Governance
Your Nation's Governance. Your Authority. Your Direction.
Practical governance support for Indigenous Nations, administrations, boards and Nation-owned entities.
Your Nation sets the direction. GNPCI helps turn that direction into clear roles, practical tools, workable processes and a plan to put them into practice.
For:Chief and Council • Administration • Economic Development Corporations • Boards and Directors • Nation-Owned Businesses • Senior Leadership
GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE
Governance Should Make it Clearer Who Decides What
Clear governance is not about adding more layers or making decisions more complicated. It is about making authority, responsibility, process and accountability clear enough to be used.
Our framework focuses on that sequence, from understanding the current context through to putting agreed arrangements into use.
Who decides?
Clarify where authority sits and which decisions belong to Council, administration, boards or management.
What guides the decision?
Bring laws, policies, delegated responsibilities, values and agreed principles into the decision process.
Who needs to be involved?
Identify the people whose knowledge, rights, responsibilities or interests should shape the direction.
What happens next?
Make reporting, escalation, follow-up and implementation clear enough to be used.
WHY GNPCI
From Governance Principles to Practice
Governance frameworks can provide useful principles and direction. The challenge is often translating those principles into arrangements that are practical, clear and workable in the Nation’s actual context.
GNPCI reviewed fourteen governance frameworks. Most describe what good governance looks like, with less practical guidance on the sequence for putting agreed arrangements into practice.
Our framework focuses on that sequence, from understanding the current context through to putting agreed arrangements into use.
GNPCI brings direct experience across Council, administration, economic development, boards and Nation-owned business, where governance, community priorities, accountability and commercial responsibilities can come together.
13 of 14
focus primarily on the desired end state rather than the sequence for getting there
12 of 14
provide little practical guidance on Nation-owned business governance
Nation-Centred by Design
The Nation’s laws, values, priorities, decision-making practices and existing strengths guide the work.
A Clear, Practical Process
The five-stage framework provides a consistent sequence while allowing the work within each stage to adapt to the Nation’s priorities and context.
Clear Roles and Boundaries
GNPCI works within the agreed scope and does not replace Nation-designated authorities, Elders, Knowledge Holders, legal counsel or qualified specialists.
WHEN GOVERNANCE SUPPORT BECOMES VALUABLE
Governance Support Can Build on What is Working
It can also help a Nation prepare for growth, navigate change, work through complex decisions, or clarify how existing arrangements are meant to function.
01
A New Opportunity is Taking Shape
02
Roles or Relationships Need Clarification
Council, administration, boards, shareholder representatives and management may benefit from a shared understanding of responsibilities, decision points, reporting and how concerns are raised.
03
Leadership or Structures are Changing
An election, new CAO or CEO, board renewal, restructuring or growth may create a need to protect continuity, carry forward priorities and support a clear transition.
04
Different Priorities Need to be Weighed
A decision may involve community employment, profitability, reinvestment, risk, service expectations or other Nation priorities. Governance can help make the basis for those choices clear before pressure is high.
05
Decision-Making Needs a Consistent Process
Is there a consistent process for confirming that the right laws, policies, delegated responsibilities and procedures have been considered before a decision is made? Who is responsible for that check?
06
An Event Raises a Governance Question
Something may happen that prompts a closer look at how governance is working in practice. Looking at the roles, authority, decision-making, oversight and follow-through around the event can help identify what worked, what did not, and what may need to change.
The starting point can be a strength to build on, an opportunity, a transition, an event or a governance question the Nation wants to explore
OUR APPROACH
Build on What is Already There
Discovery considers governing documents, prior engagement and other work the Nation wants included, alongside current practices, strengths and relevant perspectives.
The Nation decides what should be carried forward, protected, clarified or changed.
the gnpci governance framework
A Clear Process. Adapted to Your Priorities
The five-stage sequence stays clear. The work within each stage is adapted to the Nation’s priorities, governance context, laws, values and the people who need to be involved.
1
DISCOVER
Build a shared picture of current strengths, governing documents, previous work the Nation wants considered, decision-making practices, relationships and operating conditions.
YOU RECEIVE
Governance context summary
2
DEFINE
Agree what the Nation wants to address or strengthen, why it matters, the intended outcome and who will confirm the direction and next steps.
YOU RECEIVE
Approved governance focus and scope
3
ENGAGE
Involve the people whose knowledge, rights, responsibilities or interests should shape the direction, using methods selected by the Nation.
YOU RECEIVE
Engagement record and confirmed direction
4
DESIGN
Co-develop only the arrangements, tools and processes needed for the agreed priorities, guided by the Nation’s laws, values, teachings, protocols and practices.
YOU RECEIVE
Draft governance tools and implementation requirements
5
IMPLEMENT
Support orientation and first use, identify adjustments and complete a clear handover or define any continuing support role.
YOU RECEIVE
Implementation and transition plan
Clear sequence. Flexible within each stage. The Nation’s direction guides the work.
Want the printable version?
Link the final governance advisory brochure here when it is ready.
1
STAGE 1
Discover
Discover
Purpose: Develop a shared picture of the Nation’s current governance context before defining issues or recommending solutions. Discovery considers relevant documents, practices and perspectives, while identifying strengths and relationships the Nation may want to protect or build on.
What We Do
- Agree on scope, participants, confidentiality and cultural protocols.
- Review governing documents such as constitutions, election codes, financial laws, land codes, board terms and shareholder structures.
- Map decision authority as formally documented and as practiced.
- Hold confidential conversations across Council, administration and Nation-owned businesses, as appropriate.
- Identify governance strengths, pressures and opportunities for further exploration.
What the Nation Receives
A plain-language governance context summary describing what was reviewed, existing strengths, where perspectives align or differ, and what remains unresolved.
No recommendations are made at this stage.
What the Nation Receives
A plain-language governance context summary describing what was reviewed, existing strengths, where perspectives align or differ, and what remains unresolved.
No recommendations are made at this stage.
2
STAGE 2
Define
Define
Purpose: Reach explicit, written agreement on what the Nation wants to address or strengthen, why it matters, the intended outcome and the scope of the engagement.
What We Do
- Present the governance context summary to the appropriate Nation leadership or governing body.
- Confirm what is accurate, incomplete or requires correction.
- Identify strengths and responsibilities the Nation wants to protect or build on.
- Separate governance priorities from matters requiring HR, legal, forensic or cultural processes.
- Prepare a written governance scope defining the focus, intended outcomes and decision-making authority.
- Obtain written approval from the authorized Nation decision-maker before moving to Stage 3.
Decision to Proceed
The engagement proceeds when the Nation’s authorized decision-makers confirm sufficient agreement and a documented basis to move forward.Full consensus is not required unless the Nation’s own laws or processes require it. Unresolved issues are recorded.
You receive:Approved governance focus and scope.
Governance Issues vs. Individual Conduct
A governance review examines structures, roles and processes, not individual conduct. Where information points to harassment, misconduct, fraud or breach of duty, GNPCI identifies that boundary and advises that a separate, independent process may be required. The Nation determines next steps.
Indicative timing: Two to four weeks, including one or more working sessions with the appropriate leadership or governing body.
3
STAGE 3
Engage
Engage
Purpose: Test and confirm the governance focus more broadly, and ensure that those whose knowledge, rights, responsibilities or interests are affected can shape the direction. The Nation determines the appropriate level and form of engagement.
Community Gatherings
Make the process visible and allow people to hear from one another. Additional options may be needed for those who prefer not to speak publicly.
Workshops and Focus Groups
Support deeper discussion with skilled facilitation so a small number of voices do not dominate the conversation.
Surveys
Reach members across different locations and schedules. For significant governance matters, surveys are strongest when combined with dialogue opportunities.
One-to-One Conversations
Support sensitive or confidential participation. Themes can be summarized in a way that protects confidentiality while maintaining accountability.
Online Engagement
Expand participation for members who cannot attend in person, with additional options where connectivity or digital access is limited.
What the Nation Receives
Engagement record and confirmed direction.
The record reflects the methods used, key themes, areas of alignment or difference, and the direction confirmed by the Nation.
Indicative timing: Four to twelve weeks, depending on the scale and form of engagement selected by the Nation.
4
STAGE 4
Design
Design
Purpose: Co-develop the governance arrangements, tools and processes required to carry out the Nation’s approved direction. Only the components required for the approved governance focus are developed. The Nation’s laws, teachings, values, language, protocols and decision-making practices guide the design.
Decision-Making Filter
A standing test for what the Nation and its entities will and will not do, drawing from laws and policies, non-negotiable values, applicable principles and learning from past decisions.
Conflict of Interest Process
A practical process for actual, perceived and foreseeable conflicts, beginning with prevention and declaration, followed by discussion and a documented response.
Board and Director Architecture
Board purpose, composition, independence criteria, nomination, terms, performance expectations, evaluation, accountability and fair removal processes.
Council and Administration Roles
Clear roles for Council direction, delegated authority, reporting and oversight, including documented escalation routes when concerns arise.
Nation-Owned Business Governance
Nation-defined roles for owner, board and management, with clear distinctions between shareholder authority, board governance and operational management.
Reporting, Risk and Alignment
Reporting cycles, information access, risk identification and treatment, and review of whether governance instruments are recognizable and workable within the Nation’s context.
What the Nation Receives
Draft governance tools and implementation requirements
Outputs are written in plain language and prepared for the Nation’s cultural, legal, technical and approval processes where those processes apply.
Indicative timing: Six to sixteen weeks, depending on the number and complexity of tools or arrangements required.
5
STAGE 5
Implement
Implement
Purpose: Support the Nation to put governance instruments, processes and responsibilities into practice, learn from their use, and complete a clear handover or continue in a defined support role. Governance documents do not create change on their own. The Nation owns implementation.
What We Do
- Review final instruments against the Stage 2 focus, the Nation’s laws and intended outcomes.
- Co-develop an implementation plan with responsibilities, timelines and decision points.
- Provide orientation and training for those implementing or overseeing new arrangements.
- Support first use of new governance processes where requested.
- Complete a documented handover including tools, key decisions and outstanding work.
Decision to Proceed
- Scheduled implementation reviews.
- Coaching for chief executives, board chairs, Council or senior leadership.
- Facilitation of board, Council or community sessions during transition.
- Targeted support to revise tools after they have been tested in practice.
You receive:Implementation and transition plan.
Indicative timing: Two to four weeks for implementation planning and handover. Continuing support is arranged separately at the Nation’s request.
Clear roles and boundaries
GNPCI Brings Structure and Practical Support
The Nation's Authority Remains with the Nation
Good governance support includes clarity about where authority, knowledge and professional responsibility belong. GNPCI works within the agreed scope and does not replace Nation-designated authorities, Elders, Knowledge Holders, legal counsel or qualified specialists.
Work
Led, Reviewed or Completed By
Final legal drafting of laws, bylaws, constitutions and corporate instruments
Legal counsel retained by the Nation
Privacy, information-sharing and data governance agreements
Qualified privacy or legal counsel, with the Nation defining ownership, access and permitted use.
Nation law, oral knowledge, cultural teachings, language and protocols
Elders, Knowledge Holders, Nation-designated authorities and community-led processes.
Formal investigations involving harassment, misconduct or breach of duty
Independent HR, legal, cultural or investigative professionals selected through a Nation process.
Forensic accounting or fraud allegations
Qualified financial, audit, legal or forensic specialists.
Financial administration and taxation law review or approval
FNFMB, FNTC, legal counsel and Nation financial authorities, as applicable.
Land code and land governance processes
The appropriate Nation authority, supported by qualified land governance or legal advisors.
Discovery is Guided, Not Scripted
These are examples of questions that may guide discovery. They are not a fixed interview script and are adapted with the Nation before use. Discovery begins with strengths, existing authority and what is already working before moving into areas that may require attention.
01
Nation Authority and Governance Foundations
02
Council and Administration Relationship
03
Nation-Owned Business
04
Relationships, Trust and Accountability
05
Information and Decision-Making
06
Continuity, Legitimacy and Nation Alignment
The purpose of each conversation, confidentiality limits, how information will be used, and each person’s choice to participate should be made clear before discovery begins.
Start with a conversation
Tell us what you are working through
Tell us what you want to strengthen, what is changing, or what opportunity or governance question you are working through. We can help identify a practical starting point and whether a governance engagement aligns with your priorities.