Having turned ten in mid 2025, we are focused on demonstrating impact of our work, and impacts of deliberative processes to achieve change. We want to know how effective they are at creating the conditions in which change can occur. 

When we were asked to consider hosting an intern by our friends at Monash University, we jumped at the chance to pause and do some research into how change happens, and how effective deliberative can be at supporting change. 

Our first intern was Alexandra Moroz – a current student at Monash University studying Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics/Bachelor of Arts.  

Alexandra explored this issue of change, and also then explored it in the context of one of the big issues of our time – Climate Change.

Deliberative processes are being used around the world on climate change. They are generally being used to build citizen understanding of the climate problem, enabling citizens with different values to reach consensus and associated broadscale communications. Sometimes these processes are run by governments to help build support for action and sometimes they are run outside of government to support advocacy for action. In any event the expectation is that deliberative can achieve change. The focus is generally on governments leading change – the aim being to give politicians and or governments ‘bandwidth’ to pursue climate action by raising the voices of citizens who have come to ‘public judgement’.

So we asked Alexandra to explore how deliberative processes and associated activities could be better used to support change – whether it is by governments, industry, civil society or citizens.