Making Public Participation More Accessible: A Code for Canada Fellowship Project

Governments must serve the needs of all — but what happens if residents struggle to make their voices heard?

Code for Canada Fellows, working alongside their government partners at the Canada Energy Regulator, worked to identify and remove barriers to public participation hearings. Through user research and iterative development, Fellows identified user pain points and opportunities to improve the participation experience.

The result? The Participation Portal Prototype: a simplified and user-friendly online form with clear icons, plain language, and significantly less steps to complete.

In this video, we share how user-centred design can help governments build trust and serve residents better.

You're here to help residents, and we're here to help you. Interested in how to bring digital tools and skills into your department? No matter where you are on your digital government journey, learn more about how Code for Canada can support your work.