Within the CCP handbook, you will find Planning in Action pages where individual First Nations share their stories about how they approached planning in their communities, their challenges and successes, and their results.
Lytton First Nation
Westbank First Nation
Squiala First Nation
T'sou-ke Nation
Penticton Indian Band
Musqueam First Nation
The fourth edition of the Comprehensive Community Planning ( CCP ) Handbook comes after 10 years of passionate and inspiring work within the CCP community in British Columbia (BC). Since the handbook was first published in 2006, many First Nations in BC have begun their own CCP journey. A growing number of completed plans are being implemented with great success and significant benefit to the health and wellness of their communities.
With more and more communities moving into the implementation phase of CCP , the need to incorporate lessons learned and strengthen the implementation, and monitoring and evaluation sections of the handbook became obvious. In this edition, you will see that these sections have been expanded. You will also find more tools and resources to support the successful implementation of your own community's plan. Other additions to the handbook include information about social media and the CCP Mentorship Initiative, which have been instrumental to the planning success of many First Nations.
Although there have been many lessons learned over the years, some of the key aspects to a successful planning process remain the same:
We would like to acknowledge the original five communities who piloted CCP projects in 2004-6, and whose experiences formed the basis for this handbook – Okanagan, Lytton, Squiala, We Wai Kai (Cape Mudge) and Yekooche. A special thanks to Chris Derrickson from Westbank First Nation and Andrew Moore from T'Sou-ke Nation who put pen to paper to make this third edition of the CCP Handbook a reality. Finally, we would also like to thank the CCP champions in BC who have led planning work in their communities, participants from all of the past CCP workshops, and the CCP experts who have become mentors to others. The comments, stories and lessons learned they have shared have been instrumental in the development of CCP workshops and resource materials such as this handbook.
In British Columbia (BC) there are 198 Indian Bands or First Nations, their culture as varied as the province's terrain. There are over 30 languages spoken by First Nations in BC . Language plays an important role in BC First Nation culture and identity.
© 1994 UBC Museum of Anthropology This map is regularly revised. Latest revision October 15, 1996. Reproduced with permission.
Boundaries on this map mark out areas within which distinct languages are spoken. The areas are approximate and subject to revision. Names used here are those which are preferred by First Nations and have come into general acceptance for the languages concerned. They are also subject to revision.
Georgia Straits Region:
The First Nations of British Columbia have rich and varied cultures, histories and traditions. They are becoming increasingly involved in comprehensive community planning ( CCP ) as a way of embracing change and planning a better future for their communities.
Comprehensive community planning is a holistic process that enables a community to build a roadmap to sustainability, self-sufficiency and improved governance capacity.
It is a community-led approach to planning, where the process is driven and owned by all community members rather than by a small group or committee. Many First Nations communities across Canada are already engaged in planning and experiencing
great success.
Planning is an important tool on the path to self-governance and building capacity in First Nations communities. Each community requires a unique approach to planning that can be adapted to their culture and traditions — it can help individual First Nations make a positive difference in addressing the specific issues of their own communities.
The CCP Handbook breaks down comprehensive community planning into manageable stages for BC communities ready to tackle the planning process.
You will find step-by-step descriptions of the entire process, and read about lessons learned by BC First Nations who have tested various approaches to community planning. The handbook includes practical tools to encourage community involvement and develop the plan based on the community's vision and goals. The final section includes funding, educational and planning resources to support the development and implementation of your community's plan.
Comprehensive community planning ( CCP ) is a holistic process undertaken with broad community participation.
A comprehensive approach:
Processes that are driven by the community, for the community, are more likely to result in positive change. That's why the CCP process is inclusive and represents the perspectives of all members, whether they reside within or outside the community. All members of the community, including Elders, youth, and family representatives, can offer unique and valuable perspectives on community needs, values and priorities.
A CCP addresses key planning areas, all of which are interrelated and interdependent: governance, land and resources, health, infrastructure development, culture, social issues and the economy. Consideration of all key planning areas through one unified process defines community planning as a holistic and integrated exercise that can lead to sustainable development.
Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (Brundtland Commission, 1987)
"Comprehensive Community Planning is about using theories and principles from outside and incorporating our world view, to carry forward as our ancestors would have wanted."
Lydia Hwitsum, Cowichan Tribes
Sustainable development takes a long-term view. It encompasses all areas of our lives, including the economy, the environment (lands and resources), and the social and cultural aspects of our communities, including governance, education and health. Sustainable development is the guiding principle of comprehensive community planning.
Indigenous people have a tradition of living "sustainable" lives, taking a long-term view on sharing and protecting the land, the animals and the plants so that they can sustain future generations in perpetuity. In effect, this is planning for sustainability.
Each First Nation will decide on its own what sustainability means to them and how they can use comprehensive community planning to achieve the longevity of their people, culture, environment and economy.
For more information, visit:
Comprehensive community planning provides a framework and process for the community to explore its core values, and to establish a vision for the future and work toward achieving it.
Planning can benefit the entire community by creating positive change in a proactive way, while also protecting the values of the community. Planning can improve the performance of the band administration and any related organizations, as well as enhance the community"s governance tools and capacity.
Once in place, an effective community plan can:
The scope of comprehensive community planning may vary greatly depending on where the community's interests are in relation to matters such as treaty negotiations, approach to governance, and the extent to which it is addressing land and resource issues within its traditional territories.
There are some basic needs that apply to all phases of the planning process:
The Power of Process
It isn't every day that members are asked to contribute to a plan that includes a vision for the future of their community! The opportunity to come together to tell stories and develop a shared dream for the future can be a powerful, healing process. Don't rush to "finish" the CCP . Instead, take the time to hear from members and incorporate their ideas, building trust and respect along the way. Many First Nations have said that the process of developing the CCP has been as important, if not more important, than the plan itself.
"Planning is an opportunity to empower our community and our people. It strengthens our connection to our inner selves and to the outer world."
Gwen Phillips, Ktunaxa Nation
"We were a community that had experienced significant trauma. Through our CCP process, we have started working through those issues."
Jessie Hemphill, Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nation
Successful comprehensive community planning processes are those that are community-driven. All sectors of the community should have an opportunity to participate, including Elders, youth, and members residing within and outside the community. The plan must accommodate the needs of community members in order to have validity, credibility and member support for ongoing implementation.
With engagement, the community becomes a source of new ideas for discussion and action. Participation encourages people to take responsibility for initiating and implementing projects, and also creates momentum and sustains support. Engagement expands the leadership base of the community and presents opportunities to transfer planning and responsibility to other community members over time.
Establishing effective community engagement can be a difficult task. The following diagram provides some suggested solutions to some common challenges.
Practical Barriers:
Personal Barriers:
"A comprehensive community plan has to touch every part of us."
Gwen Phillips, Ktunaxa Nation
Although First Nations have been successfully planning for generations, the concept of a community-based, community-driven plan may be new to many individuals within their communities. Members may not be familiar with the steps of developing a comprehensive community plan. Strategic partners, such as consultants, may be engaged to perform the technical work, but are typically not community members and will not be responsible for implementing the plan. That's why communities need to build the internal capacity to actively lead in planning and implementation.
A planning team consisting of community members should lead all planning activities and work closely with strategic partners. This enables planning team members to learn from their partners and build their own planning capacity. Another means of building capacity is to encourage community members to pursue post-secondary education opportunities in planning-related areas.
The planning team might engage strategic partners to hold training sessions for the team and other community members, to ensure knowledge and skill transfer on issues such as:
Effective communication, both within and outside the community, provides a foundation for the successful development and implementation of a comprehensive community plan.
Effective and regular information sharing within the community ensures that the community is up-to-date on planning activities, understands the activities of the planning process and the planning team, and has the knowledge to actively participate in the process. Whether a newsletter, poster, or PowerPoint presentation, communications materials should be informative, engaging and written in plain language. Clear communications will help to foster good will towards the planning process.
Communicating outside the community — with other levels of government, private sector/industry, and academic institutions — can help your community coordinate its plan with other local or regional plans. Outside communications activities can also help your community gain support and access funds for the development and implementation of the plan. Keeping this network active after the plan has been completed can lead to cooperation, joint projects, awareness of the role of First Nations in the region, and financial support for implementation of the plan.
Developing a Communications Plan
Depending on the size and needs of your community, it may be useful to develop a full communications plan, which would include elements, such as:
More information about communications plans can be found in the First Nations Communications Toolkit produced by Indigenous Services Canada (see reference section for more information).
Social media websites and applications allow users to interact with one another by sharing, discussing and creating content. Examples of social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, blogs and YouTube. Social media is becoming more and more popular, and can be accessed on mobile phones as well as the Internet.
Social media can be a useful tool to incorporate into the development of a CCP . For example:
Whatever form of social media you use, there will be opportunities for people to comment and provide public feedback. It's important to keep things positive and useful. Make sure to monitor it every single day and to be diligent about responding to messages and comments in a constructive, positive way. It's also advisable to create a policy that is included in your info section, so that if things start getting defamatory or inappropriate, you have clear and public grounds for deleting the offensive comments or members. However, it's important not to delete or ignore all opinionated or negative comments, since those voices are also an important part of the conversation!
CCP and Facebook
In the lead-up to the 2011 CCP Workshop in Penticton, Jessie Hemphill from Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations launched a Facebook group to initiate planning discussions and to begin building relationships among workshop participants. Following the workshop, the conversations, questions, stories and ideas kept flowing and the number of participants doubled. You can join the dialogue by going to facebook.com, and searching for " CCP : BC First Nations."
There are many different phases involved in the comprehensive community planning ( CCP ) process. Considerable time and resources, both human and financial, are required to carry out a CCP process and implement the outcomes. It is essential that your community begin planning early to ensure it has adequate resources to be successful.
Resources are required for:
In the early stages of CCP , identifying all of the steps involved and resources required to successfully implement your plan can be overwhelming. A first step is to discuss CCP with other First Nations, planners, staff from Indigenous Services Canada. They can provide information on CCP and share knowledge on relevant resources such as other First Nations involved in the CCP process.
Refer to the resources section to help you learn more about planning through educational programs, BC planning organizations and planning publications. You may also want to speak with different planning consultants to choose the right strategic partner and technical support for your community.
Communities need to identify several sources of secure, long-term funding to develop and implement the comprehensive community plan. The planning team and others should research, apply for, and secure different sources of support, such as funds from government or the private sector, contributions from your First Nation's administration and in-kind donations. Developing a good network of planning contacts can also help you to identify funding sources. Refer to the resources section for a list of funding resources for planning and planning-related processes.
Sharing of ideas and success stories between communities has been a natural part of the comprehensive community planning ( CCP ) process from the start. Now, a new mentorship initiative is taking that process further. The CCP Mentorship Initiative, which began in early 2012, brings First Nation planners who are new to CCP together with more experienced planning champions from other First Nation communities.
It's proving to be a win-win scenario. The communities being mentored are learning from the on-the-ground expertise, resources and tools that the mentors bring to the table. In turn, the experienced planners are finding it very rewarding to learn from and build the confidence and skill sets of the mentees, who are well-positioned to make a real difference to their people.
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of the initiative is that the communities are developing relationships that will last a lifetime.
"Reciprocity is a word we have traditionally used among our people. It feels good to be able to offer support and, at the same time, there is so much we learn from each other."
Elaine Alec, Penticton Indian Band
"Having the support of someone who has done the process, and knows the tools and tricks really helps relieve the stress. You get into the mode of " Yes, I can do it!"
Darrell Thorne, Cowichan Tribes
"The mentorship initiative is really a model for sustainable capacity building. It allows for more organic relationships to arise between communities and colleagues than you typically get with a consultant. It creates peer-to-peer relationships, connections between communities and friendships."
Jessie Hemphill, Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations
"Planning in First Nations communities needs to be culturally appropriate. It is clear that it is better to use First Nation practitioners. They understand the challenges and can suggest much more appropriate and culturally sensitive approaches."
Andrew Moore, T'Sou-ke Nation
"Who better to mentor a First Nation community than another First Nation? It's so rewarding to share cultures, ideas and processes. Not only are we learning a lot about other communities but we are creating life-long relationships."
Larissa Grant, Musqueam Indian Band
Lytton First Nation
With a population of approximately 1,950, Lytton First Nation is part of the larger Nlaka'pamux Nation and is made up of 56 reserves located at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers in southern BC .
Building a Planning Team
Lytton First Nation developed a new approach for engaging with the membership: we formed a steering committee consisting of community members only. This approach allowed the membership to engage in open discussions without being reserved about honestly voicing their opinions, which sometimes happens in the presence of political leaders or administrative staff. As a result, a true community-based plan evolved from the membership. The leadership fully supported the initiative and listened to what had to be said. We had incredible support from Chief and Council, when the document was reviewed and we will use the information to move forward.
Engaging the community
The community of Lytton is a very consultative community. Committees provide advice in many different areas, such as capital and infrastructure, service delivery, finance and governance. We incorporated this approach into our CCP process. We had participation from Elders, youth and community members at large. We shared information about CCP through the steering committee, by reporting directly to Chief and Council, and by giving updates through staff meetings, newsletters and community meetings.
Dealing with time pressures
If anyone asks how we could develop a comprehensive community plan in such a short period of time, the answer is that we had a lot of planning done before we began. We had a governance model that separates the roles of Chief and Council and administrators, and a five-year strategic plan. Also, we have solid financial management.
Developing capacity
This CCP pilot project provided leadership skill development for the steering committee, committee chair and co-chair. The Lytton First Nation lands department had the opportunity to receive extensive training in GIS mapping and database management. We now have the ability to plot our future. The first draft of the community plan presented to Chief and Council and administration staff, gave them the opportunity to further refine their planning skills and their understanding of community members' needs. In total, more than 30 people from our community gained experience in planning.
Implementation
Lytton has a five-year strategic plan, which identifies which committee will do the necessary work, based on input by committees (infrastructure, finance, etc). Each committee includes relevant staff (program managers) and councillors. They work as a team in prioritizing actions, working toward their implementation, and determining whether to invite other partners (both internal and external) and which ones. The committees will also break down the planned activities/projects identified in the strategic plan by years, as some projects are not immediately achievable.
The Administrator assists each committee in identifying funding resources. She will be informed on each committee's priorities and will, in turn, inform Chief and Council. The community will be updated on priority actions/projects at one annual meeting (at a minimum) and through the First Nation's newsletter.
Examples of success
As a result of the plan, we completed an agricultural study.Information on Lytton held by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) was 20 years outdated. We updated it. We also conducted a massive health survey on the population in the community including people with disabilities, Elders, etc. Our study contains some very interesting information. We also looked at how our organization is structured and redefined our organizational charts. We found our community has a service delivery system for almost 2,000 people. The community is working diligently to access services from different partners – other systems, local schools, etc. – not just ISC.
The spiral diagram, which appears at the beginning of chapters throughout the handbook, is meant to reflect the continuous, non-linear process of planning. Although the planning process is depicted in four stages in this handbook, from pre-planning through to monitoring and evaluation, planning does not always progress neatly from one phase to the next. In fact, when you launch into a CCP process, it is more likely that the community is already implementing a project from an earlier planning process. Or, perhaps, in the midst of planning, the community decides to implement a quick-start project or go back to doing more research on community history. As the spiral illustrates, the planning process grows each time you move through the stages; more community input, greater focus, and increased knowledge add depth and richness to the planning process.
Creating a successful plan is an ongoing, step-by-step process.* Planning doesn't end at a certain point, but moves forward through each step and continues as you achieve results in your community. Planning can begin at any point in the cycle, and people can become involved in the community's planning activities at any stage.
Community involvement is essential for all stages of the planning process.
The four stages of comprehensive community planning are:
* Please remember that the steps suggested within this handbook are intended only as a guide, and should be modified to meet the specific needs and circumstances of your community.
Finding a CCP Champion
CCP champions are more than just nine-to-five employees in the band office. They are the backbone of your community's planning process, bringing enthusiasm, curiosity and fun to the table. CCP Champions may find themselves designing posters, organizing activities for youth, having tea with Elders, researching history, cooking meals, developing surveys and arranging childcare. CCP champions bring people together, make them feel comfortable and included, and have a passion for working with and learning from members of their community. Many CCP champions have had little or no planning training when they begin. What they do have is a willingness to learn, to listen and to get out into the community to start talking to people.
"You already have natural planners in your community."
Gwen Phillips, Ktunaxa Nation
Is your community ready to start the comprehensive planning process? Before taking the first steps, the community needs to assess whether or not it is capable of going through the planning process at this time. Are the necessary people, capacity and resources available?
Community readiness includes support for the process by the community and leadership. If your community is ready to go ahead, you may wish to ask Council to endorse the planning process through a Band Council Resolution or similar mechanism. From the beginning, it is important to build understanding and support by sharing information with the community and leadership.
If the planning process is postponed for now, consider developing a plan of action for getting the community ready at a future time. (See the resources section for publications and other resources)
Funding is needed throughout the planning process. Pre-planning is the time to figure out a budget for the whole process and identify potential sources of funding.
What would funds be used for? They may be needed to support a planning coordinator and trainee, for technical support, for holding community meetings, for writing and copying information updates, or for a variety of other activities that your planning committee determines will need financial support during the planning process.
Once you decide what funding is needed for, it's time to:
Build a Communications and Engagement Plan
Your community members are the foundation of your CCP . Keeping members informed, getting their input and encouraging their participation in meetings, events and working groups will be central to the success of your planning process. So, how are you going to get them involved?
Spend some time in this early planning stage developing a plan for how you will engage members in the CCP process. Will you have large community gatherings, smaller meetings, family sessions, surveys and/or one-on-one interviews? Will you join existing groups and meetings to ensure that you get to where the people are?
Next, add ideas for how you will keep everyone current on the CCP 's progress. Will you share regular updates via e-mail, newsletter, website, Facebook and/or by speaking with individual community members? Will you put posters up around the community, deliver newsletters by hand and/or go door-to-door to make sure everyone hears the news?
How you engage and communicate with community members will depend on the size of your community and how they are most likely to receive information. Remember that an informed and engaged community is your best bet for a powerful planning process.
"Not one single person owns the plan. It belongs to the community."
Elaine Alec, Penticton Indian Band
In bringing together a planning team, you will assemble a group that represents the many different sections and areas of expertise within your community.
Together, the planning team will:
The planning team could form smaller working groups to lead different aspects of the planning process.
You may wish to draft a Terms of Reference for your planning team. This document summarizes the guiding principles of the team including the purpose and scope of the planning process, how you will engage community members, what timeframe you are considering, and roles and responsibilities.
Existing plans are central to CCP
Your community may already have plans and research sitting on the shelves from previous projects. The information in these documents will give you and your CCP team an excellent starting point for your work. Historical records, land use maps, and previously identified goals and priorities all feed into the CCP process. No one wants to repeat work that has already been done, so show the community how diligent you've been in pulling together related materials from the get-go!
Comprehensive community planning is unique to each group and its situation. Research can help you understand how to make the planning process relevant to your community.
Learn about comprehensive community planning by talking to other First Nations and neighbouring municipalities/districts, by using the Internet and by checking the references listed at the end of this Handbook.
Research will help you find answers to the following questions:
Planning principles can act as a guide or checklist for the planning process. Principles are "accepted truths" — things that everyone believes are true and add value to what we do.
Here are some examples of principles: community- based, representative, inclusive, respectful, supported, integrated, results-based, easy to understand, and realistic.
Based on information discovered during the research step, the planning team will outline a comprehensive planning process for the community.
Then, this general outline will be developed into a more detailed work plan that sets out for each planning phase:
The tools section of this handbook contains practical tools and worksheets that can help during the pre-planning stage:
Tool 1: CIEL Community Life Cycle Matrix
A self-assessment tool from the Centre for Innovative and Entrepreneurial Leadership ( CIEL ) that looks at characteristics of thriving communities and helps assess readiness for the planning process
Tool 2: Components of a Proposal
Outlines the main sections of a typical funding proposal
Tool 3: Terms of Reference for a Planning Team
Example of a Terms of Reference document which outlines the planning team's goals, methods and responsibilities for the planning process
Tool 4: Comprehensive Community Planning Checklist
A detailed community planning checklist to use as a reference/guide for the entire planning process
Tool 5: How and When to Engage Community Members
Techniques for involving the community in the planning process
Tool 6: Ways to Increase Participation
Further techniques to inspire more participation from the community
Tool 7: Community Groups to Engage and Involve
A list of potential community groups who should be involved in all stages of the planning process, and how they can contribute
Tool 8: Communication Tips
Techniques for effectively communicating and sharing information with members of the community
Westbank First Nation
Implementing a comprehensive community plan means more than just completing projects or implementing new programs. It also requires integrating the values, principles and cultural practices, identified through the planning process, into the administrative structure of your government operations, community service delivery and government organization.
Following suggestions in the comprehensive community plan and process, the Westbank First Nation placed culture and language at the heart of its planning.
Using Culture as a Framework
They used the story, How Food Was Given, and a traditional decision-making method, called Enowkinwixw, as a framework for their plan.
How Food Was Given tells of how the animal people, under the leadership of the Four Food Chiefs, prepared for the arrival of humans on earth. Following the lead of Chief Black Bear, the grand chief of all living things, Chief Spring Salmon, Chief Bitterroot and Chief Saskatoon Berry all agreed to give their lives for the humans. This story teaches principles of sacrifice, service and leadership, and the characters all embody further layers of wisdom and cultural knowledge. The community based its entire CCP plan on the Four Food Chiefs. Chief Black Bear represents governance, Chief Spring Salmon represents economy, Chief Bitterroot represents land, and Chief Saskatoon Berry represents community.
Incorporating CCP values into other plans
"Root the CCP in what it means to be a member of your nation."
Chris Derrickson, Westbank First Nation
During implementation, it became apparent that the WFN organization needed to reflect the cultural values expressed in The 2010 Westbank First Nation Community Plan. As a result, the WFN website, the Council Strategic Plan for Government Operations, and the WFN committee structure were all revised and reorganized to reflect the organization of the community plan around the Four Food Chiefs. This was accomplished in three stages.
First, the WFN website was reorganized under the Four Food Chiefs. This meant incorporating the same branding and format used in the plan, and integrating the language and cultural icons.
Second, the Chief and Council held a planning session to revise their strategic plan and align it with the Community Plan. As a result, the strategic plan uses the framework of the Four Food Chiefs to communicate Council's priorities and objectives to the members and staff.
Third, staff used the newly revised Council Strategic Plan to reorganize the committee structure of WFN under the Four Food Chiefs. Now, when the budget and annual reports are presented to the membership, they are structured around the Four Food Chiefs.
The outcome of all this work is an organizational structure that reflects the community's values, principles and culture. Chief Robert Louie remarked that, "This ( CCP ) is a document we can all be proud of. It represents the vision of the community and revives our culture and language in a way that is practical and relevant to our people."
"Understand where your community came from. Know your history and your people."
Chris Derrickson, Westbank First Nation
What does a CCP look like?
The CCP created by each community will be unique. The format for the final product should make sense for your community and for the people who will be reading and using it. Here are some examples of how CCP s can take shape:
The first step in planning is to develop an understanding of the current situation in the community, including its extraordinary qualities. The planning team will need to summarize the findings in an overview document.
This step may involve research, mapping activities, and talking and meeting with community members. Start by gathering a wide range of information, including any existing plans and studies. Much of the information you need is already in your community or can be accessed from government partners. Existing material will help the team identify what gaps need to be filled in the gathered information and help them make efficient planning decisions.
Community Surveys
You can create surveys to gather community statistics and information on the interests and concerns of members. Surveys can be completed by hand, email or online using a website or Facebook page. Some communities have hired youth to go into the community with mobile devices (such as iPads or laptops) or paper surveys to get survey responses directly from each member.
When you create surveys, make sure to think carefully about what you are trying to learn, and how to ask the right questions. For example, instead of asking "Do we need a youth centre in our community?" (when it's likely that most people will say "yes") consider reframing the question to "What kind of activities or programs could we offer for youth in our community?" to get a broader response.
Here are some websites that you can use to create surveys:
Here is a sample checklist for gathering background information:
Housing and infrastructure development
Economy
Demographics
Health
Social
Culture
Lands and resources (maps)
Governance
Now you are ready to review the assembled background information and understand what needs to be changed or built on, based on the community's challenges and possibilities.
The analysis stage allows the community to:
SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis provides a useful framework for community analysis. Ktunaxa Nation chose SWOT to mean "Start With Our Truth" as a means of openly and honestly acknowledging the causes for challenges within the community.
SWOT could be applied to each of the key planning areas – governance, lands and resources, health, social, culture, economy, and infrastructure development.
"We must know who we are to know where we are going."
Elaine Alec, Penticton Indian Band
In a community vision, members describe their hopes and dreams for their community in the future. A vision is a bold, yet realistic, picture of your community's future. For the purpose of comprehensive community planning, a time horizon of anywhere from 10 to 50 years is possible.
To develop a vision, bring people together at community meetings or focus groups to describe, draw, paint, or act out their vision of the community's future. Another option is to use photos, pictures, maps or objects that people can organize into collages or models.
Once community members have shared their perspectives, extract the key themes or messages — the community's values. Values may include healthy community, traditional lifestyle, honesty and integrity, transparency, and responsible stewardship.
Use these values to draft some broad vision statements, including or representing as many of the themes and values as possible. Continue to hold community participation sessions to review and redraft the vision statement and community values, as necessary.
Community mapping is another effective tool in creating a community vision, particularly in focus group settings. Start with a map of your traditional territory. Fill in existing communities, infrastructure, and activities. Then fill in what the community would like to see in the future: infrastructure development, cultural zones, traditional gathering areas, economic development opportunities, and others.
Examples of BC First Nations' Vision Statements
"Strong healthy citizens and communities, speaking our languages and celebrating who we are and our history in our ancestral homelands, working together, managing our lands and resources as a self-sufficient, self-governing Nation."
Ktunaxa First Nation vision statement
"We are of one heart and mind."
Musqueam First Nation vision statement
"We are Syilx who receive our strength from our timix and encompass what is good for our livelihood. We are committed to our language and the teachings of our captiklw and respect that everyone has value and purpose to come together as one."
Penticton Indian Band vision statement
"We will be a community with a strong and distinct culture, where our language, traditions, and the teachings of our ancestors live on throughout the generations. We will continue to be care takers of our sacred and important places. We will gather often to celebrate and support each other."
Excerpt from Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw First Nations vision statement
"Our Creator placed us on this land to take care of our people, our land, our language, our customs, our knowledge, our culture, our title, to be ours forever and ever. Ensuring that we live in a safe, healthy, self sufficient community where cultural values and identity are consistently valued promoted and embraced by all."
Adams Lake Indian Band vision statement
Visioning Principles Should.
A comprehensive strategic framework provides the basis of the community plan. The framework is organized into planning areas, each of which contains the goals, objectives, projects/activities and desired outcomes that reflect the community vision.
To turn the community vision into a reality, you will need to develop a framework that is comprehensive enough to start addressing issues identified in all planning areas including governance, health, education, infrastructure, environment, social, culture, economy, etc.
By identifying and linking these planning areas, you will be able to most effectively build a plan that will help to begin working towards achieving the community vision.
When building a strategic framework:
The next steps will help to fill in the planning areas of the Comprehensive Strategic Framework with specific goals, objectives, projects/activities and outcomes.
Planning Framework
Although the diagram on the right uses a framework of seven sectors, each community should chose a framework that best reflects their community. Here are some examples:
?aqam's (St. Mary's Indian Band) Planning Framework
T'sou-ke Nation's Planning Framework
This step identifies broad community goals within each planning area and the specific objectives required to meet those goals. Goals represent the strategic pathway that the community wants to take to fulfill its vision; objectives are the stepping stones required to construct that pathway.
Goal:
Objective:
Goals in each planning area flow from the community vision and needs identified by the community. Objectives, in turn, flow from the goals. Most goals will have several objectives. The community should set its own goals and objectives through an inclusive process, allowing all members to have input.
"SMART" Objectives
Well-set objectives are:
Examples of goals and objectives that are SMART:
Goal: Win the gold medal in hockey in the 2022 Winter Olympics
Objective: Win 20 hockey games each year before 2022
Goal: Win today's hockey tournament
Objective: Put the puck into the net more times than the other team
The planning process is like a funnel: you work down from the BIG picture (vision) to very specific actions and outcomes.
To set goals and objectives, begin with the key planning areas. Use the community's vision, values and needs to guide the goal-setting discussion.
To create community goals within each key planning area, ask:
The next step is to create the objectives required to achieve the goal. Typically, several objectives may be identified to address a goal. For each goal, ask:
When setting goals and objectives, you must know the desired outcomes or results. An outcome is a measurable change that occurs as a result of action taken to meet a goal and its objectives.
Action must be taken in order to meet the goals and objectives you have set for your community, to reach the desired outcomes and to measure your progress.
The next step in planning is to identify activities and projects to help achieve your goals and objectives.
Goals and objectives are usually long term, while activities and projects will become part of annual work plans of managers and staff on an operational level. It is important that everyone understands how the specific activities in their respective planning areas flow from the broad community vision, and that they understand which activities they are responsible for.
To determine activities and projects, begin with the objectives identified for each key planning area. For each objective, ask:
To ensure activities and projects are completed, include them as part of work plans for administration and staff. Always write down who will be responsible for completing the work plans and when they will be completed, and check in on a regular basis to measure progress.
The table below gives an example of the planning process from vision to outcomes.
Plan for Housing in your CCP
Housing is an integral part of community development and impacts the well-being of individuals. If your CCP includes high-level goals and objectives for housing in your community, you may consider developing an in-depth housing plan to support implementation. Here are some tips to think about:
For more information, please reference the Assembly of First Nations and First Nations National Building Officers Association resources, and A Practical Guide to Housing: How to Access Housing Subsidies at the back of the handbook.
Ideally, by the end of Step 6, the planning team will have developed a comprehensive strategic framework including goals, objectives, actions/projects and desired outcomes in each planning area. Now, the implementation strategy will describe how to make this framework a reality.
A thorough implementation strategy includes priorities, indicators of success (accomplished objectives and reached desired outcomes), responsibilities, timeframes, and required resources and support for implementation.
To create an implementation strategy, the first step is to prioritize the activities and projects identified by the community and to set the agenda for short, medium, and long-term action.
For each activity or project identified under each key planning area, the following questions can help prioritize activities:
These questions will help you identify which projects and activities will be key priorities, and which ones can wait a while before being implemented. After assessing the activities and projects, group them according to anticipated time frame:
Another purpose of the implementation strategy is to identify a process for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Comprehensive Community Plan. The following could be included in a monitoring and evaluation strategy:
The tools section of this Handbook contains practical tools and worksheets that can help during the planning stage:
Tool 9. Steps to Hiring a Professional Planner
A tool for developing the terms and conditions for hiring a consultant
Tool 10. Community Asset Assessment Charts
A series of worksheets for identifying the existing assets in the community
Tool 11. SWOT Analysis
A tool for creating an understanding of where the community is now, and to identify what could influence its future goals
Tool 12. Visioning Questions
Sample questions to get the community thinking about their ideal vision of the future
Tool 13. Goals, Objectives and Projects Tracking Chart
A chart to record, link and monitor goals, objectives and projects/activities
Tool 19. Decision Analysis Tool
A tool for prioritizing projects, policies and programs
Have you wondered what happens when you've completed most of the projects identified in your CCP ?
Maybe that seems like a long way off for your community. However, if there is a commitment to see the plan through, you may one day realize that many of projects are completed and objectives are being met. That means it's time to update the plan.
Squiala First Nation has been compared to the little train that could. In a very short period, this small band of 189 members has completed the majority of the projects outlined in their comprehensive community plan. This process took only six years and successful implementation was the key to getting it done.
Squiala First Nation is located adjacent to the city of Chilliwack. For years, there was talk of extending city roads through the reserve. Squiala saw this as an opportunity and began to engage the city in negotiations. This capital investment would bring services and increased traffic through the reserve lands. So they set to work creating a land use plan with funds provided by the city. After finishing the land use plan, it was evident they needed more than just a blueprint for land development. They also needed to include other community aspirations.
Getting Started on CCP
The comprehensive community plan process started in 2005 with pilot funding from Indigenous Services Canada. Membership engagement was simple. Having a small membership was a benefit, and they took only a year to complete the CCP and finished their plan in March of 2006. Through this process, they also revamped the land use plan. As they finished their planning, the road and services came through the reserve and so did the development of Eagle Landing, a large commercial development which included a Wal-Mart, Shell Gas Station, movie theater and a number of small businesses.
The Squiala First Nation Community Plan identified a number of large projects to complete. Tammy Bartz, the band manager and only employee at the time, was the planning champion. Upon completion of the plan she transitioned to the implementation champion, a role she says is crucial to successful implementation. "You have to have an implementation champion. If you don't, the CCP is going to go nowhere."
Completing Major Projects
With the development came the funds to complete many of the projects. The first big project was the construction of a new longhouse. The original longhouse, built in 1982, was lost in a fire during the early 1990s. The community had identified cultural revitalization as a priority so they set to work on the construction of a longhouse which was completed in 2011. They also implemented a language program after successfully applying for a grant from First People's Heritage, Language and Cultural Council.
Another major goal was the construction of new community facilities such as a band office, gym, school and fitness center. The original goal of council was to build it near Eagle Landing, but the community revealed a different desire through the community planning process. They wanted the band office in the heart of the community in a single building. Tammy remarks that, "Putting everything in one building has helped to build a sense of community."
Making Community Health a Priority
Despite all the development, the number one priority was the health of the community. Tammy believes that a healthy community is key to successful planning, "If you don't have a healthy community it doesn't matter what you do." With the construction of the new community facilities, there was room to expand, so they trained and hired a health nurse, and contracted out counseling services to a local company which was selected through a request for proposals process. Now the members have access to first-rate counseling services, which has made a noticeable difference in the health of the community.
Tackling Other Goals
They also set to work on accessing other funding sources and used the community plan to back up their proposals. Through a grant from the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program, they were able to refit three Elders homes with hand and stair rails, stair lifts and new showers. In addition, there was also the need to address education and training. This was accomplished in a variety of ways. First, through a partnership with surrounding First Nations, they were able to offer a course on traditional medicines free of charge to band members. Second, with some of their taxation revenue, they were able to help several members get their drivers' licenses, removing a significant barrier to employment. They also included training requirements in their contract with the developer of Eagle Landing, providing members with on the job training in construction.
Looking back, Chief David Jimmie is proud of all that his community has accomplished and credits community planning as being a significant factor in his community's success. Despite all they have accomplished, he is excited about the future and is looking forward to re-engaging the membership for a second round of community planning. When Squiala started their first round of planning the reserve lands were vacant and Tammy Bartz was their only employee. They now have 15 employees, several new facilities and several members in post-secondary education. They are headed towards a bright and prosperous future.
Tammy is very practical in addressing implementation. She says you need to identify the need, project or goal; obtain baseline information regarding the current state of affairs; find funds to meet the need and then do the work. But most importantly, every project needs a champion. Members are key to successful CCP implementation.
"Implementation starts on the day you start planning."
Gwen Phillips, Ktunaxa Nation
Quick-Start Projects
Quick-start projects are small, simple projects that can be implemented right away with few or no resources. Quick-start projects create enthusiasm and momentum, and demonstrate to the entire community that the CCP implementation process has started and that their contributions have resulted in change. This reinforces the idea that it is worthwhile staying involved!
The following criteria can be used to identify quick-start projects:
Think outside the Box: Not all Projects need funding
One First Nation, faced with helping their children get to school safely across a busy highway, was having great difficulty raising funds for a new pedestrian bridge. Since funds were not forthcoming, they decided to take a completely different approach and negotiated a pedestrian stop sign with Ministry of Highways, who provided it free of charge.
"Implementation is about empowering community members."
Andrew Moore, T'Sou-ke Nation
As the activities and projects are implemented, it is important to regularly report back to the community and leadership on progress and how the projects are benefitting the community, including:
Many First Nations see every new project as an opportunity to build capacity, provide training and mentorship, and bring resources into the community, including employment.
Implementation Often Requires More Planning
During the implementation phase, more planning may be required. For example:
All of these plans should reflect the community vision and support the high-level goals and objectives within the CCP . All of this work and planning will lead to implementation success!
"Each community member has a responsibility to breathe life into this plan."
Vickie Thomas, ?aqam
Risk Management
Try to anticipate challenges that might occur at any stage of your project:
Ensuring full community participation when prioritizing projects will help prevent parts of the community from withdrawing support from the project at later crucial stages.
Adams Lake Indian Band has succeeded in capturing the imagination of community members, as evidenced by its CCP logo, which was selected through a community-wide competition. The logo incorporates four colours representing Pride, Unity, Strength, and Healing (PUSH) and depicts a simple medicine wheel with flames in the four colours exploding out of it in the four directions. PUSH appears on their Comprehensive Community Strategic Plan jackets, T-shirts and stationery. The logo and acronym serve as a constant reminder of what keeps the plan alive – the determination of an entire community to create positive change while protecting cultural values.
Simpcw First Nation started its planning activities in 1989 and hasn't stopped since. From 2006 to 2010, Simpcw Chief and Council, administration, Elders, youth, school officials and community members worked to develop a comprehensive community plan. A household summary of the plan was published and distributed throughout the community. But they didn't stop there. Simpcw continues to hold annual facilitated community planning sessions and community members are invited to review accomplishments, and to talk about needs and strategies for future community development.
The tools section of this Handbook contains practical tools and worksheets that can help during the implementation stage:
Tool 14. Creating a Budget
A tool for identifying and quantifying needed resources for projects and activities
Tool 15. Budget Management Checklist
A tool for tracking and reporting how funds were spent
Tool 16. Project Implementation Inventory
A tool for describing the objectives and scope of a project
Tool 17. Project Timeline (Bar Chart)
A sample of a project implementation timeline
Tool 18. Project Work Plan
A tool for further describing the objectives and scope of a project
Tool 19. Decision Analysis Tool
A tool for prioritizing projects, policies and programs
Nestled at the southern tip of Vancouver Island is a small but ambitious First Nation community that dares to dream big. The T'Sou-ke Nation began the comprehensive community planning process with a desire to unite the whole community behind a vision that could carry them towards self-sufficiency.
Engaging The Community
Under the guidance of the Chief and Council and planning facilitator Andrew Moore, the community embarked on a three-year planning journey. Andrew, an architect by training, understands that when you construct a tall building you need a deep foundation. He approached planning with the same philosophy. "You need to go deep into the community to lay the foundation for ambitious projects." It is very important to achieve a collective vision and extensive community buy-in as early as possible.
T'Sou-ke Nation understood that planning was a process and that the plan would continue to expand. To reflect this reality, they called their community plan VIP: Vision in Progress for Very Important People. The planning team met every three weeks in the band hall and regularly gave presentations to the whole membership at general meetings. T'Sou-ke Nation has a policy to ensure everyone is included: "If members don't come to us, we shall go to them."
Developing a Collective Vision
As they met with the youth, Elders, families, leadership and staff, a recurring theme of sustainability began to emerge. The theme respected First Nations traditional values of honouring Mother Earth, all living creatures and the elements: the sun, the wind and the sea. By adopting these values, the community felt it could work towards creating a more sustainable life for generations to come.
To incorporate the overall objective of sustainability, the T'Sou-ke Nation expanded their planning horizon from 20 years to include the next seven generations, or 100 plus years. They began asking themselves what kind of community they wanted to create and leave behind for the seventh generation. This led to the development of four broad objectives around which their plan was based. They called these the Four Pillars of Sustainability: Energy Autonomy, Food Self-Sufficiency, Cultural Revival, and Sustainable Economic Development.
Developing Funding Partnerships
To meet their desire for energy autonomy, the T'Sou-ke Nation successfully obtained funding from the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines' Innovative Clean Energy Fund. Using their comprehensive community plan to support their application, T'Sou-ke applied for funds to install solar hot water heating systems on homes and they proposed building one of the largest photovoltaic (creating electricity from the sun) systems in British Columbia. This initiative quickly spiraled to include a series of related projects that met other objectives in their community plan.
Building Capacity and Creating Employment Opportunities
The T'Sou-ke Nation ensured that the company hired to install the photovoltaic and solar hot water heating systems would also train band members to do the work. As a result, employment and training objectives were met and several band members now have full-time employment installing solar-powered electric systems.
Since completing the project, the T'Sou-ke Nation is now the most solar intensive community in Canada and they will be selling power back to the electric grid for the next 70 years. Their next goal is to help other First Nations develop renewable energy technology for use on remote reserves which currently use diesel generators. This project also inspired their youth to start the T'Sou-ke Smart Energy Group which encourages community members, local schools and First Nations to conserve energy through local youth-run initiatives.
Engaging Champions From the Community
The community started a small garden to meet their objective of food self-sufficiency. Under the leadership of community member and champion Christine George, the garden expanded to a large green house which produces food for special events for the entire community. The Lady Bug Green House grows food which is used at a weekly community lunch and also hosts a 10-mile feast and a zero-mile dinner using only those foods found within the T'Sou-ke Nation traditional territory.
These feasts were used as opportunities to teach the youth about traditional foods and gathering practices. Christine has also partnered with other community gardening initiatives in the adjacent city of Sooke, making food self-sufficiency an objective for the entire region.
Seizing Opportunities To Start More Ambitious Projects
The solar project led to a $12 million, 1,000 roof solar installation project in a neighbouring municipality, as well as the opportunity to build a $3 million four-acre commercial greenhouse. When completed, the greenhouse will provide 30 full-time jobs for band members and improve food security for the entire region.
Andrew notes, "If it wasn't for the smaller quick-start projects, the bigger projects would have never materialized. Opportunities build upon opportunities, success upon success." Even in the early implementation stage, it is important to capitalize on opportunities and allow the planning process to expand. In practice, the planning process is not a clean step-by-step process. It is organic and sometimes challenging. When given the right attention, the process can grow to include larger and more ambitious projects and meet the needs of members for a healthy, sustainable community for generations to come.
Linda Bristol, a T'Sou-ke Elder who has been engaged in the CCP process at T'Sou-ke from the beginning, is now an active champion of the community's Arts and Culture program. She points out that many of the resources needed for successful planning and implementation reside amongst the band membership. "Many members are passionate about creating a better future for their community. Encourage your champions and assist them with resources, capacity building and training. If you have the right people and the right process, the right projects will follow."
Penticton Indian Band
The Penticton Indian Band was anxious to get to work on their comprehensive community planning process. Members were tired of the status-quo, and Chief Jonathan Kruger saw comprehensive community planning as an opportunity. Creating a dream and vision for the future was exactly what the community needed. It was time for change.
The community began the comprehensive community planning process under the leadership of Elaine Alec and Anona Kampe. With the support of their Chief, these two tireless souls set to work organizing meetings, talking to members and attending every community event, even if it had nothing to do with CCP .
As the process unfolded, the membership began unveiling their desires, hopes, dreams and ideas to make the community a better place. The Elders wanted to hear and speak their traditional language, the community wanted to gather around hope, not tragedy, and everyone agreed that it was time to name roads and install street signs.
As meetings continued, it became evident that there were several projects that, with the help of volunteers, could be implemented with a minimal time commitment, very little planning and few resources. These quick-start projects were acted on immediately and gave the CCP momentum and credibility.
Lonesome for the Language
The revitalization of culture and language was a priority for the community. The Elders wanted to hear the language again and they wanted young people to learn it. One recommendation, made at a planning meeting, was to use the traditional language to open all community meetings. The planning team took it upon themselves to ensure that this happened. No extra resources, planning or staff were needed. All it took was the initiative to change.
The 9-1-1 Project
At a planning gathering, one Elder mentioned that when her husband had a recent medical emergency, the ambulance could not find their house because there were no road signs. Members knew the reserve landmarks and homes, so road signs were never necessary. However, outsiders didn't share this knowledge. As a result, community members expressed a desire to name the roads and install street signs.
A detailed history of each area and road was gathered from the Elders. Roads were named after plants and animals and translated into the traditional language. Then, after the community found a small pot of funding, signs in the traditional language were installed. This project took only a year to complete and was done in conjunction with the community planning process.
Gathering for a Purpose
A recurring theme during the planning process was a desire by the community to come together for positive reasons. Too often, they were gathering in times of grief or during crises. This led to the organization of Gathering for a Purpose. Volunteers led the charge to organize a weekend event where members gathered to drum, sing, laugh, visit, pray, eat and learn. Elders taught and told stories, children played, stick games were held and songs were sung. All that was required was an idea and it was implemented entirely by volunteers.
The Billboard Project
As the community planning process entered its third year, community members were voicing their concerns about the negative influence of drugs and alcohol on their reserve. So, they held a series of drug strategy meetings. After a thorough discussion, they decided that rather than focusing on the negatives, the members of the Penticton Indian Band would promote the positives.
The members decided to put up a series of billboards all over the community showcasing the positive teachings of their people. Implementing the project was simple. A committee selected photos from the archives and decided on slogans. The theme "Honouring our Elders. Teachings" was used for the project. The billboards were paid for by the health department which had funds to promote healthy lifestyles. From start to finish, this project took only six months to complete and was spearheaded by community members. Now as members and visitors drive through the community, they are inspired by the teachings of the Elders. Anona is particularly fond of this project. "It brought the community together and our own members appear on the billboards for everyone to see."
Incorporate Lessons Learned
Information collected during monitoring and evaluation allows you to incorporate lessons learned into the next round of planning and decision making. What went wrong and what went right? CCP is a process that will continue to evolve as your community builds on past experiences.
Revise and Update the CCP
It is critical to have a process by which the plan can be revised and updated as circumstances change and as lessons are learned. This is the only way to ensure the plan remains a relevant, useful document for your community.
Monitoring and evaluating the CCP allows you to determine if the implementation of the policies, programs and projects from the CCP are having the desired effects. It is an ongoing process that helps you learn from your efforts and be responsive to change.
Analysis helps in understanding what progress is being made and what challenges have come up during the implementation stage.
To evaluate the results of the plan, the implementation committee will:
Questions for the analysis may include:
While conducting monitoring and evaluation, keep the following principles in mind:
Indicators
In order to know where you are going, and more importantly, whether or not you have arrived, you need to create indicators. Indicators are a way of measuring the performance or success of a particular objective or activity. For example, to help meet the objective of increasing the number of high school graduates, a tutoring program for high school students may be created. In this example, an indicator could be 1) increased enrolment in the tutoring program, 2) higher grades for high school students, and/or 3) increased high school graduates.
Baselines
A baseline establishes the current status of what you are measuring. For example, if you want to measure the increase in high school graduates, then you need to establish the current number – or baseline – of graduates. Each year, you measure your progress against this baseline to determine if the numbers are increasing.
After analyzing the results of the plan, the implementation committee will develop a report for the leadership and the community that summarizes the outcomes of their evaluation and identifies successes and challenges.
The report will likely include recommendations for improving progress and for making adjustments or revisions to the comprehensive community plan or the implementation strategy.
Consider making annual performance reports to the community to demonstrate and celebrate achievements.
Minor revisions and updates to the comprehensive community plan and implementation strategy can be made according to implementation team recommendations, with community input. However, from time to time, a thorough revision of the plan will likely be needed as external and internal circumstances and influences change.
Revising and updating the plan may be required if:
For a major review, the community would go through the four stages of the planning cycle again. This time, it will likely be a much faster process than the first comprehensive community planning process as a baseline has already been set, planning experience has been built, and processes for implementation are in place.
Annual Work Plans
Most organizations, whether large, small or in-between, do annual work planning. The best way to ensure that the CCP goals will be achieved is to link them to the annual work plans of your community's administration. Connecting objectives with specific projects, timelines and names (of who does what) is critical to monitoring how well you're doing in implementing the plan. ?aqam has integrated the goals of their Community Strategic Plan into the annual work plans for each department and staff member.
?aqam has committed to producing an annual report that details progress and accomplishments on the objectives set out in the plan. When they present the annual report, they hold a community celebration and erect a tipi with each pole representing a different sector from their plan. The annual report and celebration is part of how
?aqam has made sure their implementation progress is transparent and includes everyone in the community.
Comprehensive community planning is an ongoing process, but be sure to take a moment to reflect on what it means to reach this point in the planning journey. Your community has worked hard to determine its future and accomplished significant results along the way. This success is due to the ongoing involvement of members in the planning process, and the dedication of the planning team, administration and leadership in implementing the plan.
To make the most of your accomplishments:
Tips on How to Track Revisions and Updates to your CCP
Comprehensive community planning is a dynamic process that constantly evolves and delivers new benefits, and helps communities become healthy and sustainable.
Involving the community in a regular review of the plan helps members stay engaged and gain the skills, enthusiasm and confidence to move on to more ambitious projects.
The tools section of this Handbook contains practical tools and worksheets that can help during the monitoring and evaluation stage:
Tool 5: How and When to Engage Community Members
Techniques to help involve the community in the planning process
Tool 6: Ways to Increase Participation
Further techniques to inspire more participation from the community
Tool 13. Goals, Objectives and Projects Tracking Chart
A chart to record, link and monitor goals, objectives and projects/activities
Musqueam First Nation
Musqueam First Nation (MFN), located adjacent to the city of Vancouver, is on the cutting edge of First Nation community planning. After nearly a decade of developing a range of plans and related documents, the community adopted their We Are of One Heart and Mind: Comprehensive Community Plan. Completed in 2011, this plan encompasses membership and council objectives with the overall goals of becoming a self-sufficient, self-governing First Nation with a healthy community. The community has begun the journey of moving toward this vision and has developed a thorough approach to monitoring and evaluating the Musqueam First Nation community planning process.
Looking Beyond Facilities and Programs
A brief tour of the community would lead one to believe that the MFN is well on its way to achieving the objectives in the community plan. A new cultural center, sports fields and a brand new recreation center are highlights in the community. Other projects and programs are also being implemented as the planning process continues to build momentum. However, these were not the only things the community plan was meant to accomplish – new facilities and programs do not build a community, people do. The MFN wanted to ensure that the community plan was making a difference in the lives of its members, not just carving a path for new buildings. To measure the impacts of the plan on this level requires a long-term approach to monitoring and evaluation.
Establishing a Baseline
Monitoring and evaluating a plan requires a baseline against which progress, or the lack thereof, can be measured. To gather this information, MFN completed an initial community survey in 2008. Information gathered through the survey was used to create the community plan. This was combined with past community profiles to create a baseline of where the community was in terms of overall health, employment, cultural practices and other pertinent information. Members who completed the surveys were entered into a draw for prizes.
Measuring Impacts of the Plan
In 2011, the survey was expanded to an in-depth community census of 120 questions. This census measured the membership's perspectives on the plan's progress and gathered data on the actual impacts of the plan. If the programs, projects and new facilities were making a difference, then the data would reveal positive results in the health, social and economic indicators.
The MFN worked in partnership with a professor from the University of British Columbia to ensure the survey was free from bias, measured the appropriate indicators and gathered the relevant data.
This is the first round of the survey. In the future, the survey will be administered every three years. The results will be used to amend the comprehensive community plan and adapt it to changes in the community.
Community is highly developed and encourages learning and innovation, while respecting history and culture. Community shares resources with others and regularly monitors itself, continuing to enhance capacity.
Action: Community undertakes regular reviews and reflection activities to maintain or enhance stage / phase.
Community is undeveloped. Limited sharing of resources or recognition of value of a community.
Action: Community can (re)form through the identification of and action of influential and respected leaders (elected or unelected).
Community recognizes the importance of vision and long-term planning; is able to move in this direction.
Action: Community can engage in planning, meaningful consultation of its members, and working towards the development of strategic thinking and planning, and, ultimately, identifying community-wide values, distinct community characteristics and a vision.
Community exists but has significant problems, making anything but survival and fulfilling short-term needs impossible.
Action: Community can advance through focus on small, non-political, trust-building projects to build success, respect, confidence, relationships and skills.
The challenge of developing innovative and entrepreneurial communities is in ensuring that the communities have a clear picture of where they are at and where they want to go. This enables a better match of the tools available with both the capacity of the community and the hoped for goal. For example, while strategic planning may work for some communities, the planning process may also lead to frustration and failure in other communities that do not have the necessary trust, social capital or capacity.
Anyone within a community or organization can begin this conversation. The Matrix can be used for geographic communities, communities of interest, or even communities within communities. One city manager used the Matrix for polling city councillors about the state of local social, arts, business, and cultural communities.
The Matrix-based process can be undertaken by a group that represents the diversity within the community. Or, it can be used to assess the differences in perceptions among various groups in the community: seniors and youth, long-time residents and new-comers; business leaders and social service agencies; service providers and clients.
Use the Matrix to stimulate conversation in your community: Which phase are we at? Are different sectors of the community - youth, arts, business etc. - at different stages? How far have we come?
Members of the community participate in a conversation to determine together what phase or stage their community is at on the Matrix. This can be a formal or informal process. Each phase of the Matrix is accompanied by suggestions for action to progress through the stages.
Community members can identify where they want the community to be (there is an alternative!) and the incremental steps that can be taken in order to get there. Our experience has taught us that communities, like families, feel they are more dysfunctional than they really are. Knowing there are others out there like you is a liberating thought. The Matrix also provides some common language and terminology that allow those conversations to take place, and it seems to be an excellent way to show progression.
The Matrix can be self-administered or CIEL staff can facilitate a session with individuals or community groups. The Matrix works as a rough gauge to enable a community to develop a self-portrait, as it were. The Matrix harnesses the perceptions of citizens and leaders to gain an understanding of the community.
Most importantly, the community together can identify where they want to be and the incremental steps that can be taken and the resources needed by the community in order to get there. Communities can move forward or backward around the Matrix cycle. Progress can be uneven and is not necessarily linear. Some communities require huge leaps or paradigm shifts to move from one stage to another.
CIEL recognizes that no community is one-dimensional and that once the conversation gets started, it can be useful to assess the different characteristics that make up a community or organization. We have entitled these "Connectivity and Co-operation"; "Vitality";
"Inclusivity and Community Values"; "Leadership"; "Strategic Capacity"; "Community Sustainability"; and "Community Entrepreneurship".
For those who wish to delve more deeply into what "makes their community tick", CIEL staff can guide a Matrix-based process that examines each of these characteristics. We are also developing a free on-line assessment that can enable a community to assess their vitality across these categories and match them with some suggested tools.
Contact the CIEL office or visit our website for more information.
T: 1-250-352-1933
F: 1-250-661-1395
Toll free: 1-800-661-1395
info@theCIEL.com / www.theCIEL.com
| Cover Letter | Introduces your proposal | 1 page |
|---|---|---|
| Title Page | Professional look | 1 page |
| Table of Contents | Reference | 1 page |
| Project Overview (Executive Summary) | Umbrella statement of your project and summary of the entire proposal | 1 page |
| Background | About your organization and the community it serves | 1 paragraph to 1 page |
| Project Rationale | Why is this project necessary | 1 to 2 pages |
| Project Goals & Objectives | Results | 1 page |
| Program Description | Nuts and bolts of the project: activities, responsibilities, time lines | 1 to 3 pages |
| Budget | Financial description of the project plus explanatory notes | 1 page |
| Partnerships | Describe any partners that may be participating in the project, as well as the benefits of the partnership (cost-sharing, mentorship, training, etc.) | 1 paragraph to 1 page |
| Project Evaluation | How you will measure the success/results of your project | 1 to 2 pages |
| Follow-up | Sustaining your project | 1 page |
| Appendices | Supporting documentation | As required |
The purpose of the planning team is to support and guide the development of a Comprehensive Community Plan ( CCP ). The planning team may continue to provide support during the implementation and monitoring/ evaluation phases of the planning process.
As much as possible, the planning team will be representative of the community as a whole and may include representatives of
It is recommended that the planning team size not exceed 15 members to ensure it can carry out its work as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Participation in the planning team is voluntary. Planning team members are committed to making the CCP process a success and are accountable to all First Nation members. They take their voluntary role seriously and agree to attend regular planning team meetings. Planning team members are encouraged to serve on the planning team for defined periods of time. (e.g., two years)
Led by the Planning Coordinator, the planning team will:
More specifically, the planning team will:
The planning coordinator will act as the chair and secretary of the planning team. He/she will:
The planning team will base its activities, recommendations and decisions on the direction received by the community. The planning team will endeavour to make any decisions by consensus. If consensus cannot be achieved and the decision directly affects a recommendation for the implementation or revision of the CCP , the planning team will seek community input, or include a dispute resolution clause in the plan.
This checklist provides a starting point to lead the community through the key steps in each planning phase.
Background Information gathered on:
Common issues and strengths identified by the community in the key areas of:
Common goals and objectives identified by community in the key areas of:
Projects and Activities identified in the key areas of:
Community meetings are semi-formal events to request input, report on progress, or gain endorsement for stages in the planning process. Provide the community with ample notice of the meeting's date and time, location, and agenda. Distribute the results of the meeting afterward. Consider incorporating social or traditional content into the meeting, through a dinner, dance, or other traditional activity. Visual aids such as maps, charts, posters, or models can help the progress of the meeting.
Not everyone is able to attend community gatherings, and some members might be uncomfortable in larger settings. Informal home visits between a member of the planning team and an individual or family group is a good way to collect information throughout the planning process. Home visits and mobile presentations are one way to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate.
A focus group is a small group of people who works through an issue in workshop sessions. They might be a special interest group of youth, managers, Elders, etc. Focus groups provide a comfortable setting to work collaboratively, include each member's input, and generate new ideas. Focus groups can seek solutions to particular problem areas; if an issue arises, draft five to six questions for the focus group to discuss in informal yet structured conversation.
An open house is an informal event with no set agenda and is accessible to the public for an extended period of time. Clear and thorough advertising is required to ensure a good turnout. Open houses encourage the involvement of individuals who may not be comfortable voicing their opinions in front of a larger group. Community members can browse displays, read through information, and make notes and suggestions on maps and flipcharts.
Community surveys are useful tools to collect data, gather opinions on options, and gauge support for the process. For mail-out surveys where the community member fills in the answers themselves, questions must be clear and concise, and not require undue effort from the individual providing feedback. For surveys conducted one-on-one with individuals by planning team members, questions can be broader and more open-ended. To collect a higher number of surveys, some communities have chosen to offer prizes with winners drawn from all returned forms.
A regularly published newsletter (weekly, monthly, each planning stage, etc.) will help keep residents and off-reserve members informed of the planning process. Establish a simple visual format to make newsletters look consistent throughout the stages of planning. Newsletters can be delivered to homes, mailed to off-reserve residents, emailed, or posted on a website. Information on proposals or projects will allow people to digest the data and have formal discussions prior to community meetings.
A (semi)permanent planning centre or planning room in a politically neutral building may create new opportunities for discussing important issues and reaching greater numbers of community members. Encourage the community to drop in to browse displays of maps, photographs, large-scale models, and information on community planning and its importance. An anonymous suggestion box may encourage further input.
Create a community planning website to describe the planning process, give updates on the planning process, and provide contact information for planning team members. Post newsletters, meeting dates, and agendas on the site, and ensure the information is regularly updated. Provide links to other websites of your Nation (e.g., band administration website or Treaty website).
Creating a Facebook group is a great way to engage members (on reserve and off) in the planning process.
A mapping exercise may be best conducted during focus groups, at the community planning centre, or during open houses. Begin with a base map — such as an aerial photo, blank map, or survey map — and encourage community members to draw on the map to identify areas of importance. These important areas could include subsistence areas, landmarks, flood areas, water sources, sacred sites, watershed protection areas, gravel sources, geological features/barriers, community buildings, airport, housing areas, roads, etc. The map can then be used in developing land use designations and identifying future tasks to include in the comprehensive community plan.
Tours of the community, reserve lands, neighbouring lands, or potential Treaty Settlement Lands may help members visualize opportunities and concerns to be addressed in the community plan. These site tours can be fun and social events, and can help to generate interest and excitement in the planning process.
Involving the community in organized collaborative projects can help to create a spirit of cooperation about planning and build pride in the community. Examples of community action projects include cleaning up a stream or old dump site; community yard cleaning day; assisting the Elders with their yards and home maintenance; beautifying a public space; or repairing community assets, such as bus shelters.
Purchase a regular advertising slot on a local radio station to inform residents of upcoming community meetings and social gatherings, publicize newsletters, and provide planning updates. A talk show involving members of the planning team, community members, and political leaders can be useful for discussing important community issues.
Plan a community planning activity week including activities that involve people of all ages, such as:
With other First Nations, develop a regional non-governmental agency to act as a planning resource and training centre. First Nations persons with a background in planning should staff the centre; provide training, support and insight into community planning; and undertake long-term broad monitoring.
The development of a community constitution can help to support planning through establishing a common community vision, ensuring public involvement in the governance and decision-making processes, and creating accountability and monitoring mechanisms.
It is essential that leadership stay involved with, and supportive of, the planning process. As Council's role is to initiate the process, provide leadership and encouragement, and direct administration through the process and implementation, they must have a working knowledge of the plan and its contents, and also represent their vision of the community. The planning team should meet especially with Council to gather information about the community, ask for input and ideas during each stage, discuss administrative changes that will enable implementation of the plan, and obtain acknowledgement of the community's endorsement of the plan.
Band administration and staff are excellent sources of information, particularly during the more detailed planning stages of identifying strengths and issues, setting goals and objectives, and setting tasks. Because administration will be responsible, in large part, for implementing the plan, all staff should be familiar with the plan, particularly the projects in their area of responsibility.
The Elders are an essential support structure for the planning process. Their input should be sought out during each planning stage, particularly for traditional, cultural and historical knowledge, and their unique program and service needs.
Liaising with, or assembling a group of, family heads is an excellent way to disseminate planning information and generate support for the project. Family heads could be designated to stay informed of the planning progress or sit as members of the planning team, communicate with family members and solicit their input, and provide this input back to the planning team.
As "leaders of tomorrow," youth should be encouraged to participate in the planning process. Create a youth council or focus group to provide input, and organize special youth activities in each planning stage. The youth should be heavily involved in the visioning process, as well as in identifying goals and objectives, and program and service needs.
Within each community, there are numerous other groups that the planning team may be able to access, or make presentations to. These other groups may include traditional and cultural societies, business groups, sports clubs and groups, women's support groups, religious groups, and others.
Additional considerations may include engaging on vs. off reserve members, or providing child care to encourage participation of parents. Venue, day, time of day and time of year are all important factors to ensure broad participation.
The planning team will make a series of presentations throughout the planning process. Some tips for an effective presentation:
| Who | What information are you sharing? | How (what medium?) | How often? | Message | Content creator | Deadline/ Timeframe | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Members | |||||||
| Off-reserve members | |||||||
| Youth | |||||||
| Elders | |||||||
| Staff | |||||||
| Chief & Council | |||||||
| Other communities, municipalities, government |
In order for the CCP to be a relevant, useful document for the community, the planning team and community must lead the planning process. Many communities who are successfully implementing their plan have not engaged the services of a professional planner. In some cases, however, there may be a role for a consultant to provide expertise and contribute to building planning capacity in the community.
You may wish to seek referrals and recommendations from other First Nations who have had positive experiences with specific planners. Try not to engage consultants with a "prepared" approach to comprehensive community planning — a good planner will listen to you, work with you and propose an approach that reflects your community's unique situation.
Send a one page letter to potential planning consultants asking if they would be interested in participating in your community's comprehensive community planning process. The letter should outline expectations, planning timelines and a deadline to contact you to receive the Request for Proposal.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) expands upon the one page letter and contains detailed terms of reference for the comprehensive community plan. These terms of reference will help the consultant formulate a proposed budget for the work. Details may include the number of meetings or workshops the consultant will lead, what deliverables are required (such as reports or workshop handouts), what the expected interaction with the project leaders will be, what the timeline will be, etc. Consider whether or not to reveal your budget if a consultant requests project details. Your response may be: "I cannot reveal the budget, but it is within the costs normally associated with this type of project."
When working with consultants, it is important that the role of the consultant is that of an advisor, and not the leader or decision-maker. It is important for the consultant to help build and leave capacity in the community. When preparing the RFP and negotiating the contract, think about ways that you might integrate capacity building for your community. For example, the consultant can act as a mentor and trainer to members of the planning team, or can agree to hire interns from the community.
Evaluate the consultants' submissions using a "matrix" with criteria to judge the submissions. If there are a number of submissions, it is often advisable to have a group/committee involved in the evaluations. If possible, evaluations should be undertaken without reference to company names (although this is sometimes impossible). As an alternative, a group/committee can evaluate the submissions but not assign company names to the final evaluation matrix, so that when presented to Chief and Council or the planning committee for review, decisions can be based on the evaluation, without knowledge of specific companies. Company names and individuals are eventually revealed, but an evaluation matrix assessing a number of important factors (without reference to the companies or individuals involved) is an invaluable tool for objective decision-making. Reference checks can then be made once the list is shorter to double check their reliability, honesty and overall fit with the community. Presentations and/or interviews can also be held with a shorter list of candidates.
Prepare and sign a financial contract with the consultant. The contract should contain the RFP/Terms of Reference for the planning study; the proposed work plan and time frame; the consultant's submission, based on the terms of reference; and, other details regarding liability, insurance, costs and payment schedule. The final contract should be signed by the consultant and Chief and Council.
After completing the following forms, you will have an overview of the programs, services, infrastructure, utilities and capacity building assets and needs in your community. Feel free to create similar charts to gauge other community needs and priorities.
| Do you have it? | Condition | Sufficient Level? | Required? | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Good | Avg. | Poor | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Airport | ||||||||
| Cemetery | ||||||||
| Council Building | ||||||||
| Community Hall | ||||||||
| Elder housing | ||||||||
| Fire station | ||||||||
| Harbour | ||||||||
| Health Centre | ||||||||
| Internet Service | ||||||||
| Library | ||||||||
| Police Building | ||||||||
| Parks | ||||||||
| Roads | ||||||||
| Schools | ||||||||
| Solid waste disposal | ||||||||
| Youth Centre | ||||||||
| Other: | ||||||||
| Other: | ||||||||
| Other: | ||||||||
| Other: | ||||||||
| Other: | ||||||||
| Other: | ||||||||
| Other: | ||||||||
| Other: | ||||||||
| Resources | Existing? | Improvements Needed? | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Type | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Governance | Community involvement | ||||
| Fire protection | |||||
| Emergency response | |||||
| Police | |||||
| Other: | |||||
| Land & Resources | Land use planning | ||||
| Forestry | |||||
| Fish | |||||
| Other: | |||||
| Other: | |||||
| Social | Education | ||||
| Social assistance | |||||
| Child care | |||||
| Domestic violence | |||||
| Seniors | |||||
| Counselling | |||||
| Suicide prevention | |||||
| Justice/legal | |||||
| Life skills | |||||
| Other: | |||||
| Health | Nutrition | ||||
| Substance abuse | |||||
| Health promotion | |||||
| Family Planning | |||||
| Recreation | |||||
| Other: | |||||
| Culture | Language | ||||
| Youth | |||||
| Storytelling | |||||
| Arts & crafts | |||||
| Other: | |||||
| Economy | Human resource development | ||||
| Community economic development | |||||
| Economic development corporation | |||||
| Other: | |||||
| Physical Infrastructure | Housing | ||||
| Capital | |||||
| Water treatment | |||||
| Village maintenance | |||||
| Other: | |||||
| Job/Type | Number of Jobs | Filled by Community Member? | Time | Wage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Full | Part | Average | ||
| Category | Job | Existing? | Training Needed? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Yes | No | ||
| Governance | |||||
| Lands & Resources | |||||
| Social | |||||
| Health | |||||
| Culture | |||||
| Economy | |||||
| Physical Infrastructure | |||||
| Other | |||||
| Strengths | Weaknesses | Opportunities | Threats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government | |||
| Lands & Resources | |||
| Health | |||
| Social | |||
| Culture | |||
| Economy | |||
| Infrastructure Development |
| Key Planning Area | Goals | Objectives | Projects/Activities | Deadline / Timeframe | Person Responsible |
|---|
When creating budgets it is important to look at three aspects of the project:
Asking the questions provided in this tool is a good way to get started on a project. Fill it out with as much detail as possible. When this form is completed, it can form the basis for reports to the community and administration, as well as for funding proposals.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the project or program? | |
| Why is the project or program important? | |
| How does it fulfill the community's vision? | |
| Who will work on the project or program? | |
| Who can you partner with? | |
| How much will it cost? (budget) | |
| Where will the funding come from? | |
| How will it be completed? | |
| Who is the project for? | |
| What mentorship, training, or employment opportunities will be involved? | |
| Where will the project or program take place? (location, department) | |
| How will you know if you've achieved the objective? (identify indicators for monitoring & evaluation) | |
| How long will it take? |
Before implementing a project, policy or program, it can be helpful to develop a work plan and timeframe in the form of a bar chart. Below is a simple example bar chart for developing a youth/Elder cultural mentorship program:
| Project activities | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research other mentorship programs | ||||||||||||
| Consult Elders and youth for ideas/feedback | ||||||||||||
| Develop proposal for program | ||||||||||||
| Seek approvals | ||||||||||||
| Apply for funding | ||||||||||||
| Create mentorship/mentee forms | ||||||||||||
| Advertise opportunity | ||||||||||||
| Match mentors to mentees | ||||||||||||
| Orientation for mentors | ||||||||||||
| Launch of mentorship | ||||||||||||
| Ongoing visits | ||||||||||||
| Write article for newsletter | ||||||||||||
| Write funding progress report | ||||||||||||
| Etc. |
| Project Phase / Milestones | Major Task / Activities | Estimated Time Frame | Responsibility / Lead | Required Resources | Status / Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What are the major steps that need to be taken to achieve the goals of the project? | What tasks and activities need to happen under each project phase or milestone? | When does each simple action step have to be completed by? |
Some timelines may already be set for you (e.g., funding application deadlines) so you will have to build your work plan around them.
(e.g., is printing or administrative support required?)
Prioritizing and sequencing the long list of projects, policies and programs identified by community members is critical to ensuring that the time, resources and energy invested into implementation have the greatest possible benefit for the community.
There are a number of different decision tools you can use to prioritize actions, each with different uses, benefits and degrees of sophistication. Dotmocracy and the Money Game (see the next page) are very useful tools to get a quick read of top priorities. Using more specific criteria to analyse, evaluate and determine priorities for a CCP can lead to decisions that are more defensible, less risky and result in greater long- term benefits for the community.
Basic Tenants of Decision Analsysis:
Some questions to consider when prioritizing actions (policies, projects and programs) include:
For each action, you can reflect on specific criteria such as how well the community's objectives (e.g., protect land) are met, or by various implementation criteria (e.g., available resources). Both qualitative (e.g., high/medium/low) or quantitative (e.g., assigning scores between 1-5) scales can be used to rank, score and finalize community priorities. An even more sophisticated approach is to weigh each criterion. For example, how well the activity aligns with the community's values (objectives) may be more important than how long it will take to implement. A simplified ranking table can help show the tradeoffs between certain actions.
Example:
| Action | Protect Land | Enhance Culture | Create Employment | Score/Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth/Elder Mentorship | High (25) | High (25) | Low (5) | (55) #2 |
| Housing Strategy | Med (10) | Low (5) | Med (10) | (25) #3 |
| High School Tutoring Program | Low (5) | Med (10) | Med (10) | (25) #3 |
| Cultural Centre | High (25) | High (25) | High (25) | (75) #1 |
| Action | Resources Available | Capacity Available | Champion to lead | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth/Elder Mentorship | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | #1 |
| Housing Strategy | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | #3 |
| High School Tutoring Program | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 | #2 |
| Cultural Centre | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | #4 |
There are a number of different decision tools for determining priorities including:
Dotmocracy – Each project name is written on its own blank piece of paper and taped onto a wall. Each participant is given three dots (stickers) and they can place dots next to the projects that are most important to them. Tally the dots and you will get an idea of which projects are the highest priority for the community. You could also give each participant some green dots, and some red dots – red for highest priority, green for most "do-able".
Money Talks – Each project name is written on a piece of paper and taped to the wall. A box or paper bag is placed under each project name. Each participant is given an equal amount of play money (the amount is up to you). The participants divide up their money into the projects as they see fit. At the end, the money in each bag is tallied and you will get an idea of which projects are high priority.
(Please note: The resources section provides some sources that you may find helpful. However, it is not intended to be an exhaustive list and you may wish to consult other sources.)
| Category | Title | Funder | Description | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Development and Planning | BC Capacity Initiative | ISC | To enhance the capacity of First Nations who have asserted Aboriginal title. Funding is available in the following areas: preparation for negotiations, consultation, management and implementation. | BC Capacity Initiative |
