Building Capacity for Sound Public Works in First Nation Communities

COURSE OVERVIEW

This introductory handbook is not designed to be a textbook for practitioners, but as an introductory guide to community development and capacity building. It is designed primarily for those who have an interest in community development but who may not have an in depth understanding of the concept, the process or the resources that are available.

COURSE OUTLINE

• Introduction.
• Understanding the terms (what is community development?, community development resources, what is community capacity building?) When does community development happen? (responding to a challenge or opportunity, community awareness – the power to act, understanding change, the need for a catalyst).
• What is public works? (scope of public works, governing and managing tasks, challenges of governing and managing public works).
• What is building capacity? (a definition of capacity-building, whose capacity & what approaches or techniques, national & international lessons, public works in small and rural municipalities, administration of public works in small municipalities, competencies of a public works manager).
• Developing a capacity building plan for public works (the case for planning, developing a plan for capacity building, what might a plan look like?)
• Developing a process (build support, make a plan, implement and adjust the plan, maintain momentum).
• Risk assessment and emergency preparedness (methodology for risk assessment, control & response measures).
• Conclusions.
• Appendices.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Public works personnel, managers. supervisors.