Services

Our aim: Organizations that fulfil their purpose; Board members that collaborate to ensure their organization has what it needs to succeed; stakeholders that trust and support the organization.

What we do: Diagnose problems. Develop solutions. Advise leaders. Provide tools.  

Boards of Directors are responsible for the success of their organizations. From setting direction and raising the necessary funds to achieve its vision, to holding management accountable for fulfilling the mission, managing resources, and sustaining a healthy corporate culture, it’s a tough job. And the job is increasingly complex, as clients, funders, stakeholders and employees expect responsiveness and integrity.

Diagnosis, we review the following:

• Mission and long term goals
• By-laws
• Board structure
• Board roles
• Board performance evaluation
• Board knowledge and skills
• Board systems and processes
• Relationship between Board and ED
• Communications with stakeholders

Solutions, we work with the Board to:

• Set goals and direction
• Revise by-laws
• Design Board structures
• Define Board roles and responsibilities
• Develop Board renewal plans
• Write Board position descriptions
• Write committee terms of reference
• Provide training
• Develop effective processes and procedures
• Build monitoring and compliance mechanisms
• Develop reporting and accountability mechanisms

Our Aim: Our clients and their stakeholders know where they are heading and how they will get there. Everyone knows what to do, and why it matters.

What We Do:  Listen. Probe. Observe. Bring rigor and discipline to the process. Build consensus.

Strategic Planning: Road Map to Success

Successful implementation of any strategic plan depends on one thing: a commitment to change. Without it, nothing will happen. When you are ready for change, it is the right time to engage in strategic planning. 

We support you and your team to clarify your organization’s vision and mission, assess external and internal environments, and establish goals. This will no doubt require some uncomfortable conversations and we will help you to navigate them. We work with people throughout your organization —boards, executives, management, stakeholders—to identify outcomes that are achievable and observable and so that everyone understands what they have to do to achieve them. Your plan will be memorable and feasible.

Business Planning: Creating Value for your Stakeholders

We help you research your technology, your competitors, your revenue model and your cost structure so that you can create a business plan that ensures your sustainability. Your business plan tells your supporters and your team how your organization works and how it creates value. Whether you are a non-profit organization, a business or agency, your plan tells the story of why you are the best (most reliable, efficient, etc.) provider of your product or service for your clients.

Operational Planning: Doing the right things and doing them well

We assist your teams to design activities and outputs that support strategic priorities, and that align financial and human resources to produce results.

Our Aim: Organizations understand the strategic importance of research and gathering evidence, and make decisions based on meaningful and accurate information.

What We Do: We gather, analyze and present the high-quality information you need to make decisions.

We conduct research studies and integrate research into many of our consulting projects. The starting point is a research framework that sets out the objectives, key questions the research will answer, sources of information and data, and methods for gathering data.

Primary Research: Going Straight to the Source

We work with you to identify people who will provide context, insight, experience and perspective about challenges, opportunities, and solutions. These often include:

• Board members
• Managers
• Employees
• Clients, current and former
• Funders
• Partners
• Community members
• Other stakeholders

We engage respondents so that they are interested and willing to provide information use we use the following methods:

• Interviews
• Surveys
• Focus groups
• Workshops

Our analysis is both quantitative and qualitative.

Secondary Research

We access the wealth of data and analysis available from sources such as governments, think tanks, sector associations, foundations, and academia. We search public databases to find relevant and current information that is relevant and current to provide fresh insights.

We review available information about policies, plans, programs, legislation, finances, organizational structures from jurisdictions across Canada and around the world. We pursue the most interesting leads with follow-up interviews to learn about the most effective practices. 

Research Products

• Environmental scans
• Policy research
• Economic research and analysis
• Jurisdictional scans

Our aim: Decision-makers have a clear rationale for change, based on an understanding of what is working, what is not working, and what needs to be addressed to improve the effectiveness of the program.

What we do: Prepare for evaluation; engage stakeholders; gather data; review outcomes; recommend changes; plan the next review. 

We approach program reviews with an attitude of enquiry rather than judgment, criticism or blame and focus on assessing program relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability.

What we can do:

• Develop an evaluation framework that sets out objectives, questions, outcomes, indicators, data sources, and data collection methods.
• Foster collaboration with stakeholders and sustain engagement throughout the process to build understanding and acceptance of the review’s findings.
• Collect and analyze internal program data, financial information, and public data that provide information about outcomes. Design and use tools such as surveys, focus groups, and interviews to gather both quantitative and qualitative information.
• Investigate effective practices in other organizations and jurisdictions.
• Present our analysis and findings clearly, using meaningful illustrations (including logic models, graphs and charts).
• Develop communication and knowledge transfer strategies.
• Develop the plan for the next evaluation.

Our vision: A Canada in which the spirit and intent of the Treaties have been implemented and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples are thriving.  

What we do: Help build mutually respectful and effective relationships between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous peoples – governments, communities, organizations, businesses – ensuring that Indigenous rights, interests and protocols are in the forefront.  

Services for the public and private sectors (non-Indigenous):

• Indigenous relations education and training
• Strategy and policy development
• Engagement and relationship strategy and advice

Services for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit political and service organizations:

• Facilitation of collaborative processes, such as planning, and policy and program development.
• Consultation with affiliated communities to develop consensus and develop positions to forward to government.