What We Offer

1. Economic and Community Development

Your Vision. Our Insight. This is the cornerstone of our work in the area of economic and community development. Aboriginal communities understand the importance of self-reliance and community development that helps to create jobs and improve the quality of life. Stonecircle provides communities with expertise and the tools to manage their own economic and social future.  Here are some specific ways we can assist:

Vision

• Access funding to develop plans
• Strategic planning sessions
• Facilitation of vision statement development

Plan

• Research and data analysis
• Cultural, environmental, and land use mapping
• Review options for traditional economic activities
• Organize community consultations and workshops
• Cultural tourism or eco-tourism planning

Act

• Write economic development plans
• Write business plans
• Prepare feasibility studies
• Develop plans for community business centres
• Create economic development organizations

Manage

• Design and facilitate workshops/courses on management
• Board of Directors or Band Council training
• Support for identification and negotiation of investment and joint venture partnerships
• Provide advice on management approaches and systems
• Follow up with funding agencies and financial institutions

Evaluate

• Develop evaluation framework
• Conduct formative, summative or process evaluation of a project or initiative
• Use appropriate methods (file or literature review, surveys)
• Conduct interviews, focus groups, public meetings, etc

2. Policy, Planning and Evaluation

Effective communities and organizations have strong policies and procedures that allow them to grow and to reach their fullest potential. Stonecircle Consulting assists organizations, including Aboriginal organizations and communities, to assess their existing practices, identify organizational needs, and develop appropriate business strategies, processes, and , planning and management tools including policies and procedures and evaluation methods..

Vision

• Conduct needs assessments, community surveys, stakeholder interviews
• Organize and facilitate community meetings or visioning sessions

Plan

• Organize and facilitate strategic planning sessions
• Identify governance, management and operation policy and procedures needs
• Conduct workshops on policy development
• Training to develop capacity for organizational planning
• Develop in-house planning skills and resources
• Help to prepare draft and final strategic, operational and project plans
• Organize and facilitate governance workshops

Act

• Produce Policy and Procedures manuals (particularly finance and human resources)
• Develop Impact Benefit Agreements
• Negotiate Memoranda of Understanding with resource companies
• Create resource management policies
• Develop HR plans (job descriptions, recruitment plans, compensation reviews)
• Conduct workshops on policy development

Manage

• Track progress of negotiations and refine strategies
• Identify and meet professional development and training needs
• Monitor financial results, schedules and staff performance
• Communicate results and successes throughout implementation of the plan

Evaluate

• Develop evaluation framework and plan
• Adjust plans and strategies to maximize success
• Evaluate programs or initiatives
• Measure outputs and outcomes and use findings to strengthen programs and planning
• Conduct organizational review of your community or organization

3. Research and Communications

Through our Communication services, we can help you reach the right people with the right information or gather relevant information that meets your needs. We specialize in setting up communications products, systems and networks that link communities, companies, and organizations. Our services include:

Vision

• Strategic planning sessions
• Develop proposals

Plan

• Research and data analysis
• Organize community consultations and workshops
• Training in internal and external communications skills
• Communications planning including radio, television, print advertising

Act

• Write and edit annual reports, research documents, studies and articles
• Develop communications policy and procedures
• Conference and event design and management
• Proposal development

Manage

• Media clippings or media analysis
• Manage project from established timelines and workplan

Evaluate

• Develop evaluation framework
• Conduct evaluation of program, community, initiative
• Community surveys
• Stakeholder interviews