Summary#

On May 26, 2026, Calgary City Council approved this item on the consent agenda, without debate. Council received KPMG’s report for the City’s records and directed City staff to return by Q3 2026 with a plan for putting its recommendations into effect; the goal is to improve transparency and public engagement.

• The required plan must set out actions, responsibilities, timelines and any resources needed.
• KPMG’s recommendations include giving the Engage Resource Unit (ERU) an oversight role, adding approval checks, linking engagement to specific decisions and promises, and improving relationship tracking.
• Council has not yet approved those recommendations as changes to City operations. The City’s Engage Policy and Engage Framework remain its stated guides for engagement.

What it means for you#

• Calgarians: This decision does not change how you can take part in City engagement now. It requires City staff to bring Council a plan; it does not itself create new participation rights or a new public process.
• City staff: They must prepare and report the implementation plan to Council no later than Q3 2026.
• Council: It will receive the plan and can consider what actions, timing and resources to approve. The decision does not set those details.

Money#

The review had $775,000 in one-time operating funding approved earlier; the cost of carrying out KPMG’s recommendations is not yet known.

• City staff say they are using existing resources to begin implementation and are estimating future investment needs for the next budget cycle.
• The required plan must identify any resources needed. The decision does not approve a further amount.

What is unclear#

• Which recommendations City staff will propose to implement, and in what order.
• Whether the ERU will receive authority to oversee or approve engagement activities, as KPMG recommends.
• What changes will be made to engagement processes, advisory committees or relationship tracking.
• How much further funding or staff time implementation will require.
• Whether Council will approve the plan or any specific actions when it is reported back.

Case for#

• KPMG found that Calgary’s engagement policies and tools align well with leading practices, but that practices do not always match them. A plan could address that gap.
• KPMG found that the ERU advises staff but lacks authority to ensure standards are followed. Its proposed oversight role could improve consistency and accountability.
• KPMG recommends linking each engagement to a specific decision and explaining how public input may influence it. That could make it clearer to Calgarians what their participation can affect.

Case against#

• KPMG’s recommendations could require new staff time, systems and approval steps. The future cost is not yet known.
• KPMG recommends giving the ERU oversight and approval powers, but the decision does not define their scope or how they would work.
• The decision requires a plan, not implementation. Until Council considers that plan, it is unclear what changes—if any—will reach public engagement in practice.