The report, which surveyed 1,000 residents and 500 engagement professionals, reveals that 55% of people have never been invited to participate in community planning. Even among those who do engage, only 38% believe their input alters the outcome, and a mere 25% receive follow-up information regarding the impact of their contributions. This disconnect persists despite a stated commitment from practitioners to foster meaningful participation rather than merely meeting regulatory requirements.
The widening gap between community feedback and institutional action
Sixty percent of North American residents believe local decisions are finalized before public consultation even begins, according to the State of Engagement Report 2026. This pervasive skepticism highlights a structural failure in how organizations manage feedback, leaving over half of the population feeling excluded from the processes shaping their own neighborhoods.
Institutional inertia is a primary driver of this dysfunction. More than half of organizations currently store engagement data across disconnected systems, leading to a loss of institutional knowledge when staff turnover occurs. These inefficiencies carry tangible consequences: 65% of professionals report project delays, while 64% cite increased costs directly linked to poor engagement practices. John Moss, CEO of Open Point, notes that while both the public and practitioners desire better outcomes, the lack of centralized infrastructure prevents the necessary connection between intent and results. As infrastructure projects grow in complexity, the current reliance on fragmented, manual processes continues to undermine public trust.
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