Comprehensive Community Planning
Learn more about a planning process that is initiated, designed and implemented by the community for the community.
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What is Comprehensive Community Planning?
Comprehensive Community Planning (CCP) is a type of planning that is designed to be:
- inclusive
- culture specific
- community specific
- long term.
Text description for: Comprehensive Community Planning spiral
Phase 1 – Pre-Planning:
Pre-planning is the first phase of Comprehensive Community Planning (CCP) and its purpose is to assess whether the community is ready to start planning, inform the community and its leaders about the planning process and garner their support, and prepare the groundwork for an inclusive and effective planning process. By the end of this phase, a community will have a planning team and a CCP Champion/coordinator, a workplan to guide the process, and strategies to keep the community engaged throughout the CCP process.
Phase 2 – Planning:
Planning is the second phase of CCP and its aim is to help the community identify its vision and values, and the specific steps that will be taken in order to realize the vision. This phase is supported by the planning team and led by the community which will describe itself and establish its vision and values. After building a comprehensive planning framework that addresses all areas of community life and by the end of this phase, a CCP will be developed, vetted, and finally endorsed by the community.
Phase 3 – Implementation:
This phase involves implementing the CCP with oversight from Chief and Council and led by the community's CCP champion. Engaging the community CCP champion is one of the most successful ways to get a project started and see it through. However, the community's administration will also likely be involved in coordinating the implementation of the CCP and related day-to-day tasks. Throughout the implementation phase, the community will be engaged extensively for input through good communications, advisory committees, and focus groups.
Phase 4 – Monitoring & Evaluation:
This phase is an ongoing process that helps the community learn from efforts and be responsive to change. The community will monitor and evaluate the CCP to determine if the implementation of the policies, programs, and projects from the CCP are having the desired effects. This stage includes continued community involvement, identifying who will be responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the CCP, and having an implementation committee prepare regular evaluations and reports. This stage is necessary to ensure projects benefit the community, assess progress, make revisions, keeping the plan alive, and keeping the community excited and informed about the results.
The CCP spiral is a framework for understanding that comprehensive and holistic planning is not linear and will go through many phases.
Plans are community-driven and covers all aspects of the community. Community members come together to lay out their vision and long term goals.
Each CCP looks different, in order to reflect the unique community that created it. They often include the following sections:
- Community History and Context
- Vision
- Goals and Objectives
CCP can include, but are not limited to:
- culture and language
- education
- economy
- governance and administration
- health
- infrastructure development
- land & resources
- social
- monitoring and evaluation
Usually, it takes 2 to 5 years to complete a CCP. A community member, or Community Champion, is hired to oversee the process. Community engagement is a large part of the planning and brings together groups within the Nation such as:
- Elders
- Chief and Council
- staff
- members living in and outside of community
- youth
How to participate?
Please contact us for more information.
Community Initiative Unit
Community Development Directorate
Indigenous Services Canada, BC Region
Phone: 236-330-1562
Email: BC-CCP@sac-isc.gc.ca
Funding for Comprehensive Community Planning
Funding support for CCP is available through the following two programs:
Tools and resources
The CCP Handbook: Comprehensive Community Planning for First Nations in British Columbia is a reference tool to support First Nations interested in doing CCP. The handbook was initially developed to document the experiences of and lessons learned by five pilot communities in British Columbia. It was updated in 2013 to include tools for the drafting and implementation of a community plan.
Support is also available through the CCP Mentorship Initiative. The Initiative matches experienced mentors with CCP champions interested in initiating any stage of planning at no cost to the community. The mentors serve as experienced guides throughout the planning process guiding mentees to:
- develop work plans and meeting agendas
- engage meeting participants
- facilitate workshops
- write reports
Testimonials and success stories
Since 2004, more than 80 First Nations communities in British Columbia have completed comprehensive community plans. Here are some of their experiences:
We established a CCP committee early and held workshops and on-going technical reviews. From the beginning, we involved the community through dinners, family-head meetings, and newsletters. We ensure that meetings have a clear agenda and are fun. We focus on the progress that we make, even if it's small.
The capacity we've developed has been a good exercise for our community. Membership did not know what Comprehensive Community Planning was, and now they know and have an appreciation for it.
We established a volunteer community committee, including citizens living on and off reserve, to conduct the ongoing review of the engagement policy, make amendments and provide advice. This approach allows for the policy to be 'test-driven' and improved, or amended, if necessary.
Having the support of a mentor who has done the process, and knows the tools and tricks really helps relieve the stress. You get into the mode of "Yes, I can do it!"