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.
MosaicLab’s all-time deliberative democracy pre- and post-participant survey results from 2017 to 2022 have been analysed to reveal what impact this work has on people’s knowledge, their involvement in public affairs and their trust in the auspicing organisations who take this plunge. We are excited to share these results with everyone as we continue to learn, adapt and explore what genuine, high-influence engagement can achieve.
Have you ever wondered how you can properly engage people who speak languages other than English, participants who are deaf or hard of hearing or maybe those who are blind or have low vision? Come to our free Lunch and Learn webinar in November and hear from people who have participated in a deep and complex conversation online. Take away some simple steps to help you bring in diverse voices to enhance your next project.
Deliberative engagement requires time, money and resources and that means you want high returns. Trusted, public decision-making is one (excellent) outcome. However, the benefits can go much further. Here are six ways to generate bigger benefits, longer-term impacts and higher returns on your deliberative engagement investment.
Are you trying to engage with people that are highly emotional or resistant to participating and collaborating? Many of us are experiencing fear and anxiety. We’re living in a world where communities are facing change, uncertainty, natural disasters and more. Engaging around any issue can be challenging. This post prepares you for hard conversations, giving you tips that will help you work with outrage, prepare communities for big events and help them to process and recover from previous trauma.
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.
You want the best engagement supplier for the job, so it pays to have a critical eye when assessing that pile of proposals. The easy choice that appears to ‘tick every box’ isn’t always the right one. Here’s our guide to picking the best proposal, including red flags to look out for in the procurement process.
Recruiting people for deliberative engagement costs time and resources. With more deliberations taking place and new rules in Victoria for councils about how they engage, organisations are undertaking multiple deliberations consecutively. We’ve teamed up with the newDemocracy Foundation to explore how to make the recruitment element more affordable and effective, developing a research note that explores solutions for streamlining this step.
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.
