What is a community panel? 

Establishing a community panel is one method of running a ‘deliberative’ community engagement process.  

A deliberative engagement process puts the community and/or stakeholders affected by a decision at the centre of the decision and brings citizens closer to decision-makers and affairs of government. 

During the process, you will have the opportunity to work with other panellists. You will hear from speakers, absorb information, and you will discuss the issues with other panellists. Sometimes you will break into small conversation groups.  

At the end of the community panel process, participants write their own report, which is presented directly to decision-makers. The recommendations in their report have a high level of influence over the outcomes or decisions of the decision-makers.

After I register my interest what happens next?  

You will be notified about whether you have been randomly selected to participate in the community panel.  

If you are randomly selected, you will be notified by our recruitment coordinator and onboarded via a phone call.  

If you are not selected, you will be notified as such and offered avenues to stay engaged.

What is random selection? And why use it? 

Random selection is a process where participants are chosen by chance from a larger population, without bias. In community engagement, this approach aims to create a group that mirrors the diversity of the wider community, reflecting different community demographics, such as age, geographic location and gender.  

The random selection process means that everyone in the community has an equal chance of registering their interest and an equal chance (within their demographic) of being selected to be a panel member.

Who will facilitate the process?  

To ensure the panel is independent of Council influence, The City of Melbourne has engaged MosaicLab, a team of experienced facilitators specialising in high influence engagement, to recruit for and facilitate the process.  

MosaicLab’s role is to support the participants in their discussions and ensure that everyone is heard.   

How will you ensure that the sessions are accessible?  

If you are selected, we will contact you via phone to take down any specific requirements you have and to ensure that the panel sessions remain accessible to all participating.  

We will make every effort to ensure accessibility, including providing mobility and disability support.

Where can I go if I have further questions? 

If you would like to talk to someone before registering or have any further questions, please call or text the MosaicLab team on
+61 485 825 926