Deliberative democracy
MosaicLab helps informed, engaged citizens to have in-depth discussions, identify new solutions & contribute to decisions that stick.
what is deliberative democracy?
Deliberative democracy (or deliberative engagement) is all about placing people closer to the affairs of government - at the centre of the issue or decision that affects them.
Deliberation done right is powerful. It can lead to new solutions for the most challenging problems we face (sometimes known as 'wicked' problems), improve policy outcomes and engender trust between citizens and government.
These processes build shared responsibility, meaning that outcomes are more likely to 'stick'. They are less adversarial than many traditional engagement approaches, and can result in number of long-term, transformative benefits for both organisations and participants.
“It can be political suicide for a government to take on the world’s intractable problems because politics, by nature, is driven by short-term interests and election cycles. Wicked problems, in contrast, often take generations to surface, and require drastic, long-term measures to solve them.”
WHEN TO DELIBERATE (AND WHEN NOT TO)
Quality engagement is tailored engagement - and your approach or process needs to be fit-for-purpose. This means assessing where the participants are at, the history or context of the issue, and the aims of engagement.
We find that deliberative principles can be integrated into nearly every process that we deliver. However, bigger (full) deliberative processes (such as a citizens’ jury) should only be used when the conditions are right.
CASE STUDIES
Discover examples of MosaicLab's deliberative engagement work and processes over on our case studies page.
We specialise in deliberative processes
Our team is made up of specialist deliberative engagement facilitators. MosaicLab’s co-founders originally came together through a shared passion for deliberative engagement.
Our facilitators bring with them a wealth of experience in designing and delivering deliberative projects. Deliberative processes we run include:
Citizens' juries
Participatory budgeting (where deliberative elements are included)
Deliberative panels, assemblies and forums
More information on the importance of facilitation in (and the different type of facilitation skills and experience required for) a deliberative process can be found here on the newDemocracy Foundation website.
DELIVERING DELIBERATION ONLINE
Many components of a deliberative process can be delivered via digital and online methods or conducted remotely.
Planning and preparation phases naturally lend themselves to online and remote work, and key steps in the deliberative process such as recruitment are generally conducted remotely.
Delivery or facilitation of deliberative sessions can also be offered online, and we can work with remotely located participants. We’ll support you to navigate and address the challenges associated with online delivery, and develop a digital delivery strategy that:
meets your project objectives,
is tailored around the problem you are addressing,
effectively engages your participants.
Are you deliberation ready?
Take the MosaicLab deliberation assessment test.Start now →
Prepare to deliberate - explore our training options.
Find out more →
