The City of Guelph's Advisory Committees of Council: Review of Documents

Since 2021, the Guelph Lab has worked with the City of Guelph on several research initiatives related to the City’s Advisory Committees of Council (ACOC).

In 2021, they conducted a systematic review of: (a) ACOC’s Terms of Reference; (b) the City of Guelph’s Public Appointment Policy; (c) the City of Guelph’s Procedural By-Law; and (d) any other relevant frameworks, policies and documents that may influence the systemic and structural inclusivity of the City’s committees. It provides both a quantitative and qualitative review of common themes and nuances across the committees to indicate opportunities for further exploration and design work. One of the purposes of this systematic review was to identify opportunities for creating more equitable participation opportunities for community members. The results are also broadly useful for understanding the current form and function of Advisory Committees of Council (ACOCs).

This systematic review informed significant additional work on the City's ACOC, including A Governance Framework for Advisory Committees of Council.