- Compile ladders. We recommend using Excel or post-it notes and placing the ladder steps across the top of the page as columns. Then, in each column, add a quick description of the respondents who fall into each category. Break this down by age, gender, ethnicity or other aspects to find themes. This may take on a different shape if the analysis is longitudinal, comparative, or retrospective.
- Sensemaking workshop. In a workshop setting, explore the data with a group of key stakeholders.
Travel Restricted Times
While ladders are best done in person, they can also be completed remotely using participatory methods.
Keeping in mind differences in access and literacy, think about different ways to facilitate and plan the activity.
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Computer and internet access |
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Smartphone and internet access |
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Basic phone access |
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See an example of participatory activities using Google Slide.
Learn more on the digital tools page.
Ladder Approaches
Sample Laddering Canvases
These canvases can be used during laddering activities. The canvases can be printed or drawn.
Participation spectrum
A ten-step spectrum helps clarify how participants perceive themselves. Participants can physically get up and stand on a spectrum of low-to-high or place an item on the ladder level they are comfortable with. This can be adapted for:
- Confidence
- Happiness
- Wellbeing
- Safety
Participation ladder
A seven-step ladder helps clarify where participants ‘sit’ in the order of participation within meetings, activities, workshops and forums. Participants can place an item on the ladder level they are comfortable with.
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