A Study on Citizen Engagement

The Case for Public Engagement

A strong case is emerging from the data that Canadians agree that government should consult regularly. In this statistically representative sample, 84% agreed with “I would personally feel better about government decision-making if I knew that governments sought informed input from average citizens on a regular basis.” This number has barely changed since 2004 when the question was first asked.

From the study, we also learned about the different ways that people think about feeding into decision-making - from surveys to actively partnering with public servants to solve complex issues. Canadians likewise had a very broad interpretation of what it meant to engage with their government, which could be contacting a Member of Parliament or posting views on social media. When it came to government-led consultations, less than 35% of Canadians have participated.

When asked what would increase their likelihood to participate, Canadians’ top choice was that the engagement would shape decisions. They preferred that consultations be conducted with groups of Canadians who represented diversity in their views. Canadians also think that providing information is critically important since 75% believe that citizens lack the information necessary to make meaningful contribution to public policy issues.

Aligning expectations between citizens and government

To align citizens’ expectations with government consultations, we developed principles for public engagement. These principles should be considered by public servants when defining the ways in which the public will be engaged. We would also like to measure consultations and uncover which (if any) of these principles are drivers towards increased trust in government. It is our intention to continue monitoring some of these questions as we build a set of data to examine the relationships between providing information, increasing awareness, and making it easier to participate in government activities.

These are just some of the efforts underway, which we briefly touch on in our self-assessment and public reporting against commitment 20: Enable Open Dialogue and Open Policy Making.

Have you read the report Rethinking Citizen Engagement or others? Do you think we are missing something in the principles or indicators? Let us know if you think we are on the right track in the comments below.

Laura Wesley

Executive Director, Consultations and Public Engagement, Privy Council Office, Government of Canada

Laura has a track record of disrupting the status quo to bring about results. Her knowledge of, and interest in, systems change, service design, and human motivation form a lens through which to consider new ways of working together. After more than a decade working in the federal public service, she’s come to believe that working across boundaries – sectors, disciplines and organizations – results in better outcomes for everyone. In guiding individuals and teams, Laura shows an unwavering commitment to supporting people through change.