Community Decision-Making Toolkit

The following text outlines the proposed modules to be included in the MoCreebec "Community Decision-Making Toolkit". The Toolkit will provide the background and framework for implementing the broader Constitutional Framework as it pertains to lands and resource issues. In addition to lands and resource issues, the Toolkit will also help with the process of conducting internal consultations on other community-based issues. We welcome your feedback. In particular, I would like to get your feedback on the following:

• What order would you like the modules to be drafted in?
• Comments about content and what information would be useful to include in each module.
• How would you define or describe the guiding principles included in Module Three?

There is a lot of text so take your time and consider each proposed module carefully. Keep in mind this is an early draft. The purpose is to get feedback at the very early stage of developing the Toolkit so that I get direction from the community before developing the content in greater detail. Look forward to receiving your comments and feedback...

 

Module One

Introduction: a community within a community

OVERVIEW

The toolkit is a living document that is meant to provide guidance on the core procedures for carrying out internal community consultations in line with the spirit and content of the Constitutional Framework & Bylaws of the MoCreebec Eeyoud (MoCreebec Council of the Cree Nation). The toolkit is a living document in the sense that it captures the essence and opportunities for community participation in decision making. However, like anything that is living there is room for accommodation and adaptation. For example, under the MoCreebec bylaws family clans have the flexibility to develop their own mechanisms and preferred means of disseminating information and gathering members together to hold discussions and deliberations. With this flexibility comes responsibility. Clan representatives are called to set an example and role model to the family members they represent. In turn, family members are called to give due respect to their representatives and to support them in their work as leaders within the community.

MoCreebec is best described as “a community within communities”. 

Module Two

MoCreebec Governance: the Constitutional Framework & Bylaws

OVERVIEW

This module will outline the structure of the Constitutional Framework, the bylaws, the organization chart and reporting structure of the various entities under the MoCreebec Eeyoud. It will also outline the purpose of each section within the Constitution and Bylaws. The module will outline how the MoCreebec governance structure aims to achieve accountability. The module will also help point out how the Constitutional Framework and bylaws facilitate interaction with other government and non-government bodies (i.e. Grand Council of the Crees of Quebec, Federal Government, Provincial Government, private corporations).

Module Three

Guiding Principles: why intentions and context matter

OVERVIEW

In order for a community to foster the long-term interests of multiple generations (past, present and future), members of that community require guiding principles that allow them to orientate themselves when they are engaged in thinking, discussion, and activities that are meant to build the community up and support those that are least able to support themselves in some manner or other (e.g. children, seniors, and the handicapped). The following set of principles are taken from the MoCreebec Constitutional Framework. These are the principles that have supported the MoCreebec community from its earliest beginnings. These principles will also be important in sustaining the MoCreebec community going forward. All of these principles can be applied to thought processes, discussions and activities that involve individual members or groups of members within the MoCreebec community.

What do these principles mean to people in the community?

• Equality, independence, self-reliance, common good, responsibility, sharing, kindness, strength, honesty, collective wisdom...

Draft definitions/descriptions are provided below:

Equality: We are all equal in the eyes of the Creator. We are all loved unconditionally by the Creator but the expectations the Creator has for each of us may differ depending on our state in life. Just as children have fewer expectations placed on them than adults, the Creator places more expectations on those whose state in life has led them to leadership roles. That being said we are all equal in the fact that we are called to correspond to the gifts we have received from the Creator and to our current state in life (youth, adult or elder). We are therefore equal in our ability to correspond according to our state in life.

Independence: Independence is as much about a state of mind as it is a physical or social state of being free from barriers to carrying out activities. True, it is important to be independent physically and socially, but it is perhaps more important to be independent mentally and spiritually. It is at the level of mental and spiritual independence that creativity flourishes. Mental and spiritual independence increase our political independence. Politics is a function of social conditions and constraints. We are politically independent when we are mentally and spiritually independent. Moreover, we are most free to serve others when we ourselves are physically, socially, politically, mentally and spiritually independent.

Self-Reliance: Being self-reliant means we recognize our obligations towards ourselves, our families, and our community and we push ourselves to find solutions to problems by giving effort without expecting anything in return. When, as a group, we all push ourselves to find solutions there is a natural accumulation of wealth and resources. When this self-reliance is matched equally by good intentions, then the excess in wealth and resources gets distributed equally, according to need. It is when this self-reliant system is functioning best that the overall benefit to individuals and the community is greatest.

Common Good: The common good is like a river. We can all recognize when it is not being protected but it is hard to know what needs to be done to preserve it. The common good can appear to be elusive and constantly shifting in different directions. However, when we take the perspective of someone traveling on the river we can learn to navigate it and anticipate when its current is changing. We are respecting the common good when we make individual decisions in a way that does not degrade resources for use by others. The common good is served by putting the interests of the community above our own interests.

Responsibility: Responsibility is essentially the ability to respond or correspond. When we are able to respond and willing to do so (i.e. when we correspond), then we are acting responsibly. When each individual in a community is able to respond according to their state in life and chooses to correspond, then the community as a whole benefits from the creation of social capital. Social capital consists of support groups and networks that contribute to building a sustainable community. It is when members of the community are able to respond to local needs and have access to the necessary resources that the common good is being well served.

Sharing: Sharing can be done on different levels and to varying degrees. One can share their stories and knowledge or one can share their skills and time. Sharing can happen on a regular basis or whenever one is inspired to reach out and lend a hand. Sharing can also become a habit, on an individual basis, and a trait, on a community scale. Volunteering is a common sign of a habit of sharing. There are always opportunities to volunteer. Financial resources are not always available to pay people to get things done but often this does not reduce the need. Sharing ones time through volunteering in community activities can fill gaps and support common needs. Sharing is therefore a key part of preserving the common good.

Kindness: Kindness is a disposition. It requires a willingness to see beyond the superficial meaning of others actions and to try to understand the deeper issues confronting others and causing their actions or behaviour. Kindness is about being disposed to assist others fill gaps that cause them suffering even if that person may not show immediate gratitude or correspond to ones expectations.

Strength: Strength can be measured in many ways. It can be measured in terms of an active or passive force. Strength can come in proactively pursing things that are good for the community. Strength can also come from making productive criticisms of things that are not deemed to be good for the community. Strength goes hand in hand with sharing and kindness and an awareness that community spirit is both a social and individual in nature. Communities are only as strong as the weakest member. Therefore, productive criticism should be given with an aim to raise each other up not to bring each other down.

Honesty: Honesty is a critical principle. Many of the other principles only work when there is an underlying honesty on the part of members of a community. Honesty can take on many manifestations. To be honest to oneself involves a humble recognition of our own strengths and limitations. Personal honesty can often be the disposition that launches one into community involvement because of a recognition that a group is stronger than any single individual. Honesty to others involves identifying with the common good and deciding to pursue the common good beyond any personal interest that might arise. Honesty to others and oneself is possible when one’s focus is centered on the good of the community.

Collective Wisdom: Wisdom is knowledge applied to practical, real-life situations that considers and weighs both the broader context and the deeper issues as it affects individuals and particular needs. Collective wisdom is the traditions and knowledge that is shared in regards to addressing real-life situations and circumstances. Collective wisdom complements and reinforces the wisdom of any given individual. On an individual level, wisdom takes time to accumulate. On the collective level, wisdom is preserved through the teachings and example of elders. Elders are the keepers of collective wisdom for the benefit of the community. This is their particular role, one that they are honored for holding.

 

Module Four

Decision Makers: roles and responsibilities

OVERVIEW

All members of MoCreebec are decision-makers. Whether a decision is taken at the personal level or at the community level, decisions are an essential component and expression of the freedom and responsibility shared by all members of MoCreebec. Membership is in fact a result of a decision. All members of MoCreebec are linked by their common heritage as well as their common decision to become and remain members of the community and to commit themselves to the purpose and objectives of the Constitutional Framework, as ratified on June 6, 1993 and amended over time. With freedom comes responsibility. Responsibility to the MoCreebec community involves considering the common good above personal interests and making decisions in good faith and with the principles of due diligence** and respect for others. This module will outline how each role within the MoCreebec community, including the role of individual members relates to decision-making for the good of the community.

Module Five

Decision Spaces: opportunities and challenges

• Committees will be important point to develop, including how committee members are appointed and removed, mandate, tenure, and volunteer (non-paid role)

OVERVIEW

This module will cover the various “spaces” for decision-making within the MoCreebec governance system. By spaces, it is understood to mean formal and informal mechanisms by which options are weighed, alternatives raised, and decisions taken formally on behalf of MoCreebec. This module will be key to identifying how and where member’s participation and engagement feeds into formal decision making and how decisions feed into policy.

Module Six

Decision Points: the impact and timing of decisions

• Include how these decision points feed into higher level decision-making and can become policy over time as similar decisions are made about the same issues

OVERVIEW

This module will describe the types of decisions that might be taking regarding lands and resources and other issues pertaining to the community. The module will outline the “timing” issues of how third parties (e.g. government and private enterprise) view time horizons and time constraints. The module will also give an outline of how decisions reflect “points” in a community’s unfolding history. Decisions need to be understood in context and to be considered in context. The impact of decisions and policy will also be pointed out and the link to community involvement and engagement. The module will also point out the difference between types of decisions that are easily reconsidered (low-impact) and those that, once taken, are harder to undo (high-impact) and the impact of attempting to revisit decisions of each type. It will also provide criteria for recognizing when one is facing a high-impact or low-impact decision.

Module Seven

Feedback Loop: the importance of on-going reporting and sharing of information

• Compare this with how transfer of knowledge occurs between generations
• This section is where the community decision-making “protocol” is developed and honed so that everyone understands how it is to function and be implemented

OVERVIEW

This module will build upon the previous ones and is the core module in terms of developing the “consultation protocol” relating to lands and resources. It will be in this module that the process for gaining community feedback and input on land and resource issues will be tabled, outlined, and developed in sufficient detail (with diagrams and flow-charts) to make it understandable and communicable.

Module Eight

Maintaining the Community Profile: data collection and knowledge management

• Explain how this provides background to assess ongoing impacts and benefits to the community

OVERVIEW

This module will focus on the importance of building and maintaining a community profile with data and information on areas that will assist MoCreebec in serving the community better, reduce the cost of consulting services (by reducing the time it takes to gather data), and improve the quality of service by considering a more holistic approach to service provision. Without an updated community profile it become more difficult for MoCreebec to carry out its work in an efficient and effective manner. It is therefore important for members of the community to participate actively in data gathering processes and it would also be helpful to have members of the community to volunteer their time to help administer surveys and conduct work related to maintaining the community profile. The module will point out the types of information MoCreebec needs in order to serve the community better (this includes knowledge that elders can share about the ways of life and conditions of living that they experienced before MoCreebec was established as well as where their ancestors and relations had traditional use of land in the Moose River region).

Module Nine

The Lands and Resources Context: examples of reasons for internal consultation

OVERVIEW

The lands and resources module will outline the types of issues that could arise whereby MoCreebec members would be drawn upon to provide input, feedback and perspective on how best to approach negotiation, agreement, and consultation processes involving government and industry. The module will also capture the vision of the MoCreebec community for the protection of the environment and priorities for development.

Module Ten

Scenario Planning: stories as a form of analysis

OVERVIEW

This module will outline the usefulness of scenario planning in the context of community consultations and the ways in which this tool can be used to build a common vision for the future or to conduct risk assessments and analysis on how to approach the potential impacts of lands and resource developments. Scenario planning can incorporate traditional knowledge as well as scientific knowledge in the way in which storylines about plausible futures are told and communicated. The module will outline how scenario planning processes can be integrated into the community engagement and decision-making protocol. The module will provide a step-by-step process for conducting scenario planning with members of the MoCreebec community.

Module Eleven

Policy Development: the cycle of decision making

OVERVIEW

This module will outline how the policy cycle works and how it can be integrated with the community engagement and decision-making protocol. Many issues that confront the community can repeat themselves and therefore it is justified in making a decision to develop a policy in regards to how MoCreebec and the community chose to respond to issues that reoccur with frequency and consistency in their elements and impact. It should be pointed out that the community decision-making protocol is in essence a “policy” and therefore it is important to understand how policy is developed, approved, and revised (when needed) and the importance of policy to remain flexible and adaptable to circumstances.

Module Twelve

Glossary of Terms: putting ideas into context

OVERVIEW

This module will include definitions and clarification of key terms used throughout the toolkit that might not be familiar to all readers and therefore require some further explanation.