Designing and facilitating deliberative engagement processes have been among our most satisfying professional experiences. Several years ago, we teamed up to work on a very challenging project, with the City of Bayswater Local Authority, not far from Perth Airport.

As Australia’s largest study into community engagement in the infrastructure sector enters its landmark fifth year, it turns the spotlight on the hot topic of project politicisation.

Being authentic in community engagement will require a generation of practitioners to stand for and celebrate truth, transparency and accountability in their work and ultimately themselves. Ironically, these values can not be taught in textbooks or at a conference but rather through personal experience. It is becoming clear that now is the time for a renewal in what matters in infrastructure projects. And it starts with us. 

Home > Resources > Latest News Tools for facilitation, deliberation and life With Kimbra White, Nicole Hunter and Keith Greaves | MosaicLab. When the three directors of MosaicLab sat down during the pandemic to start writing a book about how to “do” deliberative...

Let us face it. There is no one way to get into communication and engagement. For some people, this practice is their defined career. Others just happen to ‘fall into it’. No matter which path was yours, I’m sure you’ve experienced (or will experience) that moment in your career where you thought ”I wish I knew this earlier”.

My relationship with community engagement began back in 1998 at the age of 21 when I found myself in a small but mighty heritage, environment and community consultancy named Context. For a bit of ‘context’, our office was originally situated out the back of our manager’s home in Brunswick, Melbourne.  I was incredibly lucky to be able to learn and be guided by some pretty amazing women who are still influential today. 

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that society is changing. But what does the latest Census tell us about the new Australia and the future of engagement?

Work with a high performing board, striving to strengthen engagement and advance the practice. As the peak body for the community and stakeholder engagement sector, IAP2 Australasia, believes that engagement, when done well, improves social, environmental and economic outcomes and increases trust in the democratic process.