I have been consulting for over 23 years. It hasn’t felt like 23 years though! Here are a few of the things I have delivered or been involved with during that period. I have been very fortunate with the opportunities I have had so far. I can’t wait to see what happens over the next 23 years!
Maribyrnong City Council – Climate Emergency Plan 2020
This project involved working with a citizen advisory group to develop a Climate Emergency Plan to be considered by Council. Deliberation occurred over a period of months, during the period of COVID lockdown restrictions. Collaborative spaces were created for the Advisory Group, and meetings were held with the whole group and sub-groups throughout.
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
– Building regional extension services capacity to collaborate, 2019-20
Building regional extension services capacity to collaborate
This project involved facilitating a two-day workshop with regional extension coordinators, assessing capability for extension services to collaborate/work better together, facilitating seven regional workshops, and preparing a report recommending ways to build on progress. The aim was to help extension services to work more effectively to gain the participation of farmers/producers in their programs to ultimately improve environmental impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. In 2020 ongoing support was provided as well as developing an evaluation framework for progress with collaboratieve efforts in the seven regions.
Melbourne Water, 2017-20
Vision and Values deliberative panel, Enhancing Dandenong Creek, Stony Creek Rehabilitation, Elster Creek, Waterways and Drainage Investment Plan, Deliberative Panel, Yarra Strategic Plan
Designed and facilitated these deliberative panels to inform Melbourne Water’s plans for many complex projects.
North East Water, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed working with Jacinta Cubis and the team at North East Water (NEW) led by Ann Telford, to design and facilitate the deliberative Customer Forum to inform their Pricing Submission to the Essential Services Commission. It was really pleasing to see NEW receive a Highly Commended for our collective efforts at the IAP2 Awards night. Click here to see the video.
VicRoads, 2017
Citizens Advisory Group, again working with Jacinta Cubis on this deliberative codesign process. Very satisfying and a great result. Click here to see the video.
City of Vincent, 2017
Working with Anna Kelderman, Shape Urban. A deliberative process as part of the long term visioning/planning process known as Imagine Vincent. Click here to watch video.
City of Port Phillip, 2017
Along with Amanda Newbery, Articulous and Michelle Weston
Melbourne Water, 2017
20 year wastewater strategy
Indigo Shire Council, 2017
Ageing Well strategy
South East Water, 2017
Facilitating Reviewing Customer Engagement Council
Melbourne City Council – Collaborative Governance process for Climate Leaders Forum, 2017
Ovens Murray Partnership/Regional Victoria – Regional Assembly, 2017
Redlands Canals Deliberative Process, 2017
Working with Articulous
Queensland Utilities, 2017
Advice concerning deliberative process
ACTCOSS, 2017
Session on deliberative community engagement, principles and evaluation
Ballarat City Council, 2017
Visioning for Miners Rest community
Moonee Valley City Council, 2017
2030 Planning symposium
Boroondara City Council, 2017
Designing Kew Library, with Jacinta Cubis
Training delivered in 2017
- Municipal Association Victoria – Deliberative Community Engagement Course
- Access Health – Community Engagement and co-designing solutions
- Wide Bay Primary Health Care Partnership – Collaboration and Partnering course
Delivered Course in Florence, Italy, on Appreciative Inquiry and Democracy, 2014
I have the privilege of delivering this course for a fabulous range of participants from across Italy, through AIP2 (the Italian chapter of IAP2). Apart from really enjoying the experience of working with the participants, the venue was amazing. Just check out the fresco!
Co-designed process for Aboriginal Summit in Northern Sydney, Mana Allawah, 2014
Working behind the scenes with a fabulous team, I co-designed this Summit in Northern Sydney. The day involved a combination of yarning circles, presentations, information booths/market place stalls, and time for breaking bread together and enjoying conversations. The you-tube clip is definitely worth a viewing!
Designed and Co-facilitated the Brisbane and Mackay Summits for the 30 year Queensland Plan
These summits, with about 700 and 400 participants respectively, involved state MPs, Mayors of Local Government, representatives from peak organisations, and citizens across every electorate in Queensland. The Mackay Summit, held in May 2013, was a rather unique event which saw 400 participants frame the questions for the process and explore how all Queenslanders could be given the opportunity to be involved. The Brisbane Summit saw 700 participants draw upon the analysis of input from 78,000 submissions to identify priorities and strategies to guide the future of Queensland.
Lots of useful information about this process is here if you’re interested!
Listen to the interview Max did for ABC Brisbane just prior to day one of the Summit!
Facilitated world cafe session at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Sydney Opera House, 2011.
A thrilling event where several hundred attendees heard from 4 brilliant speakers before deliberating over the question, ‘Is Politics Killing our Democracy?’ and then put forward a range of ideas about restoring trust in our democratic system.
Co-facilitated Australia’s First Citizens Parliament at Old Parliament House in 2009.
This was a fabulous experience for me, working alongside people I respect enormously like co-facilitator Prof Janette Hartz-Karp, Prof Lyn Carson, Prof John Dryzek and co-chairs Lowitja O’Donoghue and Fred Chaney. The event was sponsored by newDemocracy Foundation and a randomly selected citizens from each electorate across Australia worked together to make recommendations about how our democratic system can better service all Australian citizens.
You may find this video about the process inspiring!
Co-delivered Training Academies for the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada 2005, and Edinburgh, UK, 2008.
Some of the best experiences I have ever had; working with two other Master Trainers for IAP2; very brilliant people, Pat Van Gorp from Madison Wisconsin, and Barbara Lewis, Denver Colorado. The intensive 3-4 day events involved working with terrific candidates who became licensed trainers for IAP2. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and I believe that all candidates benefited from this intensive learning experience.
Community and consumer engagement to improve health outcomes, 2009-2015
I have been fortunate to work with many health organisations, mostly to build their capacity to engage their consumers and communities to change the way services are delivered, and to improve decisions in relation to complex and controversial matters. These projects have also involved using Appreciative Inquiry to generate and sustain change; enquiring into what we want to see more in communities. Apart from delivering courses and facilitating workshops I am increasingly being given the privilege of coaching key health professionals in their work with other organisations, consumers and communities. It’s all about tapping into the collective wisdom that is right before us, giving it room to breathe and undertaking innovative experiments to address the most complex issues.
Designed and facilitated various citizens’ juries, 1999-2015
Since 1999 I have been designing and facilitated deliberative processes such as citizens’ juries. The topics have varied from local government social plans, to masterplans for airports, contentious land use plans, to complex health policy issues.
