As we wrap up 2025, we’ve been thinking about the people we’ve had the privilege of working with and the conversations we’ve been honoured to support over the last twelve months. We’re also looking forward, and we expect to see continual shifts in engagement practice in 2026. From AI becoming BAU for enabling more effective conversations to new ways to increase representativeness, shifts are underway. In this post, we share our standout stats for 2025, and a video previewing three of the big trends we think organisations should be thinking about for their engagement programs in the new year.
Improving access to primary health care for multicultural communities was the focus of the North West Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) community panel. Supported by an innovative AI tool, the panel developed practical recommendations and funding ideas for NWMPHN’s federal submission. This process highlighted the importance of genuine community involvement and continues to inform NWMPHN’s place-based health initiatives, showing that addressing barriers to care requires more than policy.
MosaicLab and Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation co-designed a Code of Conduct training that brought values to life. Over a day and a half, staff explored ethics and workplace behaviour through real-life scenarios, cultural storytelling, and hands-on activities - then shaped the Code in their own words, images, and symbols. The process built clarity, connection, and confidence - and ensured the team has a Code that’s lived, not just learned.
We don’t just facilitate conversations - we design them with purpose, strategy, and care. In under three minutes, our new video lifts the lid on what really happens behind the scenes at MosaicLab. It’s not just about what we do, but how and why we do it - and what makes our work different. Come take a look - this time, we’re the story.
Have a challenging issue to tackle but lack the resources for meaningful engagement? ML Giving is MosaicLab’s not-for-profit division and we’re here to help. We support emerging and under-served communities in fostering deeper conversations that drive real change. We believe everyone deserves a voice in shaping their communities. Learn how you can apply to work with us.
We often hear councillors and staff saying they don’t need to involve the community in deliberation as it is the role of councillors, or any elected official, to deliberate on an issue and make decisions. It is important to note that deliberative engagement does not supersede or dismiss the role of councillors in making decisions.
In this #MonthlyMyth, we discuss the five main ways that deliberation can help decision-makers and add value, rather than take away their decision-making powers.
Online engagement is here to stay. How do we get the best out of both online and face to face engagement in the future? Responding to popular demand, we will be tackling this engagement dilemma during session six in our ‘continuous connections - engagement in the time of COVID-19’ webinar discussion series.
Register now to learn new skills and connect with engagement professionals around Australia and beyond. Be quick - places are limited.
The OECD has just released a global analysis of deliberation called Innovative Citizens Participation and New Democratic Institutions – Catching the Deliberative Wave. MosaicLab along with many other deliberative practitioners around the world contributed to this significant piece of work by providing our list of over 25 deliberations that we have facilitated in Australia. Thirteen of these deliberations were included in this OECD database.
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.
Engagement professionals everywhere are grappling with the dilemma of how to genuinely and sensitively engage with communities during a protracted crisis. There is no easy answer, so let’s connect and try to solve it together in an online engagement experiment.
MosaicLab is excited to be partnering with VoiceVoice to host a continuous conversation. Over the next month or so, you can connect with others in the industry to tackle the topic together. It all starts with an ‘asynchronous’, unfacilitated conversation.
Deciding on and differentiating between appropriate engagement frameworks, strategies, methods tools and techniques can be confusing. Add to this the array of software and digital applications we’re all currently playing with, and the challenges are compounded.
Selecting the right engagement approach is part art and part science. There is no ‘magic’ solution, and no one tool or method that is ‘best’ or ‘one size fits all’. Planning and preparation must happen first - well before we get to methods and tools - creating a ‘blueprint’ for our process that guides these decisions.
Three months have passed since our engagement practice began being impacted by physical distancing restrictions. It’s been a roller-coaster ride for many in the sector, requiring adaption, strategic thinking and transition. So, what have we all learnt so far?
Learn new skills and connect with engagement professionals around Australia and beyond. Every discussion is designed to help support you in your engagement practice, offering tips, resources, insights and more that you can apply to your projects and processes.
Having shared experiences is one of the fundamental features of being part of a community. In our current environment both space and time are different. And creating these collective experiences online becomes our key task as facilitators, project managers and engagement practitioners.
Today we’re sharing a free resource on 7 ways to achieve this and ensure people really ‘hear each other’ online. These are skills that can be used in many contexts, from small, informal conversations right through to large, interactive public sessions.
Since COVID-19 started impacting our engagement world, people have been telling us they’re worried about reaching and including those who aren’t online and/or those they believe are ‘hard to reach’.
Not only are we talking about two different issues or cohorts here, but we’re also exploring a topic that’s prone to myths and misconceptions. Often people we think are ‘beyond reach’ aren’t, and people who we label ‘hard to reach’ are simply waiting to be found.
The right tools for the job - how do we select the right methods and activities in an online environment? Responding to popular demand, we will be tackling this digital engagement dilemma during session four in our ‘continuous connections - engagement in the time of COVID-19’ webinar discussion series.
Register now to learn new skills and connect with engagement professionals around Australia and beyond this Friday. Be quick - places are limited.
