Project Description

Nicola G2G Forum Facilitation

In March of 2018, the Province of BC and the Chiefs of five Nicola First Nations signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU outlines the parties’ commitment to work together in a government to government (G2G) partnership to sustainably manage water resources within the Nicola Watershed. The shared vision will draw on both parties’ laws and governance systems and includes supporting the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, and advancing true and lasting reconciliation. The MOU resulted in the establishment of the Nicola G2G Forum. The project is designed as a pilot, and is specifically intended to promote learning about collaborative governance approaches, including the G2G relationship, as well as structures and processes for engaging with stakeholders, communities and other levels of government.

Compass played a key role in the lead up to this G2G pilot, providing strategic advice to the Province and its partners over the past two years on the nature and scope of opportunities for piloting innovative new tools under the Water Sustainability Act, including various forms of co-governance arrangements. We are now engaged by the Forum to plan and facilitate the meetings of the Partners, develop and operationalize governance structures and processes, and provide strategic advice to support the Forum in meeting its short and long-term objectives. Among other things, this role hasincluded developing the Forum’s terms of reference, drafting its guiding principles, preparing briefing documents on alternative governance arrangements, preparing strategies for co-learning as a foundation for shared decision making, and supporting the Forum in prioritizing and sequencing activities in the early stages of its mandate.

Related Projects: Indigenous Groups, Public Policy, Stakeholder Facilitation

Project Details

• ClientProvince of BC, Nicola First Nations