MAVlab
Innovation for the Public Good
MAVlab is an innovation lab working collaboratively with our network of 79 Victorian local governments and the broader sector to prepare for and respond to the increasingly complex challenges that our communities are facing.
“No one understands the challenges and opportunities facing Victoria in the 21st century better than local councils.
From rapidly evolving technology to social changes, shifting economies to environmental pressures, our local communities - and the governments that represent them - are at the forefront of multiple transformations happening simultaneously.
These changes will affect every aspect of life in Victoria - and local councils, equipped with intimate knowledge of the needs and capabilities of their communities - are uniquely positioned to meet them head on.”
MAV Strategic Plan, Shaping our Future, 2024-2027
As the peak body for the Victorian local government sector, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) is a committed advocate and passionate champion for local government. Our 2024-27 Strategic Plan ‘Shaping Our Future’, outlines the vision for the MAV to be a nation leading thought leader, partner and resource hub for the Victorian local government sector. MAVlab will play a significant role in supporting this important work of the MAV.
Established in 2024, the MAVlab approach is data informed, willfully optimistic and wildly collaborative - both with our colleagues in council and more broadly across the sector. We are working with a rich diversity of partners and collaborators to ensure that our work reflects the needs, resources and skills of local governments, local communities and the broader sector together.
MAVlab will keep a clear gaze towards the horizon. We are sharing both our processes and our outcomes so we can learn together - and move faster and more efficiently - towards achieving better outcomes for our people, places and the planet.
Our Focus
Local Governments Have Always Evolved to Meet the Needs of Their Communities
For so many Australians, local council is the front door to government. Beyond the reductive narrative of ‘roads, rates and rubbish’, Victoria’s local government sector – always has and always will - play a vital role in distributing resources, delivering and maintaining collective assets that are the backbone of everyday life, celebrating local culture, fostering a distinct sense of local place and cultivating social understanding.
All tiers of government are experiencing a shift in roles and expectations in an increasingly complex, adaptive, and turbulent world. Individual councils do an admirable job at responding to these challenges. At MAVlab, we believe that yet more can be achieved when our councils collaborate on shared challenges.
In the face of rapid change, a resilient local government sector will need the imagination, determination, and foresight to deliberately adapt to radically different contexts – to develop an “anticipatory muscle” to flex into new challenges. MAVlab is committed to walking with local government on this journey as we aim to develop the capabilities that local government need to shape ‘what’s now’ and ‘what’s next’ with passion, purpose, and optimism.
MAVlab will catalyze and support this work through a series of program areas that will guide our efforts and energy over the medium term.
Find out more about each of these programs:
- Futures of Local Government Innovation – Cultivating local government innovation capability to meet the future well prepared
- Active Democracy and Engagement – Strengthening trust and supporting active democracy through engaged communities.
- Risk Infrastructure and Resilience – Supporting innovation in risk, infrastructure, and maintenance for greater community resilience.
- Service Innovation and Technology – Enhancing service innovation and efficiency through advanced technologies and AI.
The programs address significant challenges and opportunities facing our communities in Victoria. To further define the projects we work on, we look to the following criteria:
- Shared challenges and champions – Is this a challenge/opportunity shared by multiple councils? Is there potential to scale and replicate solutions? Do we have at least one local government champion that we can collaborate with closely?
- Scaled impact and network distribution – Is this a challenge/opportunity where the scale and connectivity of the council network can play a role?
- Systems change and complexity – Is this a challenge/opportunity that sits outside of standard silos or work areas? Does it require a diversity of non-traditional skillsets and expertise? Are interventions likely to sit outside of traditional authorizing environments?
- Capacity building and knowledge sharing – Is this an existing/emerging challenge/opportunity? How can we support councils to develop increased skills and capability? How can we unlock the collective intelligence of the network for greater impact?
Our Partners
Stronger Together
The full power of the local government ecosystem needs to be catalysed – from local communities, the civil and not-for-profit sectors, to State and Commonwealth partners, academia, and private enterprise. The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) aims to do just that by holding space to nurture and scale new platforms and networks for civic innovation through MAVlab.
MAVlab collaborates with all 79 Victorian councils in Victoria. We work closely with individual and groups of councils on specific projects. If you are a council and have an initiative that you would like to partner on with MAVlab, please get in touch.
Victoria is home to some of the worlds most highly regarded universities, research institutes and technical colleges. MAVlab is pleased to support stronger connections in applied research and practice with many of our academic institutions.
- RMIT University
- The University of Melbourne
- Deakin University
- Swinburne University
- Monash University
- The Australian National University.
Everyday, people interact with the work of local government. Our collaborations with partners in state and federal government, the not-for profit and civil sectors enable us to scale the impact of our work.
- The National Housing Taskforce
- The Red Cross
- The Menzies Foundation
- The Naomi Milgrom Foundation.
Please get in touch if you would like to know more about a collaboration or partnership with MAVlab.
Get Involved
Get Involved With MAVlab
We’re excited to provide a range of opportunities to directly participate in projects, to share data and lived experience on specific challenges, to host interventions, and to collaborate with world renowned practitioners on some of the most important challenges facing our communities today.
MAVlab News and Events
MAVlab is always in motion – leading and collaborating on projects, hosting and participating in events, sourcing opportunities for the sector to learn, collaborate, and scale innovation. Come along for the adventure and sign up for our MAVlab newsletter to receive monthly updates on MAVlab activities, projects and opportunities.
Subscribe to MAVlab newsletter for updates:
MIA Network
The MAVlab Innovation Associates Network is a dynamic community of innovation practitioners working in local government. These champions have stepped up to collaborate and co-create spaces, projects and tools to catalyse innovation and unlock capability and leadership in local government.
The MIA Network meets regularly to build resilience through cross-council connection and collaboration.
Subject specific working groups are emerging to influence council process and practice. These include:
- AI and Automation
- Strategic Foresight and Futures
- Events and Activation
- Risk & Resilience (coming soon).
MAVlab Awards
We know that councils are continually innovating to step up to significant environmental, economic and community wellbeing challenges. The new MAVlab Innovation Awards will seek to acknowledge and showcase the high impact projects and people leading this innovative work in support of their community.
Get in touch to tell us about any innovative work that you (or your community) have underway!
Email us
Do you have an exciting idea, burning question or want some more info on a project? Say hi!
Find us at MAVlab@mav.asn.au.