Mission and Purpose
MosaicLab was set up by a group of professional participation practitioners in Australia. They specialize in the design and facilitation of deliberative and participatory processes and their principles are drawn from the same field:
- Design together - involve representatives of 'the system' in designing the participation process rather than designing in isolation or with only one stakeholder; which means identifying at the outset who is likely to have an interest in the process or decision
- Start early – involve people in defining the problem and not just consult on a solution that has already been decided
- Help clarify the purpose of participation– ensure that the level of involvement and influence that stakeholders can expect is explicit
- Promote informed discussion – make sure that everyone has the data/relevant information, that this is not just the province of experts and researchers, so that everyone can all move beyond opinion to informed dialogue
- Facilitate dialogue – design meeting processes that enable people to tell their story, to speak to the heart of an issue, and together to deliberate on the pros and cons
- Recognise that trust is earned over time – seek to build trust through open and honest dealings with all stakeholders
- Design for flexibility – evaluate the effectiveness of the process while it is underway so as to be able to respond to emerging needs
Origins and Development
MosaicLab was set up by professional participation practitioners Kimbra White, Nicole Hunter and Keith Greaves. All three have extensive experience working with local government, community organisations and citizens in an engagement context.
Organizational Structure, Membership, and Funding
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Specializations, Methods and Tools
MosaicLab specialises in high influence engagement and deliberative democracy. Services offered include:
- Community and stakeholder engagement planning, delivery, evaluation and reporting.
- Deliberative process design and facilitation
- Engagement training (including IAP2 certified training)
- Outrage and conflict management
- Workshop design and facilitation
- Contributions to the field (including research and advocacy)
Major Projects and Events
MosaicLab has worked on a number of projects helping to plan, design and deliver participatory and deliberative processes including the City of Melbourne People's Panel.
MosaicLab have also helped advocate a new approach to advisory committees. This involves helping governments and other organisations to set up ongoing committees that enable meaningful community and/or stakeholder engagement.
Other projects have included:
- working with outrage - dogs on Inverloch beach
- integrating online and in person deliberation - Hepburn Shire's council plan
- tackling a tough issue with deliberation - Bayside City Council's childcare citizens' panel
Analysis and Lessons Learned
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Publications
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