Governance

This section provides a repository of publicly accessible practical governance tools and best practices that better informs policy development and decision-making, as well as supports First Nation governments.

There are currently organizations that exist to assist First Nations in the area of governance. The National Centre for First Nations Governance (NCFNG) is certainly one of these organizations, whose purpose is to:

"provide support, research and information services to First Nations who realize that, to improve their community/Nation, eliminate poverty, rebuild their economy and implement their inherent right of self government, critical changes are needed to their current governance." [NCFNG]

The tools provided by the Centre of Excellence, as well as other resources such as the NCFNG will assist First Nations who aspire to creating the governance conditions noted above. The available resources on the Centre of Excellence site are broken down into two areas: tools that support First Nations public administration and tools that support the elected officials. In this section, you will find some of these tools and best practices.

Governance Tools

• Tools - Leadership Selection
  • Sample Leadership Selection Code
  • Reviewing Custom Election Codes
• Tools - Membership
• Tools - Decision-making
• Tools - Law-Making Processes / Procedures
• Band Governance - By-law Workshop
  • Foreword
  • Session 1: Definition of a by-law
  • Session 2: Constitutional and legislative framework
  • Session 3: Appropriate authorities in the Indian Act
  • Session 4: Principles of delegated authority
  • Session 5: Drafting requirements
  • Session 6: By-law enactment
  • Session 7: Amending and repealing a by-law
  • Session 8: By-law enforcement
• By-laws
  • Sample Animal Control By-law
  • Sample Intoxicant By-law
  • Sample Nuisance By-law
  • Sample Hunting By-law
  • Sample Zoning By-law

* Additional sample by-laws are available at this time but in English only. For further inquiries on the sample by-laws, please contact the Band Governance Directorate - By-laws Unit.

• Tools - Administration of Government
• Tools - Information Management
• Tools - Information Technology Management
• Tools - Community Involvement Processes / Procedures
• Tools - Human Resource Management
  • Framework of a Human Resource Management Policy - KTA
• Tools - Financial Management
  • Framework of a Financial Management Policy - KTA

Other Reference Materials

• Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada (AFOA)
  • Financial Management  
  • Applied Management  
  • For Elected Leadership  
  • Distributed Knowledge System (DKS) - Financial code development  
• First Nations Financial Management Board (FMB)  
• First Nations Tax Commission (FNTC)  
  • Draft Standards for Property Taxation Laws
  • Draft Standards for Property Assessment Laws
  • Draft Standards for Annual Expenditures Laws
  • Draft Standards for Annual Rates Laws
• National Centre for First Nations Governance (NCFNG)  
• Comprehensive Community Planning for First Nations in British Columbia
• Recruiting the First Nation Administrator - A toolkit