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• understand key steps in planning and supportive guidelines
• understand what policies are and their importance to your organization’s programs
• understand how policies relate to strategies
• understand the implementation of business and program decisions
• understand the process for developing an effective policy
• understand the relationship between policies and procedures
• understand the components of effective policies and procedures

Lesson 3 – Resources and Proposals

• be able to identify potential sources of revenue for program development, both governmental and non-governmental
• understand how to access those sources of revenue through partnerships, sponsorships, and other forms of relationships
• understand the need to develop proposals as a key link in developing those relationships
• understand how to develop a successful proposal
• understand how to write a request for proposal

Lesson 4 – Business/Program Plans

• understand how to turn strategy into action
• understand the barriers to turning strategic planning into action
• understand the components of a program plan
• understand how to develop a program plan
• understand the keys to success for a program plan

Lesson 5 – Financial Management

• understand the need for good financial management for your programs
• understand how financial management can affect the success of a program
• understand the basics of financial statements, how financial transactions occur, and why
• understand the characteristics of effective financial management
• understand the importance of the budget and be able to develop a budget
• use accounting information to guide management decision making
• be able to identify best practices in financial management
• be able to identify best practices in financial management

Lesson 6 – Reporting and Accountability

• understand what accountability is and its importance to your organization
• understand how accountability relates to strategic management
• know how the different types of accountability relate to your aboriginal organization
• understand the elements of accountability and the accountability cycle
• know the components of accountability
• understand how to put an accountability program in place

Lesson 7 – Evaluation

• understand what performance management is and its importance to high performance organizations
• understand how performance management relates to the measurement of strategic plans and program activities
• know the key processes of performance management
• know if your Aboriginal organization is ready to establish a performance management framework
• know how to establish a performance management framework

Lesson 8 – Relationship

• gain an understanding of some of the issues which may impede the development of positive, effective, professional relationships within the community, i.e. with Council, agencies, and other community groups
• consider some of the obstacles to creating effective professional relationships with external stakeholders
• understand the importance of partnerships in programs

Lesson 9 – Program Practices I (Risk Management, Legal)

• Understand the principles of risk management
• Identify the domain of commercial law and the issues that aboriginal commercial law address
• Understand how a contract is formed
• Understand the concept of consensus
• Examine the assignment of a contract
• Understand the concept of limitation of actions
• Understand when a contract can be legally dismissed
• Understand and apply basic taxation rules flowing from the Indian Act to different business circumstances
• Understand the special taxation rules that affect First Nations
• Understand the current taxation rules on the collection and payment of commodity taxes by First nations organizations
• Understand how the personal tax exemption affects different forms of businesses (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, joint venture, and commercial trust)
• Understand the relationship between First Nation taxation laws and incorporation

Lesson 10 – Program Practices II (Technology, Knowledge)

• Define knowledge management
• Discuss the nature of knowledge management
• Understand the basics of document management
• Understand how sound document management can enhance organizational performance
• Be able to identify best practices in records management
• Understand how the use technology can affect program management (i.e. using technology successfully to implement)

Course Completion and grading

The course material is broken down into ten lessons. Each lesson includes specific objectives and instructions for completion. Directions are provided to guide you through the readings, other references, and the work to be completed.

This course consists of ten lessons that run over a 13-week period. Although a suggested schedule is provided, students are urged to make up their own schedule, paying close attention to assignment due dates. These will be confirmed at the start of the course. It is recommended that students complete one lesson a week.

Course Assignments and Grading

Students will be evaluated in this course as follows:

Participation 20%

Assignment 1 30%

Assignment 2 50%

Participation

You will be awarded 20 per cent for participation, which consists of three elements:

• Group Discussion. Each lesson includes one or more group discussion activities where you will be required to share information with others in your group via the “Discussions” area. Your instructor/facilitator will monitor your discussion contributions to determine a participation mark and provide support where required. While the number of times you contribute postings to the “Discussions” area is a factor in the assessment, the quality of the interaction is more important. For each lesson, you should strive to contribute at least three (3) substantive postings and respond to postings made by other participants.
• Web Searches. You are required to conduct Web searches. These are to be posted in the “course discussion area,” and are described within the lessons.
• Post a Practice. You are required to share a relevant practice to the lesson topic. These are to be posted in the “course discussion area”.