Step 5 of 7
Organize
How does it all fit together?
Now that you’ve gathered all this information, it is time to organize it into pieces that are useful to the building and rebuilding of your Nation. It’s best to get a big-picture view of the work ahead and then break it down into bite-size pieces.
Who should be involved
The whole community, working in small groups. This process has been a community initiative, so keep working together to organize and prioritize.
What you’ll need
Several clear walls in your community centre or band office, large titles, sticky notes, your workbooks from Steps 1 to 4, and a spreadsheet or online program.
You’ll finish with
Everything you’ve gathered, organized into six capital areas, with priorities and early wins your community can start right away.
01 · LEARN
Six capital areas
Every community has the same six capital areas, or assets. What sits in each one is unique to your community.
Economic
Businesses, jobs, revenue, contracts and the money that moves through your community.
Human
People’s gifts, skills, knowledge, education and health.
Natural
Land, water, plants, animals and the resources of your territory.
Physical
Buildings, roads, housing, utilities and other infrastructure.
Social
Relationships, groups, organizations and the trust between them.
Cultural
Language, ceremony, stories, traditional knowledge and ways of life.
Start with what you can do right now
It is important for community members to see change right away. The first place to begin is whatever you can do right now, for free or for very little. Once you’ve done everything you can with what you’ve got, and morale and excitement are high, it’s time to begin making money to support your other priorities.
Then build your economy
It takes money to do most community projects, so begin with economic development. Little businesses are just as important as big businesses. Focus on entrepreneurship, the other businesses in your community, and the big projects in your territory.
Many free entrepreneurship and business training courses are offered by federal and provincial governments and non-profit organizations.
Before you begin: bring it all together
If you’ve followed the process, you already have what you need. Gather it in one place.
- Step 1: your asset inventory, map and territory audit.
- Step 2: your opportunity tracker.
- Step 3: your needs, root causes and priorities.
- Step 4: your no-go zones and places that need repair.
- One combined list of everything, ready to divide between groups.
02 · GATHER
Four community activities
These can all happen in one community session. Work through them in order.
ACTIVITY A
Set up the wall
- Clear several walls in a shared space like your community centre or band office.
- Make a large title for each of the six capital areas and post each one in its own space.
- Divide your combined list evenly between groups, with no more than 12 people per group.
Worksheet 5A · Capital areas sort
ACTIVITY B
Sort it together
- Each group writes every item from its list on its own sticky note.
- Groups place each note under the capital area where it belongs.
- Keep going until every item is on the wall.
Worksheet 5A · Capital areas sort
ACTIVITY C
Walk, review and agree
- Have everyone walk around and review what the other groups posted.
- If someone disagrees with where a note is placed, they write it down and bring it back to their group.
- Discuss until all the groups agree on where everything belongs.
Worksheet 5A · Capital areas sort
ACTIVITY D
Store it and prioritize
- Put everything from the wall into a document, such as a spreadsheet or an online program.
- Keep it somewhere your community controls.
- Once it is stored, begin to prioritize, starting with what you can do right now.
Worksheet 5B · Do-it-now list
03 · DECIDE
Questions to answer together
- What can we do right now, without any money?
- How can we support our existing businesses right now?
- How can we improve the community assets we already have, like the community centre, skating rink or playground?
- Which priorities will need money, and which businesses could help pay for them?
- Which organizations, programs or grants could help with each priority?
Worksheet 5C · Priorities and funding
A day of pride
If everyone takes responsibility for their own property, and families take responsibility for a road or area, the whole community can be cleaned up in a day. End with a community barbecue or potluck. It improves the look of the community and creates a sense of pride.
Priorities every community shares
Housing, food, water, clothing, education and safety. Organizations and programs help with each. Now that you know what you need, down to the details, it is easier to ask for help and apply for grants. If your budget allows, an experienced grant writer is worth hiring.
04 · RECORD
Your Step 5 workbook
Capture your organized information and priorities in the Step 5 workbook. It becomes the fifth chapter of your community’s plan.
- 5ACapital areas sort
- 5BDo-it-now list
- 5CPriorities and funding
Would it be helpful to work with someone?
ICDPRO’s team can facilitate your organizing session and help you set priorities.