About - CommunitiesThrive®

CommunitiesThrive® helps communities thrive through strategic planning, research and deep learning centred in public value co-creation. Our clients include local/municipal governments (councils), non-profits and corporate citizens.

Our Difference

Following are our key points of difference as a team:

Local and global experience	We have worked both within and as advisers to local government and community organisations in multiple countries.
Research and analytical expertise	We have contributed to university-based research and teaching.
Deep learning for innovation, through lived experience and AI	Through our combined experience, we have identified many limitations of community engagement, strategic planning and teamwork that lead to ill-informed decision-making and sub-optimal outcomes; and we have developed innovative solutions to them. As part of this: recognising that the key local drivers of community satisfaction, quality of life and wellbeing must be accurately identified to inform strategy, we have developed deep learning techniques to model them with artificial intelligence (AI). To our knowledge, we are the first and only IBM With Watson® member to use such techniques to assist councils to understand these drivers.

Our Offerings

Our core offerings include:

Integrated Planning: We support integrated community planning and evaluation through innovative solutions that increase accuracy, participation, and representativeness. This leads to improved decision-making and outcomes. Find out more.
Representative Surveys: We strive to be the most advanced provider of representative community surveys. Conducted by phone, internet and face to face, our surveys feature AI and other innovations that increase depth of understanding. Find out more.
Local Opportunities Review: We see needs as opportunities, and councils as inseparable from their community. Our Reviews identify opportunities for sustainable local development, organisational and service development, and the alignment thereof. Find out more.
Live and Online Learning. We support capacity building in community and organisational leadership through governance, risk, mindfulness, and other training. Delivered in person and online, our training is convenient, engaging, and effective. Find out more.
Special Projects and Support. We provide support with special projects, including policy options papers, funding submissions and tender documentation. We also conduct original research and training for local government sector support and innovation. Find out more.

Our Reach

CommunitiesThrive® is based in Melbourne CBD at 25 King Street, within the former headquarters of the Melbourne Steamship Company. We work across Australia (communitiesthrive.com.au), Canada (communitiesthrive.ca) and New Zealand (communitiesthrive.co.nz).

We’d love to talk to you about how we can help your community and organisation to thrive. Please Contact Us to start the conversation.

Dr Chris Budhan, Principal
Extensive senior management experience in local government and human services

Whilst at the City of Greater Geraldton (2012 IBM Smarter Cities Challenge winner), Chris was a leader of community engagement projects that earned International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) awards in 2015 and 2014, and a United Nations Liveable Communities (LIVCOM) Award in 2012. Whilst at the City of Kwinana, he was a leader of health promotion initiatives that earned Heart Foundation and Public Health Institute of Western Australia awards. As founder of the Always on Stage program on Prince Edward Island, he was a key contributor to Victoria Row being named one of the Great Places in Canada by the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Chris has developed, implemented and reviewed evidence-informed policies and strategies for councils in a wide variety of disciplines, including: arts and cultural development; community engagement and empowerment; disability inclusion and positive ageing; early years and youth development; environmental sustainability; health promotion and recreation; multiculturalism and reconciliation; and placemaking and revitalisation. Additionally, he has: authored grant applications that attracted millions in state and federal funding; developed assessment and outcome evaluation instruments for community satisfaction, quality of life and wellbeing; and developed original software for deliberative democracy and participatory budgeting. Passionate about data science, Chris is skilled in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive analytics and is an IBM Watson and Python developer.

Dr Chris is a graduate of McGill University, New York University, and the University of Texas at Austin. He is currently pursuing his second doctorate: a Doctor of Business Administration focusing on the public value of community infrastructure. As an Associate of the University of Technology Sydney: Centre for Local Government, he teaches into Australia’s Master of Local Government program.

Following are examples of Chris’ work that are publicly available online:

Community Strategic Plan for Federation Council
Library Needs Study for Litchfield Council and the NT Government
Community Placemaking Strategy for the City of Belmont
Multicultural Action Plan for the City of Kwinana
Creative Community Plan for the City of Greater Geraldton.

His recent projects have included: (1) Review of Section 355 Committees for Federation Council; (2) Community Services Review for Shoalhaven City Council; (3) Roads Service Levels Review for Gwydir Shire Council; (4) Service Delivery and Organisational Review for Cobar Shire Council; (5) Bonnyrigg Open Space Needs Analysis for NSW Land and Housing; and (6) the preparation of state funding submissions and tender documentation for major projects at Hornsby Shire Council.