Inclusive and meaningful public participation (CA0079)

Issue to be addressed
Although public input is increasingly valued, many Canadians still face barriers to meaningful participation in government decision-making. Marginalized communities, youth and underrepresented groups often lack access to platforms where their voices are heard and respected. This calls for inclusive, accessible and responsive engagement mechanisms that go beyond token consultation.

Governments must create diverse and equitable opportunities for dialogue, both online and in person, that empower individuals to shape policies, programs and services. Genuine engagement means listening and acting on public input to produce tangible outcomes that reflect the interests, needs and rights of all Canadians.

Problem statement
Persistent barriers keep many Canadians, especially youth and newcomers, and people in marginalized and underrepresented groups, from participating meaningfully in government decision-making. Existing engagement efforts are often not inclusive, accessible or impactful, which results in public input either being overlooked or ineffective. Without platforms and dedicated efforts that foster genuine dialogue and integrate diverse perspectives, government risks being disconnected from the real needs, and priorities of the people they serve.

Commitment
The Government of Canada commits to fostering inclusive, equitable and effective public engagement that removes barriers to participation in government decision-making. By developing and promoting diverse, accessible platforms for public input, the government will ensure that meaningful dialogue shapes policies, programs and services. This commitment reflects our focus on collaboration, transparency and responsiveness, and on making sure policies, programs and services reflect the lived experiences, needs and rights of all Canadians.

Table: What will we do? | How will we know we succeeded? | What is our deadline? Department

1.1 Establish a multi-collaborator forum at the RCMP, made up of people from non-governmental organizations; other government departments; the private sector; academia; and community representatives, including Indigenous people, 2SLBGTQIA+ people and youth to discuss priorities and areas of focus for openness and transparency in the RCMP
- 1.1.1. Draft a strategic plan to establish a multi-collaborator forum. The draft strategic plan outlines the role and mandate of, and the context behind, the creation of the consultation body. (Fall 2027, RCMP)
- 1.1.2. Conduct a three-week consultation with communities across Canada to gather feedback on the strategic plan. (By winter 2025, RCMP)
- 1.1.3. Analyze the feedback received during the consultation period, incorporate it into the final draft of the strategic plan and publish the strategic plan as an open asset (in other words, designed for reuse in future initiatives). (By summer 2025, RCMP)
- 1.1.4. Set up the multi-collaborator forum (that is, decide on nomination criteria, governance structure, engagement approach, and so on). (By fall 2028, RCMP)
- 1.1.5. Secure additional resources for the forum's activities. (By fall 2028, RCMP)

1.2 Establish a feedback loop using an enterprise-wide consultation platform to gather input from racialized communities on the methods the RCMP's Hate Crimes Task Force is recommending to provincial and municipal law enforcement
- 1.2.1. Establish an enterprise-wide consultation platform. (By fall 2027, RCMP)
- 1.2.2. Using the RCMP's public participation framework, incorporate a feedback loop into each consultation. Publish feedback on the Open Government portal. (Ongoing, RCMP)
- 1.2.3. Increase the percentage of Canadians who respond to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) survey on drivers of trust in public institutions from the 2024 baseline of 49%. (By winter 2028, RCMP)
- 1.2.4. Reduce the percentage of ethnically diverse Canadians who report a hate crime or hate-motivated event from the 79% high in 2022. (Ongoing, RCMP)

1.3 Contribute to Working Group on Indigenous Data Sovereignty
- 1.3.1. Contribute to the government-wide implementation of the Action Plan Measure for Shared Priority 30 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. (Ongoing, RCMP)
- 1.3.2. Identify concrete steps the Government of Canada can take to advance this approach, including identifying how to leverage each department's mandate. (By end of 2028, RCMP)
- 1.3.3. Make meaningful progress on the RCMP's commitments to reconciliation that were outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Council. (By end of 2028, RCMP)

1.4 Increase public participation through a maturity model framework
- 1.4.1. Publicly launch the Public Participation Maturity Model tool, including launching a webinar, and a presentation at the 2025 Open Government Partnership Summit. (By end of 2025, TBS)
- 1.4.2. Test the maturity model framework through the Maturity Model Pilot Program, which includes two one-year test groups (four to six departments in each) to assess the functionality of the model in different settings. (2026-27, TBS)
- 1.4.3. Collect input from two years of the Maturity Model Pilot Program and refine the model based on the evidence collected. (2026-27, TBS)
- 1.4.4. Share reflections and best practices from the pilot program and make recommendations to senior leadership on the future of public participation in the Government of Canada. (By end of 2028, TBS)

1.5 Foster meaningful public engagement throughout the federal science ecosystem by reducing barriers to the integration and promotion of citizen-science methods across the Government of Canada
- 1.5.1. Develop and advance infrastructure by, for example, building capacity, providing guidance and creating a digital prototype platform, to facilitate dialogue and the successful adoption of participatory research and citizen science in the federal science ecosystem. (By end of 2029, PSPC and HC)

1.6 Proactively address Indigenous organizations' data needs, when feasible, to improve efficiency and increase transparency
- 1.6.1. Development of a proposal detailing the design, framework and governance structure for a new external portal that will provide controlled, login-based access to unprotected, non-sensitive data assets and datasets for selected Indigenous organizations and governments. (By March 2026, ISC)
- 1.6.2. Development of a data-sensitivity framework to help identify and categorize non-sensitive data assets that should be proactively shared, including determination of potential data-sharing platforms, in collaboration with Indigenous governments and organizations. (By March 2027, ISC)
- 1.6.3. Identification and prioritization of datasets that should be proactively shared. (By March 2027, ISC)

1.7 Establish an internal working group at VAC to identify and act on opportunities to promote open government at VAC
- 1.7.1. Invite branches to think about their own holdings and consider what could be made available through the Open Government Portal in an accessible format. (March 2029, VAC)
- 1.7.2. Encourage branches to consider whether the work they are doing will include opportunities to promote accountability and citizen engagement. (March 2029, VAC)
- 1.7.3. Ensure that twice annually, open government awareness activities are highlighted (once during Open Government Week and once during "Right to Know" week), with the goal of raising awareness at VAC. Success would be measured through participatory activities like employee knowledge challenges. (Annually, by March 31—to be reported as part of VAC's access to information and privacy annual reports, VAC)