Strategic Orientation

Strategic orientation is the ability to link the long-range vision of Indigenous self-determination to daily work, ranging from a simple understanding to a sophisticated awareness of the full impact of thinking and actions. It is the ability to think and operate broadly, with the goal of sustainability, to further the goals of Indigenous peoples in a way that meets the collective public interest. This also means taking responsibility to collaboratively design and implement steps to redress past harms and set frameworks in place to prevent their recurrence.

Demonstrates the Behaviour When

• Understands how the goal of Indigenous self-determination influences the work
• Understands and implements goals and strategies developed by others
• Aligns work to the BC Public Service and Indigenous government/community goals in a way that serves all provincial populations
• Thinks beyond daily activities to the future and toward sustainability
• Initiates deep Indigenous engagement in a collaborative and culturally respectful way to determine long-term issues, opportunities and direction
• Learns how success looks for Indigenous people and derives motivation from that understanding
• Integrates new information with old knowledge in a creative and insightful way
• Considers Indigenous interests and issues in the greater context of all citizens and all communities
• Seeks new ways to include and integrate Indigenous interests into a larger context
• Stays current with BC Public Service and Indigenous changes and trends (like treaty ratifications) and analyzes their impact on current and future goals
• Outlines multiple strategies with their strengths, possibilities and risks
• Maximizes what is available to move towards goal achievement
• Recognizes the network of relationships within any strategy and the impact (between the public service and Indigenous peoples, between goals, between work units and areas of the organization, between self and Indigenous peoples)
• Devises or champions small- and broad-scale strategies designed to persist across shifting political environment and resourcing fluctuations
• Looks for and leverages links and commonalities between the goals of the public service and those of Indigenous peoples
• Develops, monitors and adjusts contingency plans
• Maintains sensitivity to the multiple goals, the background and circumstance and the people served when implementing strategies
• Develops long-term goals and strategies that further the direction of the public service to support Indigenous self-determination

Needs Development When

• Uses repetitive behaviour and actions, maintaining low awareness and only meeting immediate goals
• Demonstrates little initiative to expand one's perspective
• Exhibits little or no understanding of how the goal of Indigenous self-determination drives the work
• Is in a hurry to act on a "good enough" solution without considering the impact over the long term
• Prioritizes goals of the public service without considering Indigenous self-determination goals
• Does not seek to develop the capacity to think strategically
• Cannot define the importance of understanding complex relationships as part of a strategic orientation
• Makes strategic decisions without full engagement of Indigenous peoples
• Dismisses old knowledge and uses only current information
• Fails to value and use Indigenous perspective and information
• Designs strategies based on current political climate that may not be sustainable
• Sees only differences, deficits and gaps between the goals of the public service and those of Indigenous peoples
• Is unprepared when direction change or refinement is called for
• Fails to consider potential impacts of furthering Indigenous goals on the wider population
• Demonstrates rigidity in furthering Indigenous goals when a larger community interest should also be incorporated