COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY PLANNING

Flying Dust signed onto the Community Development Initiative (CDI) in the Saskatchewan Region in 2015, and was able to hire a community navigator in October 2015 (Joseph Tootoosis). During the year of 2016, there were 8 community engagement meetings, as well as community advisory team meetings, and community updates in the newsletter, and during other community gatherings.
In November of 2015, he attended the BC National CCP (Comprehensive Community Planning Workshop), and shortly after began community engagement. 

In August 2016, Flying Dust First Nation Hosted the largest CCP gathering outside of BC, which was National in scope; this allowed INAC to assist in the hosting, by funnelling the funding through Flying Dust, and we used our finance administration and Community Navigator to organize the logistics of the event. FDFN also held their election in December, and the fall time was a period of finalizing legislative initiatives to prepare for the campaign/election period.

At the first National CCP conference/workshop in Winnipeg, in February 2017, the FDFN Community Navigator was a presenter for Saskatchewan Region and the Prairie provinces; FDFN Community Navigator will be serving in Mentorship role with Long Plain First Nation, who was the host for the National CCP Workshop/Conference.

The CDI began as a Pilot Project that was intended to last 3 years to build on the first pilot project almost ten years ago. The pilot project in 2006-2007, was analyzed by Indigenous Planning scholars in several publications; this let us know that although we had successes, First Nations suffered from the lack of implementation of their community goals, because of the lack of a position like a community navigator to help drive implementation after the plan was completed. Those publications also tell us that the CCP process of engagement is equally, if not more important than the deliverable (community plan). It is imperative to have community consultation, input and feedback, and buy-in for the leadership and administration to pursue those goals according to the priorities that the community sets out.
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During the CCP Community Engagement Process, FDFN is also implementing community goals along the way. This engagement strategy gives our leadership the knowledge and confidence in community support to pursue goals that are deemed as immediate needs, as well as long term investments in Economic Development and Lands and Resources.

Next Steps - Timeline

July 2017:

• Finished draft of CCP with the feedback done from FDFN on and off-reserve consultation/engagement sessions during 2015 -2017, and present to FDFN members through the new website, and in hardcopies.
• The new flyingdust.net website will be used as part of our communication strategy, which will allow for feedback on the CCP and other initiatives so we can add pieces as we go.
• The community goals and priorities will be outlined in the plan, and each goal/priority will be linked to indicators (statistics) from our Web Dashboard (other side of page) gathered in every area to show progress to FDFN members.

August 2017 – March 2018:

• Community Advisory Team meetings will take place throughout, to guide the implementation, monitoring of the CCP, and help steer community engagement throughout this period of review and renewal/update.

​April 2018 – March 2019

• Review feedback of CCP up to April 2018, add any new goals/priorities, and new data/statistics to update the plan. The new website, and community meetings/home visits will be done in every period up until the end of our Community Development Project.

What is a Web Dashboard?

Keeping Membership Up to Date and Informed

• Web Dashboards have been used by larger cities and communities, to show statistics, which are used as indicators in different areas to show how well the community is doing, what needs improvement, and what percent of completion certain projects are at.
• There will be over 100 indicators spread throughout all areas of the Flying Dust First Nation Planning Wheel, so band members can see the progress we are making, and what initiatives are underway.
• Once the Dashboard is complete, Flying Dust will be able to make changes to what information will be shown to the public, and keep all sensitive and confidential information private.

Use as Leadership Tool
Chief and Council, with Directors, can practice informed decision making, with information and statistics at their disposal. This will ensure that resources/time/effort are all used as efficiently as possible in pursuit of community goals, and new projects and initiatives. This is something unique our province’s First Nations, and we will be one of the first in Canada to use this approach.

​News

Flying Dust First Nation CCP Presentation in Ottawa

On September 7, 2017 a delegation from Flying Dust First Nation was invited to Ottawa to present to INAC, the Government of Canada, and the AFN’s working groups about the Comprehensive Community Planning process in Flying Dust, along with the main priorities outlined in the FDFN CCP. The working groups’ mandate is to provide a report to the Prime Minister’s office this fall, on the new fiscal relationship between Canada and First Nations. The delegation consisted of Chief Jeremy Norman, Economic Development Director Albert Derocher, and CCP Community Planning Coordinator Joseph Tootoosis.
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The presentation outlined the barriers that come with implementing goals in a community plan, and the funding structures that make it difficult to make strides in Education, Youth and Recreation, Economic Development and Infrastructure. Flying Dust is hopeful to secure additional funding for community planning, as well as the implementation of the priorities in Flying Dust pertaining to water treatment infrastructure, returning expropriated land as part of FDFN’s specific claim of the CN rail lands along railway avenue, and a youth/cultural center, among others. Chief Jeremy Norman was able to give his perspective on the community planning process in 2007, as well as from his multiple terms serving in leadership and in the community; speaking from his experience was also complemented by the experience of Albert Derocher and Joseph Tootoosis in the update of the community plan started in 2015. It was commented from many at the meeting that the CCP presentation has helped give new perspective to top officials at INAC and the AFN on the benefits of community planning for First Nations in Canada, and that this new perspective will benefit 634 First nations across the country. Flying Dust continues to be a leader in this area for Saskatchewan, as well as at the National level.