Meet MosaicLab
Nicole Hunter
FUNNY, UNUSUAL, MYSTERIOUS: MOMENTS FROM 2024

As 2024 wraps up, our facilitation team is sharing their standout moments. From mysteriously missing catering and questionable gong skills to a surprise bush trek under the stars, 2024 had its fair share of laughs, twists, and unforgettable memories.

FUNNY, UNUSUAL, MYSTERIOUS: MOMENTS FROM 2024
Case studies
Nicole Hunter
CASE STUDY: CITY OF MELBOURNE AFFORDABLE ...

The City of Melbourne views affordable housing as crucial infrastructure for maintaining a liveable, inclusive, and prosperous city. With a projected shortfall of 23,200 affordable homes by 2036, immediate action is needed to address this long-standing issue. While there is broad community support for affordable housing, acceptance often wanes at the neighbourhood level. To tackle this, a People’s Panel of 39 diverse community members was established to represent local perspectives.

CASE STUDY: CITY OF MELBOURNE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PANEL
Meet MosaicLab
Nicole Hunter
TEAM SPOTLIGHT: POLO, POLLY & GUS

A support facilitator studying psychology, our first team member based in NSW and a brand new participant recruitment coordinator... meet the newest additions to the MosaicLab team: Polo, Polly and Gus! Learn more about this trio of terrific team members and gain some insights into who they REALLY are through their answers to our fast five questions!

TEAM SPOTLIGHT: POLO, POLLY & GUS
Case studies
Nicole Hunter
CASE STUDY: THE TALE OF TWO ENERGY SECTOR ...

How should we plan for the new energy future while providing affordable services that meet changing customer and community needs? Two representative ‘Voice of the Customer’ panels in Queensland answered this question. Randomly selected, everyday customers deliberated and agreed on recommendations that electricity distributors Ergon Energy Network and Energex used to prepare Regulatory Proposals for the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).  Delve into a tale of two deliberative customer panels, and gain ideas and insights you can draw on for your next project.

CASE STUDY: THE TALE OF TWO ENERGY SECTOR CUSTOMER PANELS
Meet MosaicLab, ML Giving
Nicole Hunter
SUPPORTING CONVERSATIONS WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED ...

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.

SUPPORTING CONVERSATIONS WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED MOST

workshop

BALANCING COST, RISK & BEST-PRACTICE THROUGH A TROUBLED TIME

BALANCING COST, RISK & BEST-PRACTICE THROUGH A TROUBLED TIME

It takes time, effort and resources to achieve best practice engagement at the best of times. And right now it’s not the best of times. We’re hearing from many that engaging at all (let alone engaging well) is difficult.

Your organisation may be grappling with how to respond to the crisis, facing reduced revenue and budget cuts, responding to increased demand for community support and services, and wondering how to sustain it all long term. Local government bodies are also working to comply with the enhanced engagement requirements set out in the Local Government Act.

So we’ve announced two new service options designed to help you engage robustly, cost-effectively and appropriately.

COPING WITH COVID-19: ESSENTIAL ENGAGEMENT PACKAGES

COPING WITH COVID-19: ESSENTIAL ENGAGEMENT PACKAGES

MosaicLab is here to support you and your team as you change and readjust in response to COVID-19. To help you acclimatise, we’ve put together two exclusive, new engagement service options.

We can work with you to help transition your team to working from home through an interactive, online, facilitated strategy session.

We’ve also launched a new training and coaching package - working with individuals or groups to support you to engage and connect with people appropriately through a time of anxiety and upheaval.

#MONTHLYMYTH: NO ADULTS ALLOWED! PLAY IS FOR KIDS

#MONTHLYMYTH: NO ADULTS ALLOWED! PLAY IS FOR KIDS

When you think about the word ‘play’, what do you imagine?

We’re going to hazard a guess and assume what you don’t see is a group of adults considering important issues or strategic concepts.  That’s because cultural norms suggest that play is more at home in a playground than a boardroom. 

In this month’s myth buster, we’re going to ask you to put that limiting belief to one side for a moment.  We’re exploring how play can be used to achieve positive outcomes and new possibilities in the professional world.  Because, as it turns out, adults (even the suit-wearing ones) and organisations (even the big serious ones) might benefit from a little game now and then. 

#MonthlyMyth: Warm up activities have no purpose

#MonthlyMyth: Warm up activities have no purpose

Now and then we hear people say that what you might loosely categorise as ‘warm up’ or ‘introductory’ or ‘getting to know you’ activities are pointless exercises with no real purpose.   It is assumed (perhaps?) that they are something facilitators do just because that’s what facilitators do and they like to ‘play games, not because they have any bearing on the issue at hand or any tangible benefit to the group.

We can’t speak on behalf of all these types of activities (perhaps there are some out there that really are annoying, pointless and fluffy!); however, today, with the kind of activities that an effective, experienced facilitator might use in mind, we’re debunking this myth.

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Participatory democracy & THE PUBLIC SECTOR: IDEAS AND Q&A

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Participatory democracy & THE PUBLIC SECTOR: IDEAS AND Q&A

The 'Participatory Democracy - Exploring Experiences' session at the IPAA Public Sector Week 2017 featured active, experiential learning and an interactive discussion with a group of diverse panellists. 

Attendees experienced a mini, deliberative discussion, answering the question: 'what are the biggest challenges facing the public sector when it comes to gaining trust in the community?'.   The group then engaged in an energetic Q&A with the panel which included specialist consultants and public sector representatives with extensive experience in using deliberative engagement to help tackle major public policy challenges.

Facilitated by MosaicLab, the workshop saw great ideas generated and invaluable knowledge shared.  The discussion was relevant to anyone working in the public sector (and beyond), so, today we're sharing a snapshot of the ideas generated and a summary of the Q&A discussion - a fabulous, free resource for anyone interested in quality engagement or participatory processes. 

#MonthlyMyth: Tables enhance conversation

#MonthlyMyth: Tables enhance conversation

We are often drawn towards what we know – it’s comfortable sticking to what we are used to doing, seeing and experiencing.  However, when it comes to engagement, sometimes comfortable doesn’t equal effective, and this month’s myth is a perfect example.

BUILDING IDEAS WITH LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®

BUILDING IDEAS WITH LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®

Yesterday we had the absolute pleasure of participating in a very creative end-of-year team planning session led by Kate Henderson - a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator.   It was a fun, creative, engaging and very different way of discussing important and complex thoughts and ideas - an out of the box approach to drawing out interesting perspectives ...