Deliberative Democracy in Action Masterclass Series

Investigator(s):

Centre of Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance

Deliberative Democracy in Action Masterclass Series

Deliberative Democracy in Action Masterclasses

14-16 May 2025

Effective community engagement starts with the right tools and approaches—and deliberation offers both. The Deliberative Democracy in Action Masterclasses offer a hands-on introduction to the principles and tools of deliberative engagement—an evidence-based approach that leads to more inclusive, constructive, and legitimate outcomes.

Whether you're designing consultations, facilitating conversations, or shaping policy, these masterclasses will equip you with practical strategies to engage communities in ways that build trust and deliver impact.

Through these sessions, you'll learn how to:

Improve the quality of public engagement by creating spaces where participants feel heard, respected, and empowered to contribute.
Broaden the reach of public engagement by designing inclusive processes that engage people from all walks of life—not just the usual voices.
Balance diverse perspectives by exploring the trade-offs between competing values and interests.
Bridge divisions and disagreements through meaningful dialogue and active listening.

Drawing from real-world examples in Australia and around the world, the sessions explore fresh, practical approaches to deliberative engagement.

Hosted by the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance — a world leader in the study of public participation — this series brings together expert thinkers and practitioners who are helping to reshape democracy for the better. You’ll also have the chance to connect with some of Australia’s leading experts in deliberative engagement and become part of our growing network of practitioners working to make public engagement more meaningful and effective.

Participants will also receive a certificate from the Centre of Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance.

Representation: Wednesday 14 May

This masterclass explores how democratic values like inclusion and participation can be brought to life in public engagement processes. It looks at how we can make these processes more representative, especially in contexts where power and access are uneven. It also unpacks the role of experts in public discussions and how to involve them in ways that support citizen voices.

What participants will gain:

Practical strategies for designing inclusive processes that reflect a wide range of perspectives and lived experiences.
Insight into how social and structural inequalities shape who speaks and who is heard — and tools to help level the playing field.
Ways to account for voices that are often missing from the room, such as future generations or the natural world.
Approaches for involving experts in ways that support informed discussion while maintaining space for public reasoning and dialogue.

Whether you're designing a community forum, a citizen assembly, or a participatory policy process, this masterclass will deepen your ability to create spaces that are fair, inclusive, and impactful.

9.00am		Overview of the day and introductions to set the stage for an engaging and insightful masterclass.
	Deliberative Democracy and the challenge of representation	Distinguished Professor John Dryzek, a founding figure in deliberative democracy, will provide an overview of what representation can mean and how representativeness can be achieved in deliberative processes. This session will explore strategies for designing engagement that incorporates diverse perspectives, addresses the impact of inequalities on deliberation, and looks legitimate in the eyes of broader publics. Participants will gain practical insights about how to mitigate disparities and foster more equitable, effective, and legitimate deliberation.
11.00am	Morning tea
	Representation without presence: how can deliberation involve perspectives outside of ‘the room’?	Even the most inclusive deliberative spaces can unintentionally overlook key perspectives. Dr. Hans Asenbaum (Senior Research Fellow) will share how deliberative engagement can help support the inclusion of future generations, nature, and technologies such as AI in policy debates and decision- making processes. This session will examine innovative approaches and participants will explore how to include these varied perspectives in their designs.
12.30pm	Lunch
	Balancing expertise: how does deliberation draw from both expert and lived-experience knowledge?	Deliberative engagement integrates expert knowledge with the lived experiences of everyday people, ensuring that both perspectives shape decision-making. In this session, Nicole Hunter (MosaicLab) will share real-world case studies demonstrating how to strike this balance in practice, fostering more inclusive, informed, and effective deliberation.
2.45pm	Afternoon tea
	Representation In Action	A hands-on workshop where participants apply the day’s insights through interactive exercises, case studies, and collaborative problem-solving to strengthen their deliberative engagement skills.
	Daily review and speakers’ panel	A participant-led review of the days’ learnings and opportunity to ask further questions of the day’s speakers
5.00pm	Close

Impact: Thursday 15 May

This masterclass explores how public participation efforts like citizen panels can be meaningfully connected to the broader political and policy landscape. It looks at what makes these processes consequential, and how they can be designed to make a real difference in shaping decisions.

What participants will gain:

A clear understanding of how public participation can be integrated into government systems, policymaking, and other forms of engagement.
An ability to identify different pathways to impact and design deliberative processes that are strategically tailored to achieve it.
Insight into what gives these processes legitimacy in the eyes of decision-makers, participants, and the wider public — and how to build that legitimacy.

Participants will leave this masterclass with the tools to map out and activate pathways for impact, ensuring that public engagement efforts are purposeful, strategic, and effective.

9.00am		Overview of the day and introductions to set the stage for an engaging and insightful masterclass.
	Assessing the deliberative nature of Australian democracy: A contemporary analysis	Dr Adele Webb (Research Lead, Democracy and Citizen Engagement) will present research on public interest in citizen deliberation, the factors influencing the perceived legitimacy of deliberative events, and strategies for enhancing the relationship between deliberative processes and elected representatives.
11.00am	Morning tea
	Beyond decision-making: how can deliberative engagement achieve impact?	Professor Simon Niemeyer will share insights from one of his latest reports on the impacts of deliberative engagement. His findings will provide participants with a broader understanding of the varied pathways for impact beyond policy decision-making. Participants will then explore strategies for strengthening consequentiality in their design of deliberative processes.
12.30pm	Lunch
	Embedding deliberative democracy in policy-making: understanding opportunity and constraints.	Emeritus Professor Janette Hartz-Karp will explore how democratic innovations can be strategically positioned within policymaking, governance systems, and existing public participation frameworks. This masterclass will provide participants with a critical understanding of how to enhance the impact of democratic innovations by aligning them with the constraints and opportunities faced by public servants, ensuring more effective and sustainable implementation.
2.45pm	Afternoon tea
	Impact in Action	A hands-on workshop where participants apply the day’s insights through interactive exercises, case studies, and collaborative problem-solving to strengthen their deliberative engagement skills.
	Daily review and speakers’ panel	A participant-led review of the days’ learnings and opportunity to ask further questions of the day’s speakers.
5.00pm	Close

Resilience: Friday 16 May

This masterclass explores how deliberative democracy, where everyday people come together to discuss tough issues, can help strengthen democracy, especially in challenging environments. It looks at what’s possible when communities face deep divisions, powerful vested interests, or seemingly unsolvable problems, and how well-designed deliberative processes can help break through gridlock and build shared understanding.

What participants will gain:

A deeper understanding of how deliberation can reduce polarisation, counter extremism, and build trust in contexts marked by misinformation or deep divides.
Practical skills for designing inclusive processes that engage key stakeholders, including social movements and community groups.
A toolkit of approaches for creating spaces where people with very different views can listen, reflect, and find common ground — even on the most difficult issues.

This masterclass offers concrete strategies for using deliberation to build resilience and move conversations forward.

9.00am		Overview of the day and introductions to set the stage for an engaging and insightful masterclass.
	Deliberative democracy in diabolical times: Confronting Populism, Extremism, Denial & Authoritarianism	Distinguished Professor John Dryzek will share key insights from his recent book with André Bächtiger, Deliberative Democracy for Diabolical Times. This session examines both the potential of deliberative democracy and the challenges it faces in helping to confront the contemporary crisis of democracy. Participants will explore innovative deliberative approaches and design strategies to bridge divisions, engage diverse perspectives, and navigate entrenched viewpoints, equipping them with practical tools to foster more constructive democratic dialogue.
11.00am	Morning tea
	Building democratic resilience: how can deliberation strengthen the public sphere to tackle contentious issues?	This session explores how deliberation can mitigate extremist threats in deeply polarized contexts marked by mistrust and disinformation. Dr Jordan McSwiney (Senior Research Fellow) will share research on fostering constructive dialogue and building democratic resilience through deliberative engagement. Participants will gain practical strategies and tools to design deliberative processes that bridge divides, promote trust, and reduce extremist influence.
12.30pm	Lunch
	Responding to social movement actors: how to design deliberative engagement that integrates stakeholder views.	This session explores how deliberative engagement can effectively respond to social movement actors, ensuring that processes are inclusive and conscious of their concerns. Participants will learn strategies for identifying integrating stakeholder perspectives into deliberative designs, and fostering constructive dialogue. By examining real-world examples, this session will strengthen participants' ability to design engagement processes that are adaptive, equitable, and aligned with broader social change efforts.
2.45pm	Afternoon tea
	Resilience in Action	A hands-on workshop where participants apply the day’s insights through interactive exercises, case studies, and collaborative problem-solving to strengthen their deliberative engagement skills.
	Daily review and speakers’ panel	A participant-led review of the days’ learnings and opportunity to ask further questions of the day’s speakers.

Registration

Participants can enrol in each masterclass separately if they are only interested in one or two topics. Alternatively, the masterclasses will run on three consecutive days allowing participants to enrol in all three as an intensive.

$385 (incl. GST) per day

$990 (incl. GST) for all three masterclasses

Representation (single day) - Register here

Impact (single day) - Register here

Resilience (single day) - Register here

All three masterclasses - Register here

Registration includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.

Certificate

Participants will be provided a participation certificate from the Centre of Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance.