facilitating deliberation - a practical guide


your all-access pass to the specialised world of facilitating deliberations

Go on a journey with MosaicLab directors Kimbra White, Nicole Hunter and Keith Greaves as they take you behind the scenes of a public deliberation in this comprehensive, practical guide.

Drawn from the authors’ experience delivering 39 deliberative engagement processes, the book is full of insider secrets, authentic lessons learned and step-by-step advice.

This book is for facilitators, changemakers, engagement professionals, decision makers - anyone looking to solve complex problems and increase trust between leaders and their communities.

 
The Big Book - Testimonials Page 2

“The more readers this book finds, the better the chances that democracy will flourish in our century.”

John Gastil

Distinguished Professor, Pennsylvania State University and Senior Scholar at the McCourtney Institute for Democracy

“When we spend our own money, we do so with this team. When we have a high-risk project with government, this is the team we want on it.”

Iain Walker

Executive Director, The newDemocracy Foundation

“This is like finding a timeless, treasured recipe book, based on firm principles and extensive experience, documented in everyday language, replete with pictures, stories and notes in margins.”

Janette Hartz-Karp

Emeritus Professor, Curtin University and Co-Director, Empowering Participation

“This is NOT just another handbook! MosaicLab weave together facilitation as a cornerstone of deliberation with essential macro- and micro design considerations.”

Lucy J Parry

Lucy J Parry, Research Associate, Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance and Research Associate, Participedia

our book in the media

Deliberative Democracy Digest article: An honour, an
adventure and the most humbling experience

Chris Eddy’s Local Government News Roundup video:
Facilitating deliberative engagement

Becky Hirst For The Love of Community Engagement podcast: Season 2, Episode 1 feat. Nicole Hunter and Keith Greaves

IAP2 newsletter article: Tools for facilitation, deliberation and life

Engaging Local Government Leaders (USA) GovLove podcast

buy the book

Available now in print and as a digital download, this book is everything you need to know about planning, designing and delivering impactful deliberations, large or small, face-to-face or online

Facilitating Deliberation - A Practical Guide (print)
Facilitating Deliberation - A Practical Guide (print)
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Facilitating Deliberation - A Practical Guide (digital)
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hear from the authors

Why they wrote the book, why these skills and practices are so important in these changing times, and how they hope it helps others.

TAKE A SNEAK PEEK - free excerpt

Take a free peek inside the covers of Facilitating Deliberation – A Practical Guide with our free excerpt.

 
The Big Book - Testimonials Page 1

“I have been lucky enough to see the magic happen in front of me and this book captures that experience. Read it, enjoy it and then apply it.”

Gerry Stoker

Professor of Governance, University of Southampton, UK and Emeritus Professor at the University of Canberra

“This book can help a novice gain confidence or help an experienced facilitator become a pro.”

John Gastil

Distinguised Professor, Pennsylvania State University and Senior Scholar at the McCourtney Institute for Democracy

“Wow! What an impressive, clear, informative and useful guide to facilitating deliberative processes. A must-have guide for facilitators everywhere.”

Brett Hennig

Co-Founder and Co-Director, Sortition Foundation

“Their lessons from the field bring crucial and honest insights about what works and what doesn’t, mobilising key knowledge for practitioners, scholars and policymakers alike.”

Lucy J Parry

Research Associate, Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance and Research Associate, Participedia

 

WHY THIS BOOK IS DIFFERENT

Many books have been written about deliberation, but this one is different.

Written through the lens of specialist facilitators, it takes readers through every detailed step of the deliberative process. The set-up, the planning, the delivery and, most importantly, the lessons learnt along the way.  

This book aims to build skills and knowledge, improve public participation in civic affairs and advance the practice of deliberation, which we believe is transformative for democracy.  

This is a book for anyone who wants to change how decisions are made and complex problems are addressed - engagement professionals and facilitators through to decision makers and community groups.

want to put the theory into practice?

If you’d like to learn first-hand how to put the theory into your kind of practice, you may be interested in MosaicLab’s training courses.

The MosaicLab Academy offers courses in engagement, facilitation, deliberation and conflict; all delivered by leading practitioners drawing on real experience in the field.

This book and our training courses allow us to share our skills and knowledge so that you can build yours. Explore our suite of learning opportunities on the MosaicLab Academy’s online learning platform.

Stay tuned - announcements about brand new training offerings are on the way …

 
The Big Book - Testimonials Page 3

“Facilitating deliberation has received limited attention despite being a particularly challenging form of interaction. This publication addresses this gap and offers a generous contribution to advance this field and community of practice.”

Oliver Escobar

Senior Lecturer, University of Edinburgh and Academic Lead on Democratic Innovation, Edinburgh Futures Institute

“Written by three of the world’s most experienced and reflective facilitators, this is a must have resource for anyone interested in advancing the practice of deliberative forms of public engagement.”

Carolyn Hendricks

Professor, The Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

“This book is not just for newcomers to facilitating deliberation, but for old-timers too, who need to be reminded not only about signposts and pitfalls, but also about potential pathways not yet trod.”

Janette Hartz-Karp

Emeritus Professor, Curtin University and Co-Director, Empowering Participation