About

I work with leaders and organisations to achieve results through collaboration. I focus on their toughest and most complex projects while building their ongoing capacity to collaborate and engage, across their organisation, with other organisations/stakeholders, and with their communities of interest.

Working as a coach, facilitator, process designer, trainer and strategic advisor, my approach is to work with people where they are at, understand their unique, and not so unique, challenges, and to co-create new ways of responding to those challenges.

Publications

Facilitation of Major Events

Finerdiners, Next Level Care Melbourne, 2016
Check Up Leaders Forum, Brisbane, 2014
Brisbane Summit, Qld Dept of Premier and Cabinet, 2013
Mackay Summit, Qld Dept of Premier and Cabinet, 2013
Logan Summit, City of Logan, 2013
Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Sydney 2010
Australia’s First Citizens’ Parliament, Canberra, 2009
newDemocracy World Cafes, 2008

Papers/Sessions at Conferences

Melbourne, MAV Future of Democracy Conference, 2016
Adelaide, IAP2, Citizens Juries and other deliberative processes, 2016
Lorne, FinPro, Citizens Juries and other deliberative processes, 2016
Perth, IAP2, Debating the efficacy of the Spectrum, 2015
Brisbane, Check-up Australia, What health system can learn from a pipeline project, 2013
Adelaide, IAP2, Engaging health consumers, 2013
Brisbane, Altered States Conference, Engaging consumers in governance (case study), 2009
Townsville, Health Promotion Conference, Appreciative Inquiry and health promotion, 2009
Glasgow, IAP2, Core Values Renewal Process report, 2008
Melbourne, IAP2 Conference 2007
Montreal, Quebec IAP2 Conference 2006
Sydney, Planning Institute Australia 2005
Perth, Innovation in Community Engagement 2005
Portland, Oregon, IAP2 Conference 2005
Sydney, IAP2 Conference, 2005
Madison Wisconsin, IAP2, Bridging the divide between engineers and engagement professionals, Conference 2004
Salt Lake City, IAP2 2002
Sydney, International Waste Conference, 2000
Banff, Alberta, IAP2 1999
Melbourne, Australasian Evaluation Society 1998
Sydney, IAP2 1998

Lisa Rae

I first encountered Max in Auckland when he delivered IAP2 training I was attending. Many years later, I’ve had the opportunity to work with him on two significant local government projects in Melbourne using co-design and deliberative engagement approaches. Max’s great strength was helping council decision makers understand their role in the engagement process and

Lindy Fentiman

'I have had the pleasure of working with Max when he ventures up to sunny Queensland! He is a generous, insightful and highly skilled professional who absolutely practices what he believes in. Nobody understands the importance of collaboration, engagement and the challenges this brings for organisations better than Max! He is an excellent coach, facilitator

Becky Hirst

'Max is one of the leading superstars of community engagement and collaborative governance in Australia. Since I first met him as my trainer in Adelaide back in 2007, I've admired his approach. He's passionate, dedicated, admired in the field and I look forward to seeing the next steps of his career unfold. Watch out world!'

Kellie King

'I have had the pleasure of both being a participant in a fantastic training session run by Max, and also as a client. Max was of tremendous assistance navigating through a challenging engagement process with great support, advice and good humour. Thank you Max.' Kellie King General Manager – Community & Corporate Services, Wannon Water

Vivien Twyford

'I worked with Max for 17 years and appreciate his honesty, integrity and ability to connect with people at all levels. I learned much from him, particularly around Appreciative Inquiry, the appreciative approach and the value of deliberation. While I miss him, I have confidence that he will continue to be a wise advisor and

Amber James

'I have known Max for more than ten years. I was a student of his doing the IAP2 Certificate, engaged him as a consultant for in-house work in local government, and then worked alongside him on a consumer engagement capacity building project at the Royal Brisbane Womens Hospital. He is great to be around and

Lara Damiani

'I had the wonderful opportunity to watch Max in action facilitating the Citizen's Jury for People With Disability Australia in Sydney last month which I was filming. Max's tagline "results through collaboration" is spot on. It was pure magic watching Max create collaboration and results from a randomly selected jury - 12 very unique personalities

The Honourable Andrew Powell MP

'I have always been impressed with Max’s ability to navigate and resolve the thorny issues through collaboration. He involves all participants right from the beginning: asking “what’s the question that needs answering here”? His efforts alongside John Dengate in the journey that was The Queensland Plan were stellar and he was a significant contributor to

Liz Mackevicius

'Max worked with us to design and execute a series of workshops based on the citizen jury principles, to enable a conversation between community members about the growth and change expected to occur in a challenging inner city municipality. Max understood the key issues at hand, gave expert advice and worked with us to tailor

Moira Deslandes

'Max is a democracy enthusiast. He finds ways to enable, empower and encourage every voice to be heard and designs processes that foster the principle: every voice is worth hearing.' Moira Deslandes Director, Moira Deslandes Consulting

Amy Hubbard, Capire

“Max is a trusted and respected colleague and friend of Capire. He is always able to provide us with a sound, strategic and independent perspective – even on the toughest projects in very complex communities” Amy Hubbard CEO, Capire.

Eugene McGarrell, FACS

'Max Hardy has worked with my senior executive team and local stakeholders to facilitate the co-creation of social wellbeing strategies. Max’s style is both collaborative and supportive and he gets the best from people involved. I highly recommend Max to anyone who is embarking on a process of co-creation.' Eugene McGarrell District Director, Northern Sydney

Crispin Butteriss, Bang the Table

'Max is a long time colleague, mentor and friend. He has a deft touch as a facilitator and collaboration strategist due his deeply developed empathetic listening skills, along with the experience and wisdom of many years of working on thorny problems with people from all walks of life'. Crispin Butteriss, PhD Co-founder and Chief Practice

Carol M Anderson

'If one were to ask me who was the best facilitator and facilitation trainer in the world, I would unequivocally answer “Max Hardy.” As the public involvement manager at one of the largest U.S.-based environmental engineering firms, I often took along my notes from Max’s facilitation class to meet with clients and, on their behalf, with the public.

Ian Dixon, Dixon Partnering Solutions

'I have worked with Max on many occasions and have great respect for his skills and knowledge around community engagement and collaboration. He is an expert trainer and a strong advocate for Appreciative Inquiry approaches.' Ian Dixon, Principal, Dixon Partnering Solutions

Amanda Newbery, Articulous

'Max Hardy has a unique ability to build the confidence and capacity of teams working in engagement. He brings a wealth of experience and insight. We have worked together on a number of deliberative projects and he is a delight to work with!' Amanda Newbery Articulous

Beatrice Briggs

'Max Hardy brings to his work a delightful combination of common sense, integrity, experience, laced with a sly sense of humour.' Beatrice Briggs Director International Institute for Facilitation and Change (IIFAC) Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico

Craig Wallace

I have worked with Max Hardy on two complex projects which took deliberative democracy and applied it to new problems. In 2007 at a ceremony in Arizona, USA Max along with the ACT Disability Advisory Council was awarded the IAP2 (International) Award for "Project of the Year" for our Citizens Jury project which provided scorecard

Courtney Brown, Director, BDR Projects

'I have known and worked with Max for about two years, however I have been very aware of his career and engagement experience applied to major projects across industry sectors for a much longer period. Max has been at the forefront of pioneering new mechanisms and methodologies for genuine engagement and this resonates for his