The Power of Co-Design in Community Engagement

Max Hardy (FIAP2, B Soc Science, ASS Dip Soc Wel, Cert Prac NLP, MIAP2) is one of Australia’s foremost experts in community engagement and deliberative processes and has designed and facilitated over 55 deliberative panels since 1998. He regularly delivers workshops and masterclasses on deliberative processes at conferences and for the professional development programs of the Municipal Association of Victoria, the Victorian Local Government Association, IAP2 and Collaboration for Impact. Renowned internationally for his skilful design and facilitation of community engagement processes, Max has developed innovative models for collaboration and community engagement, for which he has won numerous national and international awards. Max Hardy specialises in participatory codesign, appreciative inquiry, strategic questioning, collective impact and designing, facilitating and evaluating deliberative community engagement processes. He also co-facilitated Australia’s first Citizens’ Parliament and facilitated a world café session at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Sydney. As a Master Trainer for IAP2 Max co-designed and facilitated two training academies in 2006 and 2008, in Alberta Canada, and Edinburgh, UK respectively. He has co-authored two books, presented papers at numerous international conferences, and is a regular guest lecturer at The University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney. Max is a Fellow of IAP2, an associate of Collaboration for Impact and a regular collaborator with the Tamarack Institute, Canada (Max delivered training in 5 Canadian cities through Tamarack Institute in 2019). Recently Max also delivered a Tedx talk titled ‘Questions Change Everything’.

Susan is an accomplished community and stakeholder engagement professional with experience in State and Local Government, infrastructure, research, tourism and environment organisations. Her expertise includes designing, implementing, and evaluating online and offline engagement programs for a broad range of stakeholders. Susan's expertise also includes leadership and skills in strategic communication, crisis communication, partnerships, community programs, facilitation, training, and co-design. Susan co-founded Authentic Co-design with Max Hardy and Anthony Boxshall in 2020.

Leanne is a highly experienced and results-driven Community Engagement Consultant with a proven track record of delivering successful engagement initiatives for a diverse range of clients. With over 25 years of experience as a senior community engagement practitioner within the Government and Private Sectors, Leanne combines strategic thinking with a passion for community empowerment to drive meaningful connections between organisations and their stakeholders. Leanne’s expertise spans traditional, contemporary, and digital engagement methodologies, allowing her to leverage a wide range of tools and techniques to reach diverse audiences. Leanne provides coaching, mentoring, training and support to our clients helping them to achieve successful community engagement outcomes.