CoTHE CONFEDERACY OF MAINLAND MI’KMAQ of Nova Scotia
Community-Based Dispute Resolution on Mi’kmaw Terms (ADRA Project). Basic & Advanced Project Management Training, 2025
WHO THEY ARE?
The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM) brings together eight
Mi’kmaw communities across mainland Nova Scotia to keep decisions close
to community and grounded in Mi’kmaw values. It exists to help leaders
translate what matters at home—culture, safety, lands, waters—into clear
action on Mi’kmaw terms. The centre of gravity is community: practical
support, steady governance, and choices that stand up over time.
In recent years, that centre has included a sharper way of “seeing the land.”
CMM paired community knowledge with modern mapping to build a truer
picture of territory—where boundaries sit, how shorelines shift, where
habitats need care, and how growth can be planned without losing what
matters. This clarity strengthened everyday stewardship and prepared
leaders to move with confidence when decisions required evidence.
CMM’s approach is consistent: listen first, make the data usable, and share it
in ways that help Chiefs, Councils, and departments work as one. The result
is a quieter kind of power—clear sightlines, fewer surprises, and decisions
that reflect community priorities while respecting the responsibilities that
come with them.
WHAT THEY NEEDED
Across fourteen active claim areas, CMM needed to replace patchwork,
often inaccurate mapping with a single, view of the land—clear enough
for leaders to decide with confidence and strong enough to stand when
decisions were tested. The aim was practical and urgent: high-resolution
evidence to support claims, guide day-to-day stewardship, and track
change over time.
Getting there required more than drones. CMM needed a structured,
Nation-led program for aerial data collection—clear governance, roles
and permissions that respect community calendars and the land, safe
operating protocols, and consistent standards for data quality and
stewardship so information could move reliably across departments and
up to Chiefs and Councils.
To make the effort durable, CMM required internal capacity: project-
management and GIS training tied to real workflows, vendor criteria that
prioritized reliability, safety, and knowledge transfer, and a realistic cost
baseline with contingency. In short: move from limited capacity and no
consistent process to a repeatable program that delivers clear evidence,
shared understanding, and control—on Mi’kmaw terms.
WHAT WE DID
Led a two-track capacity-building program, combining foundational training with hands-on planning framework development, to enable CMM to manage the initiative with clarity and control.
Delivered practical planning training focused on:
- Defining clear scope, roles, and responsibilities
- Setting realistic field windows and safe operating expectations
- Coordinating stakeholder engagement linked directly to daily workflows
Established a disciplined reporting cadence for leadership and program teams—from first flight planning through to final mapping outputs.
Designed a planning blueprint tailored for CMM:
- Developed a Project Proposal outlining mandate, objectives, and parameters
- Facilitated creation of both summary and detailed workplans
- Clarified governance and handoffs across departments
- Established standards for geospatial data capture, verification, storage, and sharing
Built dependable delivery systems by:
- Defining a stakeholder path for Chief & Council and external partners
- Implementing risk controls for weather, airspace, access, and data integrity
- Setting a cost baseline with contingency to guide investment pacing
- Creating a competitive procurement package prioritizing documented reliability, safety, and knowledge transfer
RESULTS WE GOT
CMM was left with a leadership-ready project plan that brought the work into clear focus, including:
- A sequenced pathway with defined governance elements.
- Clear lines of accountability to help decisions move forward with confidence.
- A shared vision that allowed the team to brief leadership and partners effectively.
Decision-readiness strengthened through:
- A defensible cost baseline, a conceptual estimate with defined contingency and management reserve.
- Alignment to the initiative's two-year timeline.
- A clear, phased budget guiding decisions, giving leaders flexibility to explore options and pace delivery while safeguarding the project's purpose.
Access and trust built into the plan by:
- Ensuring open communication and clear reporting.
- Allowing community members and stakeholders to see how project outcomes would take shape and participate with confidence as implementation began.
Risk management strengthened by:
- Identifying risks early.
- Responding with focused communication, active listening, and steady monitoring.
- Keeping the project moving forward with awareness and care.
IN NUMBERS
1 independent review framework defined
Policy-aligned terms of reference and procedural rules positioned CMM to operate review and appeal on Mi'kmaw terms.
4-phase delivery pathway defined
Mapped across 8 communities and 8 Chiefs & Councils to steer briefings and decisions.
$325,054.69 baseline & $357,560.16 budget set
Including 15% contingency and 10% management reserve to guide a two-year rollout.
