For some Victorian councils, the deliberative engagement requirements in the new Local Government Act may be daunting.
MosaicLab has launched a free, short guide specifically for local government staff and decision makers. Its aim is to provide assistance and information to help councils better understand deliberative engagement, its principles and how it can be implemented into council processes to meet the new requirements of the Act.
what is deliberative engagement?
While there are some councils with vast experience in utilising deliberative engagement processes, for some, this will be a totally new concept and experience. The good news is that it can be scaled to suit your circumstances and budget, while still meeting the requirements of the Act and providing benefits to communities and the council.
At its core, deliberative engagement is about putting people – be they citizens, residents or other affected individuals – closer to the affairs of government and decision makers. It puts conversations, diverse perspectives and understanding at the centre of decision-making.
When implemented correctly, this has tremendous benefits for all parties, by:
Increasing participants’ level of knowledge about issues, resulting in more informed and considered views being shared,
Cultivating trust between authorities and communities through greater transparency,
Building civic capacity and capability to get involved in local matters, and
Increasing general levels of civic engagement and political participation.
New deliberative engagement requirements for councils
Essentially, the Act requires councils to adopt and maintain a community engagement policy, and include deliberative engagement practices in relation to key strategic work, including for community visions, council plans, financial plans and asset plans.
Deliberation is a principles-based approach to community engagement, and the Act specifies five engagement principles to guide councils in implementing their plans.
What this means for councils
While the Act has specified the community engagement principles, and that certain strategic planning processes and documents must be developed in accordance with deliberative engagement processes, it does not stipulate the methods or format required by council.
This is good news for councils, as it means each council can choose the most appropriate form of deliberation to suit their particular situation. Importantly it affords councils the ability to decide the level at which each of the principles is applied. This is known as scaling deliberation.
Choosing whether to apply each of the principles at a ‘higher’ or ‘lower’ level is decided during the engagement planning, based on a number of factors. Importantly, councils can mix and match different levels for each principle in a way to best suit the particular needs and constraints of the project, including budget or resourcing. Our Guide takes you through these steps in detail.
Resources to help councils
MosaicLab is excited to see deliberative engagement practices being integrated into critical council processes. We also know from experience that working out what deliberation looks like for your council and how to implement it can be a challenge. We hope this free guide brings greater clarity, and some options for each council to consider, for the implementation of the Act.
We also have plenty of other free resources, full of information and helpful tips, on our website. You can also watch a live panel episode discussing deliberative engagement practices in local government, which featured our Director, Kimbra White.
However, if you feel like you need more help with understanding deliberative engagement, we are happy to answer any questions you may have and get you started on the right track. You can book in a short 20 minute discovery call with one of the Directors here or simply email us at info@mosaiclab.com.au.
ENJOYED THIS POST?
Stay in the know! Get new posts, actionable ideas and fabulous free resources delivered to your inbox - subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter 'the Discussion'.