City Charts New Engagement Policy

The purpose of this memo is to provide the Mayor and Members of Council with an update on the  review and refresh of the City’s Public Engagement Strategy, as directed by Council on June 25,  2025.

Overview

Staff initiated this work last June, to update the key public engagement documents and improve how the City communicates with residents, including providing clearer information to help them  understand, access and participate in engagement processes across the organization. This work is  now complete, and the revised Strategy and supporting documents are available on ottawa.ca.

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This is a release from the City of Ottawa.

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The refreshed Strategy reflects both organizational learning and evolving resident expectations, with  a strong focus on equity, accessibility, and inclusion. The updated approach places greater emphasis  on transparency, early and ongoing engagement, and clearer communication around project scope  and constraints. It also incorporates more inclusive and innovative approaches to reaching residents  and analyzing feedback. Overall, the updates are practical and aligned with current best practices  and are intended to bring greater clarity, consistency and effectiveness to public engagement across  the City.