With nine deliberative processes currently planned or underway, plus two standing panels in operation, it's a true panel 'palooza' at MosaicLab! We're excited to collaborate with leaders and decision-makers across three Australian states who are committed to addressing complex challenges. And we're honoured to support our diverse participants. Let’s dive into some of the exciting deliberative adventures ahead! Sneak peek incoming...
#MONTHLYMYTH: PLANNING CAN BE DONE IN THE DARK
Are you strategising secretly? A lot of strategic planning gets done in the dark, which causes plenty of prickly problems. One of the biggest issues with this approach is you get a final plan that doesn’t tackle what’s hard, lacks support and possibly ends up sitting on the shelf. We’re here to help you get your next planning process out into the light. There’s lots of ways to get there, and it doesn’t have to be hard. We’ve got tips to help you develop a plan that has more meaning and impact - something everyone can stand behind.
POWER-PACKED HIGHLIGHTS FROM ENERGY WEEK 2024
We've just returned from Australian Energy Week, where we engaged with energy sector professionals from Australia and beyond, introducing them to the MosaicLab Spin and Win experience. As the energy sector evolves, so do expectations for customer and community engagement. MosaicLab directors Nicole Hunter and Keith Greaves connected with conference attendees around current sector trends and some significant engagement challenges facing the industry.
SUPPORTING CONVERSATIONS WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED MOST
We believe in supporting emerging and underserved people and communities to have deeper conversations that lead to stronger democracies. ML Giving is the new name of the not-for-profit part of MosaicLab - a banner for the work we do that gives back. We’re focussing on furthering community inclusion and action beyond just getting input and instead moving into enabling local decision-making. Explore the principles ML Giving will operate under, and the kind of projects and conversations we’re supporting.
AI-WESOME OR AI-NTIMIDATING?
AI is both wonderfully amazing and exciting and fun, and worrying, overwhelming and scary…..and it’s coming towards us at a pace that our brains are finding hard to reconcile. In this article we’re exploring some of what’s coming up for us so far around using AI. Including how our natural, human biases are coming into play, the risks and opportunities we’re identifying and the three key principles we see as critical going forward.
WHEN DELIBERATION GOES WRONG: COMMUNICATION
Deliberative engagement aims to build trusted decisions. That’s only achievable if the people impacted by the outcome have access to information about the process. This isn’t as easy as telling your communication team to send out a media release or publishing a few social posts telling your community the panel or jury is happening. Your communication approach needs to be thoughtfully planned, aligning communication and engagement efforts and ensuring deliberative principles aren’t compromised.
JUMP ON BOARD! THE NEXT ENGAGEMENT ERA AWAITS
We’re feeling energised as we zoom through the first month of the new year. That’s because we can see what’s ahead, and we’re excited about the possibilities. Are you ready to set sail with us? We’re celebrating what’s been achieved in partnership with people just like you so far, while setting our sights on facilitating more important conversations in more places and having even more positive impact on more communities. We’re ready to embrace where engagement and deliberation are going, are you?
THAT'S A WRAP 2023! GRATITUDE, HIGHLIGHTS & HOPE FOR WHAT'S AHEAD
A message of thanks to you - our clients, participants, partners and friends - and hope for what’s ahead. As we head towards the end of a big year of big conversations, our team shares what they’re grateful for, their biggest highlight of 2023 and what’s really lighting them up when they think forward to the new year ahead.
TONY'S ACCESSIBILITY ADVICE + CARNIVAL WINNER REVEALED!
Did you visit our carnival stand at the recent IAP2 Conference? If so, you might feature in this post! And if not, here’s your chance to fight the FOMO and have an insight into the bean bag toss fun (and really cool dancing) that happened. We also have some super tips for you from IAP2A Chair Tony Clark around increasing accessibility and inclusion in engagement (spoiler - it’s not always easy, but progress is better than perfection). And we share our program highlights. Let’s dive in!
DRD 2024
Deliberative democracy experts and practitioners from across the globe recently descended on Copenhagen for the 6th annual Democracy R&D Conference, ready to explore this years theme ‘Let’s Give Democracy An Overhaul.’ Our directors and co-founders Nicole and Keith were there to soak up new ideas, share learnings from our delivery of more than 40 deliberations in Australia, connect with like-minded people from around the world and deliver a facilitating deliberation masterclass. Couldn’t be there? Never fear. They’ve shared their insights and top takeaways from an event they’re calling a “supernova of deliberative democracy”.