Over half of North Americans have never been invited to shape decisions in their communities, and those who have largely don't believe it made a difference

• State of Engagement Report 2026 reveals a widening gap between how organisations run engagement and how communities experience it
• Over half of respondents said they have never been directly invited or asked to take part in a consultation or community engagement activity
• Only 38% of community members believe their views actually influence decisions, and just 25% are clearly told what happens after they participate

VANCOUVER, BC and MIDDLETOWN, Conn., July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from community and stakeholder engagement platform Open Point has found that nearly half of North American residents do not trust the organisations responsible for decisions affecting their communities, from infrastructure and planning to public services and local policy, to genuinely listen, act on their feedback, or be transparent about how those decisions are made. That scepticism runs deepest among people who have already tried to engage.

The State of Engagement Report 2026, based on a survey of more than 500 engagement professionals and 1,000 residents across North America, reveals a persistent disconnect between how organisations assess the quality of their engagement and how communities experience it.

Only 38% of residents believe their views actually influence decisions. Just 25% said they were told what would happen next following their involvement. And 60% believe decisions are made before consultation even begins.

The findings point to a structural problem rather than a failure of intent. Engagement professionals are widely committed to meaningful participation, but the systems and practices supporting the function have not kept pace with its growing importance.

The participation gap

More than half of residents surveyed said it matters to them to help shape decisions in their local area but 55% say they have never been invited to take part. Of those who do participate, 63% say the same small group tends to dominate discussions. 69% percent of engagement professionals agree more needs to be done to reach under-represented groups.

The data challenges a common assumption that low participation reflects public disengagement. What it more often reflects is that the people who want to take part are not being reached, and those who do take part are not always representative of the communities being consulted.

A sector struggling with the weight of engagement needs

The research points to a widespread infrastructure gap that limits accountability and creates real project risk. Only 24% of organisations use a centralised engagement platform. Fifty-one percent report that engagement data is stored across multiple disconnected systems and 55% report that institutional knowledge is lost when staff move on.

The impact of engagement challenges is significant, with 65% of stakeholder engagement professionals reporting project delays and 64% saying they've faced increased costs. Fifty percent say engagement difficulties have led to delayed approvals or permits.

As engagement increasingly spans multi-year, multi-stakeholder projects, particularly in infrastructure, energy transition and regulated sectors, the absence of connected systems is compounding risk at scale.

Despite these challenges, the research shows practitioners are focussed on ensuring their work has real impact. When asked about the primary objectives of engagement, long-term relationship-building, building trust in communities, and improving project outcomes ranked higher than purely compliant or self-serving goals (like speeding up approvals or meeting base legal requirements). This highlights a genuine drive to create real value for communities, rather than just ticking a regulatory box.

The research also finds a strong appetite within the profession for more effective models. Eighty-six percent of practitioners say technology should play a greater role in supporting engagement, and 92% say centralisation of engagement data and activity would improve efficiency. Ninety-three percent feel positive about the use of AI in community and stakeholder engagement, where they see a real opportunity for it to help them write communication materials, analyze public feedback, and predict risks, opposition, or shifts in sentiment.

John Moss, CEO of Open Point, said: "What this research makes clear is that the gap between engagement effort and engagement outcome is not inevitable, it is structural. We are living in a moment of vast investment in digital and physical infrastructure, yet trust in the institutions implementing and building this infrastructure to serve communities is remarkably low. That contradiction sits at the heart of the engagement crisis. Communities want to participate, and the professionals serving them want to deliver meaningful engagement. What is often missing is the infrastructure to connect the two. That is exactly the challenge Open Point was built to address."

About the research

The State of Engagement Report 2026 was produced by Open Point and conducted by Censuswide in March 2026. It surveyed 1,002 consumers aged 18+ and 552 professionals in organisations of 100 or more employees with decision-making responsibilities for community or stakeholder engagement, across North America.

About Open Point

Open Point is the only engagement platform designed for all stakeholders, helping organisations move from input to insight to impact.

Through its community engagement and stakeholder relationship management products, Open Point supports high-volume participation while enabling transparent, connected, and accountable engagement so community and infrastructure projects can be delivered with confidence and trust.

SOURCE Open Point