In an ideal world, your Nation is already deep in conversation with all the proponents proposing new projects in your territory – either as project partners or leaders in your own right. And indeed that is the much-celebrated reality for many of the projects on Carney’s original major projects list. But after last week’s announcement that all new projects will go through a much-shortened regulatory process, a lot of us are scratching our heads and wondering, how? How do you squish the non-negotiable consultation process through the eye of this new narrowed needle? How, as a Nation, do you protect the lands and waters, and balance those decisions with economic opportunity?

It all comes down to Readiness

In the absence of process details, what you can do now is prepare for what is coming.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you have an up-to-date consultation protocol?
   • Will industry clearly understand your expectations on how you wish to be engaged and consulted? Most proponents are relieved to have your guidance on what you need. If it’s at the bottom of your to-do list in the busyness of a lands and consultation department, it’s time to pull out that draft and finalize it.
     
2. Are you easy to reach?
   • When industry comes calling, is it obvious on your website who they should contact, and how? One point of contact streamlines the beginning of a relationship considerably. Just make sure the email you’ve put out there goes to a live person (!).
3. Do you have the capacity to respond quickly, and to keep pace with the process?
   • This is a tricky one for most lands and consultation departments due to the sheer volume of requests coming in. Having a triage system to sift out the projects you really care about helps your team prioritize where to spend their energy and resources. Having response templates by project type helps you respond more quickly. A tracking system for all active files in the department is a must for staying organized and on point.
4. Do you have your data organized and accessible?
   • Data governance and management is a hot topic these days for good reason. Having your mapped land use and occupancy data at your fingertips so you can overlay it with a proposed project’s footprint is one quick way to begin to assess potential impact.
5. Do you have a strategy to guide you?
   • This should be question number one because it’s so crucial to how you will engage on projects that present both opportunities and threats to what matters to you as a Nation. But it’s also complex; distilling guidance from the various plans you may have can be challenging. Everything from Comprehensive Community Plans (CCPs), land use plans and capital plans to economic development strategies or plans for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas will inform your decision-making process around each major project.

Image credit: Abdul Basit for Unsplash

We know, it’s a lot. If you’re looking for support on addressing any of these questions as upcoming Major Projects unfold, please get in touch. We are here to help. You have the vision – we are extra hands ready to make sure you have what you need to achieve it.

Check out our free eBook: Built to Last: A Land's and Consultation Guidebook for more ideas on how to tune-up your department.

Check out our collection of informative eBooks that are available for free download:

• Protecting What Matters: Environmental Monitoring Ideas Bundle for Indigenous Nations
• Channeling the Wisdom of Indigenous Knowledge
• Indigenous Planning Cheat Sheet
• Indigenous Business and the Resource Sector
• Indigenous Planning Starter Kit
• Indigenous Guardians and Development
• GIS Intro Guide: Harnessing the Power of Maps
• A Lands and Consultation Department Guidebook
• Planning Starter Kit

Download our eBooks here

About Us: Shared Value Solutions

We are a Canadian B Corp, and we assist Indigenous Nations with support throughout regulatory processes surrounding major development projects like mines, hydroelectric facilities, transmission lines, highway expansions, oil and gas pipelines, natural resource transport applications, and nuclear power. 

We have deep context and experience behind the recommendations we provide, having worked for our clients on almost every major project in Canada over the last 13 years. For us, it’s all about building long-term relationships with our clients. We want to get to know you and what you want to do so we can help you move your plans forward. 

Core Services:

• Impact Benefit Agreement Negotiation Support 
• Technical Reviews and Regulatory Process Support 
• Community and Economic Development Planning 
• Indigenous Knowledge and Land Use Studies 
• Environmental Monitoring 
• Guardians Program Development 
• Climate Change Readiness 
• GIS and Mapping 
• and a whole lot more...www.sharedvaluesolutions.com