Communications and Engagement

Relationships and Customer Access includes 311 and the Edmonton Service Centre where Edmontonians get the help they need, whether that is accessing information or processing  payments for city services or parking permits, navigating taxation needs, obtaining pet licenses, and having lost items returned through its Lost & Found counter.

External Relations and Partnerships and Intergovernmental Affairs teams connect our institutional and governmental stakeholders to the City of Edmonton. This mandate aligns directly with the Modern Municipal Corporation Executive Leadership Team’s (ELT) Focus 4: "to build strong, effective, mutually beneficial relationships with other orders of government, the business community, educational institutions, and arts, culture and recreation organizations."

The Reputation and Brand branch aims to have a direct dialogue with the people of Edmonton. The branch develops the City’s voice and delivers stories and shareable content that supports the idea of the City of Edmonton as a reliable, trustworthy and timely information source.

The work includes the voices of Edmontonians and employees, who tell us what they think, feel and believe. Real time listening and response gives us insights to add context to stories as they unfold, or before they unfold, to help people understand the whole picture. Delivering through multiple channels reflects the ways people consume information today.

The branch team also focuses on the City’s and Edmonton’s reputation -- storytelling working hand in hand with the branch’s corporate brand team. Storytelling is a way to help Edmontonians and employees understand how we serve them and the benefits Edmonton offers. And when things head in an unexpected or catastrophic direction, the branch has the capacity, training and confidence to lead and manage crisis communications.

Research, Engagement and Communications offers a highly integrated approach to listening to Edmontonians, solving challenges and providing solutions. Through corporate research, leveraging our Insight Community and learning from our stakeholders, we use those learnings to inform our decisions.

Public engagement comes to life through dozens of sessions each quarter, and our team ensures Edmontonians’ voices are heard and understood so that their perspectives are considered as we make decisions about all the ways we build their city. The branch is also the Corporation's internal marketing, and we help shape and shift attitudes and behaviours of employees, stakeholders, partners and citizens through external and internal delivery of communications, strategic and social marketing plans. This work is grounded in industry best practice, and aligned to The City Plan and ConnectEdmonton.