Meet MosaicLab
Nicole Hunter
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?

JUMP ON BOARD! THE NEXT ENGAGEMENT ERA AWAITS
Meet MosaicLab
Nicole Hunter
THAT'S A WRAP 2023! GRATITUDE, HIGHLIGHTS & ...

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.

THAT'S A WRAP 2023! GRATITUDE, HIGHLIGHTS & HOPE FOR WHAT'S AHEAD
Meet MosaicLab
Nicole Hunter
TEAM SPOTLIGHT: BELINDA AND FOX

Meet the newest additions to the MosaicLab team: Belinda Lowing and Fox Gillen. Both Belinda and Fox have long career histories that span across interesting and complex roles that have included facilitation and engagement in many forms. Learn more about these two and gain some insights into who they REALLY are through their answers to our fast five questions!

TEAM SPOTLIGHT: BELINDA AND FOX
Meet MosaicLab
Nicole Hunter
TEAM SPOTLIGHT: JODY AND AARON

Ever wondered what makes our facilitators tick? Meet the newest additions to the MosaicLab team: Jody Kingston and Aaron Bosch. Both Aaron and Jody have fascinating, diverse backgrounds and have come to MosaicLab and facilitation via interesting pathways. Find out what they love about their work, what impact they hope to have and how they answered a list of fun and probing questions that we like to call The Telling Top 10... 

TEAM SPOTLIGHT: JODY AND AARON
Case studies
Nicole Hunter
CASE STUDY: TACKLING TOBACCO HARM IN PUBLIC ...

Four language interpreters. Child-minding. Recruitment challenges. Birthday cake and a lot of laughs. These are just some of the unique highlights of our work with Quit Victoria and VicHealth in 2022 on a project to reduce tobacco-related harm in public housing. This case study takes a detailed look at how MosaicLab supported this process with a residents’ panel and sense-making workshops. All to drive improved, long-term outcomes for community and public health.

CASE STUDY: TACKLING TOBACCO HARM IN PUBLIC HOUSING

resources

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FREE RESOURCES OFFER TASTE OF PUBLIC COURSE CONTENT

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FREE RESOURCES OFFER TASTE OF PUBLIC COURSE CONTENT

Weighing up whether to engage online or face-to-face? Download a free resource that walks you through the benefits of each format. It’s a little taster of our upcoming Virtual Facilitation course which sets you up with the skills needed to design and facilitate impactful online sessions. PLUS we have two more free tasters for you - one for Engagement Planning and one for the Art of Facilitation. These popular short courses are coming to you live and facilitated in August and enrolments are now open.

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CRUCIAL FIRST STEPS TO FACILITATION PLANNING – FREE RESOURCE

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CRUCIAL FIRST STEPS TO FACILITATION PLANNING – FREE RESOURCE

Effective facilitation requires proper planning, otherwise the canvas might be compromised before you get into the room. Download our free resource for the crucial first steps to facilitation planning and discover more about our Art of Facilitation online course. This is the third resource shared in our free MosaicLab Academy Taster Series.

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FREE GUIDE ON DELIBERATIVE ENGAGEMENT FOR VICTORIAN COUNCILS

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FREE GUIDE ON DELIBERATIVE ENGAGEMENT FOR VICTORIAN COUNCILS

To help local councils in Victoria navigate the deliberative engagement requirements in the new Local Government Act, MosaicLab has launched a free, short guide.

This e-book is specifically for local government staff and decision makers, and aims 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.

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.

What works? Democracy in Australia and beyond

What works? Democracy in Australia and beyond

MosaicLab's co-founder Nicole Hunter recently took part on a panel of esteemed guests  discussing potential futures for democracy across Australia and the World.  The panel formed part of the University of Canberra Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis (IGPA) Smart Governance Conversation on Desirable Futures series. 

The evening saw a very interesting conversation take place around democracy in Australia and beyond and ideas for doing it differently in the future.   If you weren't lucky enough to make it on the evening, today we're sharing the official video of the panel discussion. 

#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.

(Invaluable) deliberation insights 2 - decision makers

(Invaluable) deliberation insights 2 - decision makers

Did you see last month's invaluable deliberation insights post?  We shared a video chock full of ideas and advice from project managers who had been through a deliberative journey.  

This month, we're sharing the second video in this series - insights from decision makers who have led their organisations though a deliberative engagement experience. 

CRITICAL THINKING STUDY INSIGHTS PART 1: THE RESEARCHER

CRITICAL THINKING STUDY INSIGHTS PART 1: THE RESEARCHER

If you happened to come across our previous post ‘A new venture into critical thinking’, you will know that MosaicLab is currently working on a fascinating research project with Lyn Carson of Active Democracy and the newDemocracy Foundation.   

A final report is now in development, and, excitingly, early indications suggest that introducing critical thinking concepts to participants during deliberative processes  can result in a number of  benefits. 

From increased trust (between both participants themselves and between participants and decision makers) to increased ability for participants to question and understand information (including complex or technical data), the work is highlighting how these skills can enhance and transform both processes and participants.