Indigenous Business Studies (INBU) 461

Overview

INBU 461: Indigenous Community Planning and Economic Development I looks at the processes by which people in a community become wealthier, healthier, and better educated and have access to a higher standard of living within the context of an Indigenous worldview and culture. The course is built on a framework of evidence-based research and case studies developed by the Harvard Project and Canadian experience. The framework is based on a strategic approach that incorporates nation building, culture, governance, infrastructure, and capacity building. Topics include the importance of good governance and the separation of business from politics, culture as a success factor, building human capital and cooperative networks, using resources and economic diversification, and best or wise practices in economic development.

The course provides leaders, economic developers, and community members with the skills, knowledge, and approaches that help Indigenous communities succeed. Understanding the bases of sustainable Indigenous economies will help chart the way forward, founded on Indigenous values, culture, and history. Culture is critical to successful economic development plans and approaches. Past economic plans have failed when community history, values, and culture were not at the heart of economic development. This is drawn from lessons learned in Canada and internationally. Leaders learn that interfering in day-to-day operations is a road to failure and that the role of leaders is to engage the community and support the economic needs and priorities by articulating a community vision.

The course contributes to building community capacity in key areas of Indigenous economic development: infrastructure, human capital, economic development officers, community profiles, securing funds, and economic diversification. Finally, the course develops your skills and knowledge in planning and documentation: hiring consultants, writing concept plans and briefing notes, and re-examining Indigenous economic development.

This course aligns with and can be taken simultaneously with INBU 462: Indigenous Community Planning and Economic Development II.

Outline

Part 1: The Context of Indigenous Economic Development

• Lesson 1: History
• Lesson 2: Culture
• Lesson 3: Governance

Part 2: The Building Community Capacity

• Lesson 4: Indigenous Economic Development
• Lesson 5: Infrastructure
• Lesson 6: Human Capital
• Lesson 7: The Responsibilities of an Economic Development Officer
• Lesson 8: The Community Profile
• Lesson 9: Securing Funds
• Lesson 10: Economic Diversification

Part 3: Planning and Documentation

• Lesson 11: RPFs and Consultants
• Lesson 12: Concept Plans, Business Cases, and Briefing Notes
• Lesson 13: Defining Economic Development

Learning outcomes

After completing this course, students should be able to do the following:

• explain how good governance is key to economic development
• discuss the incorporation of culture as a success factor
• give examples of ways to build community capacity and develop human capital
• discuss the use of resources and economic diversification
• describe the activities typically carried out by an economic development officer
• complete the steps to writing a community profile
• complete the steps to writing a request for proposal (RFP)
• complete the steps to writing a briefing note
• complete the steps to writing a concept plan
• complete the steps to writing a basic economic development plan

Evaluation

Your final grade in INBU 461 is determined by a weighted average of the grades you receive on five written assignments and a final exam. To receive credit for INBU 461, you must achieve a minimum grade of 50 percent on the final exam and an overall grade of D (50 percent) or better for the entire course.

The weightings for each assignment and the exam are as follows:

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.

Materials

This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.

All materials are available online either through links provided in the study guide, via the library or the digital reading room.

Important links

• Academic advising
• Program planning
• Request assistance
• Support services