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Shared Decision Making in British Columbia

May 01, 2012 - March 31, 2015

The Shared Decision Making (SDM) in British Columbia Project was a multi-year independent research initiative housed at Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue. 

This collaborative project examined the emergence of non-treaty SDM Agreements, negotiated between British Columbia and individual or groups of First Nations, in the form of Strategic Engagement Agreements or Reconciliation Protocols. Each SDM Agreement provides a framework for collaboration between two governments who despite their differences, seek to build working relationships with one another, develop trust and find ways to reach mutually agreeable decisions about how land and resources should be managed.

The overarching purpose of the SDM in BC project was to understand more clearly where SDM Agreements have come from, what they mean, and how they are working so far.

About

The Shared Decision Making in BC project represents an effort to understand more clearly where SDM agreements have come from, what they mean, and how they are working so far.

The term ‘SDM Agreements’ refers to the suite of non-treaty Reconciliation Protocols and Strategic Engagement Agreements that have been negotiated and implemented in British Columbia since 2009, and which apply primarily to land and resource management matters.

This collaborative research initiative, conducted through Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue and with funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF), established a ‘community of practice’ so that those involved in the implementation of SDM agreements could learn from one another, in a collegial environment away from the negotiating table, identify best practices, and together make the most of the lessons and opportunities these agreements provide.

Over the course of two and a half years, the SDM in BC project successfully brought together First Nations who are actively involved in the negotiation and implementation of SDM Agreements in a community of practice, brokered dialogue-archive between First Nations and provincial agencies, and generated multiple research products to inform implementation efforts. To date, the SDM in BC project remains the only initiative that has provided a ‘learning space’ for multi-lateral discussions related to the implementation of SDM Agreements.

Research Methods

Goals and Objectives

  1. Improve awareness and understanding of the scope and intent of SDM arrangements in British Columbia among practitioners involved in negotiation and implementation, First Nations, resource agencies and other interested parties;
  2. Facilitate the exchange of information and experience among practitioners currently involved in the development and implementation of SDM arrangements;
  3. Undertake detailed case study analyses of selected SDM arrangements, in collaboration with those directly involved;
  4. Assist in the development of tools and identification of best practices to support the negotiation and implementation of SDM arrangements in BC; and,
  5. Develop information products summarizing efforts to establish SDM arrangements in BC to inform innovation in governance in other jurisdictions.

Research Methods and Roles

Research methods used for the SDM in BC project included:

  • Development of a conceptual model, research framework & questions
  • Literature reviews, drawing from published and grey literature;
  • Semi-structured interviews, completed by telephone or in person;
  • Case study analyses, in cooperation with practitioners; and,
  • Collaborative workshops, examining specific topics and issues of shared interest.

The SDM in BC Project was led and coordinated by the Project Team. All First Nations that had completed SDM Agreements were invited to participate as collaborative research partners, with various options for the scope and timing of involvement, depending on level of interest and available resources.

Research partners and advisors

Research protocols were established with all active research partners, and consent letters completed before information gathering commenced.

First Nations research partners included representatives from:

  • Coastal First Nations
  • Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs
  • Kaska Dene Council
  • Ktunaxa Nation Council
  • Nanwakolas Council
  • Sto:lo Research and Resource Management Centre
  • Tahltan Central Council
  • Taku River Tlingit First Nation
  • Tsilhqot’in National Government

Representatives from the following BC Ministries also provided input and advice, or participated in SDM in BC Project dialogue-archives:

  • Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
  • Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resources
  • Ministry of Energy and Mines
  • Natural Resource Transformation Secretariat
  • GeoBC

Final Report

Step by Step: Final Report for the Shared Decision Making in BC Project

This document presents the findings of the SDM in BC Project, highlighting the origin of SDM Agreements and the drivers that led to their development, their scope and intent, and their strengths and weaknesses. This report also examines how lessons and insights from the negotiation and implementation of SDM Agreements might inform on-going efforts to advance reconciliation, particularly in the context of uncertainty following recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions. The Final Report concludes with proposals for next steps, including support for an ongoing community of practice.

download

Download the Executive Report

Other SDM in BC Reports

Introductory Guide: Monitoring and Evaluation of Shared Decision Making Agreements (February 2014)

An introduction to tools and approaches for monitoring and evaluation of SDM Agreements. The guide is intended for convenors, practitioners, and participants involved in the implementation of SDM Agreements, to answer the all-important question, “is this working?”

Discussion Paper: Understanding the Sharing of Decision Making in BC (December 2014)

A discussion paper exploring the meaning of the term ‘shared decision making’ as it has come to be understood in the context of negotiated agreements between the Crown and First Nations in BC and examining how different aspects of decision making related to land and resource management are currently ‘shared’ under SDM Agreements. The paper has been prepared jointly by the SDM in BC Project Team and staff from West Coast Environmental Law.

Backgrounder: G2G Engagement Models for Shared Decision Making in BC (June 2014)

An introduction to government-to-government engagement models used in SDM Agreements. These models replace or augment existing referrals processes with a consensus-seeking framework that seeks to generate shared recommendations on land and resource management activities.

Summary: Preliminary Analysis of Interview Results (June 2013)

A summary and preliminary analysis of 25 semi-structured interviews conducted with First Nation and provincial practitioners involved in the development and implementation of SDM agreements in British Columbia.

Shared Decision Making in BC: GBMF Environment Conservation Program ‘Learning Project’: Reconnaissance Report (February 2012)

A summary of preliminary research into non-treaty SDM Agreements in BC by Dovetail Consulting.

Additional SDM in BC Research Products

Other Reference Material

Selected Quotes

  • These agreements can begin to scratch at the unrealized expectations around reconciling jurisdictions. This is the ultimate constitutional question. These agreements are a small, incremental step toward that very big question."
    Provincial Practitioner

  • "Through these agreements we are able to unravel some of the complexity around authority and decision making, but we are still at an early stage. This is not all about getting to an end point, but instead, getting to a beginning point!"
    Provincial Practitioner

  • "Prior to this, how we engage was uncertain. This agreement has given us some understanding, a path that we did not previously have. In that regard it is a step in the right direction."
    First Nations Practitioner

  • "It is all about relationships. Before we started, it was uncommon for staff to meet with First Nations directly. It was intimidating at first, but now people can talk with one another and trouble shoot."
    Provincial Practitioner

  • "It's a step in the right direction."
    First Nations Practitioner

  • "The agreement would not work without the capacity to implement such an agreement. This capacity support has allowed me to develop tools that I have wanted to develop for many years - such as policy development, and capacity development of staff."
    First Nations Practitioner

  • "Without an agreement, the opportunity cost is that the good intentions of the parties to capitalize on opportunities get lost. If you have a platform - an anchor for a relationship - and if the parties are of one mind... they can pluck opportunities out of the air as they come by and can make something of them."
    Provincial practitioner

  • "Working relationships are in a completely different ballpark as a result [of this SDM Agreement]. It’s also about establishing 'recognition' and 'respect.' I am not using these terms in their strictest legal sense, but in a more colloquial context. As a result of these agreements, we on the provincial side are now acting differently."
    Provincial practitioner

Research Project Team 

Julian Griggs, Project Director

Julian is an independent consultant with 25 years experience working with First Nations, all levels of government, non-profits and private sector organizations, on issues related to land and resource management, environmental sustainability, climate and energy, and organizational development. Since 1999, he has had the privilege of working closely with the Taku River Tlingit First Nation on the development and implementation of an SDM Agreement and strategic land use plan, and has helped to facilitate several other First Nations planning processes and multi-party initiatives over the last two decades in areas such as the Muskwa Kechika, the Great Bear Rainforest and among the Northern Nations in BC. Julian holds international accreditation as a Certified Professional Facilitator, provides individual coaching for professionals, and offers regular training on conflict resolution, leadership and group facilitation.

Jenna Dunsby, Project Assistant

Jenna took on the role of Project Assistant while completing her Master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia, with a focus on collaborative governance and sustainable natural resource management. Prior to joining SDM in BC, she held project coordination and engagement-related positions at a variety of environmental non-profits across Canada. Jenna is grateful to have played a part in convening the important conversations and research efforts that took place during the lifespan of the SDM in BC Project.

Acknowledgements

The SDM in BC Project Team is deeply grateful to all of the First Nations and First Nations representatives who participated as active partners in this collaborative research initiative. Over a period of more than two years, many individual First Nation practitioners were extraordinarily generous in contributing their time, expertise and experience, sometimes travelling for several days to attend dialogue-archive sessions in Vancouver. Without their insight and guidance none of this work would have been completed. The SDM in BC Project Team also extends sincere thanks to the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation for its invaluable advice and guidance and for facilitating interviews and discussions with many individual agency staff from MARR and other resource ministries.

Thanks are also offered to Tara Marsden for helping shape the early stages of the SDM in BC project.

This project would not have been possible without generous funding provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and in particular the support of Ivan Thompson, BC Program Officer. The SDM in BC Project team is also grateful for the support and assistance from the staff at Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue, which provided a home for this initiative.

Thanks are also extended to Darcy Dobell, who provided excellent editing support for several of the final products from the project.

Finally, the SDM in BC Project Team is also indebted to the Project Advisory Committee, Mark Winston, Don Bain, and Ivan Thompson, who offered support, encouragement and sage advice at critical junctures.

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