Lands, Environment and Economic Development Professionals are vitally important to the wellbeing of First Nations communities. Proper Lands, Environment and Economic Development are the foundation upon which communities flourish. Your work can quite literally make the difference between a community thriving and a community declining. Your work is important!
Occupying one of these positions in your community should be seen as much more than just filling a job. It should be seen as undertaking a professional career, and setting strong foundations in place for seven generations to come. It implies a willingness to keep your credentials up to professional standards; to always strive to obtain positive results; and to provide leadership as best you can in your area of expertise in your community.
The Career Guide for Lands, Environment and Economic Development Professionals in Ontario First Nations summarizes the results of the 2020 survey. Read the Career Guide for detailed information, statistics, tables and charts that illustrate the current trends in Lands, Environment and Economic Development Professions as well as considerations for Chief and Council members who hold portfolios related to these fields. You will find the latest information on themes such as Job Titles; Education; Succession Planning; Job Schedules and Time Demands; Salary and Compensation; Training and Professional Development; Job Satisfaction; Effects from COVID-19, and more.
The Supplementary Tools Guide for Lands, Environment and Economic Development Professionals in Ontario First Nations provides tangible resources to assist you in your career development. The results from the 2020 Survey confirmed that Lands, Environment and Economic Development Professionals are expected to wear many hats on a daily basis. The Supplementary Tools Guide is intended to support and guide you in key areas of your day-to-day responsibilities, including time management; proposal writing; succession planning; self-care; and many more helpful tools, templates and resources.
The Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness Guide for Lands, Environment and Economic Development Professionals in Ontario First Nations addresses some of the challenges that survey participants reported experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with strategies to prepare for future pandemic and emergency events. This Guide provides recommendations and lessons learned from First Nation communities during COVID-19; tools for identifying essential services; planning for departmental continuity and resumption; project management while working from home; protecting your health and safety; funding relief; sample pandemic and emergency plans, and adaptable templates
These Guides have been created for several groups of professionals working in Lands, Environment and Economic Development in Ontario First Nations. For those considering entering one of these fields; for those currently in the field, and for those who need to recruit and manage such professionals.
Our roles within Lands, Environment and Economic Development are intricately related. We may each have our own specific skills and knowledge sets, but it is abundantly clear that in order to ensure community success, we need to work effectively together. Lands, Environment and Economic Development go hand in hand.
This work has been cumulative since 2008, as we have attempted to better understand the professions of Lands, Environment, and Economic Development.
In the spring of 2015, a new survey was undertaken by the staff at the National Aboriginal Lands Managers Association (NALMA), under the direction of the Lands, Environment, and Economic Development Advisory Committee (LEEDAC) Ontario. The survey was expanded to include Ontario-based Lands and Environment Management Professional. As a result of the survey findings, the Career Guide and Supplementary Tools documents were developed.
Both the Career Guide and Supplementary Tools were designed to support many groups of individuals, for example those aspiring to work either in the Lands Management field or in the Economic Development field in Ontario First Nations, those currently working in either in the Lands Management field or in the Economic Development field in Ontario First Nations, and employers of Land Managers or Economic Development Officers seeking guidance from other best practices from around Ontario to enhance their operations and human resources.
In 2008, the Regional Program Management Advisory Committee (RPMAC) Ontario conducted a member survey of Economic Development Professionals and published a Career Guide and Supplementary Documents as tools to support Economic Development Professionals working for a First Nation community. The Committee hoped then that the Guides would also be of use to those aspiring to become part of this growing profession.