A new third-party report from KPMG has determined that while the City of Calgary possesses a best-in-class public engagement policy and framework, there is a significant lack of accountability in its execution. The report, presented to city council's executive committee last week, highlights a growing gap between policy and practice.
Key Findings of the KPMG Review
The consulting firm found that Calgary's municipal government has strong public engagement tools and framework, but effective oversight to enforce standards is missing. Commitments about how public input will be incorporated into city-led projects are not always upheld, according to the report.
“There is a pronounced need for stronger oversight of engagement, leading to alignment of practice with policy and accountability for its results,” states KPMG’s report.
Background of the Review
The independent review was spurred by a unanimously supported notice of motion from former Ward 1 councillor Sonya Sharp in 2024. The motion directed the city to contract a third-party consultant to analyze the city’s engagement policy and its approach to soliciting public feedback, comparing Calgary to industry-leading best practices in public participation. KPMG was commissioned in February 2025 at a one-time cost of $775,000.
Current Engagement Practices
The city’s engagement policy, overseen by the Engage Resource Unit, defines public engagement as “purposeful dialogue between the city, impacted or interested Calgarians and other communities or groups to gather information to influence decision-making.” The city employs various strategies, including community town halls, open houses, public surveys, and online feedback forms.
However, KPMG’s review found that while these are appropriate tools, there is little accountability to ensure findings from engagement exercises are actually incorporated into city decisions. Results from the 2025 fall citizen satisfaction surveys reinforce this disconnect, with 78 per cent of respondents stating they do not trust the city’s engagement process.
Expert Commentary
“Overall, the review points to the fact that Calgary has some solid structures and tools in place and is seen as a leader by a number of other municipalities,” said Jarrod Bayne, a senior manager with KPMG. “Yet we do see this issue around trust, not just in the city, but also its engagement processes. And we had almost four in five Calgarians who responded to our survey telling us they didn’t trust the current engagement process. So there’s some work to be done there.”
Comparative Analysis
KPMG’s review compared Calgary’s engagement with 13 other municipalities across Canada, the U.S., and internationally. The firm also conducted a citywide survey that garnered 1,755 responses, hosted 28 in-person sessions throughout the city, and carried out interviews with city employees, councillors, and their staff.
