Establishing an Asset Stewardship System for
reliable Community Services
PROJECT MANAGEMENT ESSENTIALS TRAINING, 2025
WHO THEY ARE
The Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach is the only Naskapi village in Québec—a self-governing Nation near Schefferville on the Québec–Labrador border. Their contemporary governance rests on two milestones: the Northeastern Québec Agreement (1978), a modern treaty, and the Cree-Naskapi (of Quebec) Act (1984), Canada’s first legislation to recognize and implement local self-government for Cree and Naskapi communities. The community, built in the early 1980s after relocation from the Schefferville area, carries forward a long land-based tradition while exercising modern, Nation-level authority.
Kawawachikamach’s subarctic setting and logistics—linked to Schefferville by an all-season road and served by weekly rail for people, fuel, and freight—shape daily life and long-term planning. In this context, reliable community infrastructure is foundational. The Nation’s operational stewardship focuses on the practical realities of buildings, water and sewage systems, roads, equipment, and waste—work that keeps services dependable today while strengthening the systems that will guide decisions as the asset base grows.
WHAT THEY NEEDED
As Kawawachikamach’s portfolio of community assets expanded, planning and decision-making lacked the day-to-day urgency of keeping buildings and essential services running. Information lived in different places, issues were raised inconsistently, and accountability blurred across departments and building managers. Leadership named the shift: move from reactive fixes to a coordinated way of working that brings asset information, workflows, and communication into one disciplined frame—so services stay dependable, and decisions are made with clarity and control.
To make that shift real, the Nation needed to initiate and govern an Asset Management System project focused on municipal facilities—defining roles and responsibilities, aligning departments, standardizing two-way communication with building managers and residents, and building the data and reporting foundation that strengthens budgeting, risk awareness, and funding readiness. What they sought was a single, proactive system—one that serves people first, reduces stress and emergencies, and anchors infrastructure stewardship on Naskapi terms.
WHAT WE DID
Led a three-day case-based Project Management Planning Essentials workshop anchored to a clear mandate:
- Establish an Asset Management System (AMS) for municipal buildings maintenance
Worked with cross-functional teams to translate the mandate into a governing Project Proposal that:
- Defined the project’s purpose and scope.
- Established a 2.5-year Phase-1 plan covering approximately 25 buildings.
- Identified key success factors for leadership oversight: funding, resourcing, executive buy-in, and effective communication.
Documented a clear forward path beyond Phase 1, sequencing the integration of:
- A service-request/ticketing system.
- A housing-portfolio phase.
- Both kept visible for coordination with leadership and partners.
Established a detailed workplan focused on delivery, including:
- A Summary Deliverables Breakdown Structure paired with a Detailed Work Breakdown Structure to capture scope.
- A network diagram sequencing and identifying dependencies across:
Built the human framework for delivery by:
- Defining leadership roles.
- Connecting Chiefs, Council, and building managers.
- Anchoring the project in community standards for safe and reliable facilities.
- Aligning communication pathways with AMS workstreams to keep all stakeholders engaged and informed.
RESULTS WE GOT
Kawawachikamach left the Workshop with an agreed delivery framework for the Asset Management System (AMS), including:
The plan replaced ad-hoc coordination with a single structure that leaders and building managers could use to steer decisions on community terms.
The plan replaced ad-hoc coordination with a single structure that leaders and building managers could use to steer decisions on community terms. Decision-readiness strengthened:
- Critical success factors were made explicit for leadership oversight.
- Expectations were clarified for sponsors, building managers, and community users
- Communication lines were aligned with the way services are delivered day to day, reducing the risk of silos and missteps that slow essential maintenance.
The AMS planning foundation also advanced funding and reporting readiness by:
IN NUMBERS
1 Nation-led AMS governance structure established
Framing municipal assets on Naskapi terms: sponsors, roles and communications mapped for delivery
15 Phase-1 planning deliverables established
One integrated route from document capture and funding through AMS software and transfer to program
2.5-year Phase 1 plan
Creating a clear starting point for assessing 25 municipal buildings for safety compliance and sustainably
