Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Project · 2008-06-11 · Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Project March 30th, 2007 MoCreebec Non-Profit

Cree Village

Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Project

March 30, 2007

an application to Workplace Skills Initiative (Second Call for Proposals)

Name of Applicant

MoCreebec Non-Profit Development Corporation Name of Project

Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Project

Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Project March 30th, 2007

MoCreebec Non-Profit Development Corporation page 2

Executive Summary & Background The Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Project is an initiative of our MoCreebec Non-Profit Development Corporation. Cree Village Ecolodge is our major project project partner. MoCreebec has a mandate for overall community economic development, while Cree Village Ecolodge operates a world-class ecotourism operation with 20 guest rooms and dining for 60. Additional partners include Georgian College and Cedar Meadows Resort. Our proposed project builds upon work carried out over the past decade by our MoCreebec entity, by the Moose Factory Tourism Association, and by our community’s Cree Village Ecolodge since 2000. Our project also builds on the FirstHost training program for Aboriginal Tourism developed in British Columbia. Through this proposed project, we will develop an Aboriginal tourism skills training and learning system at Cree Village Ecolodge that will help

(1) transform the lives of our low-skilled workers through skills training and support for personal and professional development,

(2) transform our workplace at Cree Village Ecolodge into a ‘centre of excellence’ for Aboriginal tourism skills development and learning for low-skilled workers, and

(3) help transform the Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism industry, and the broader tourism industry, by providing a successful model for skills development for low-skilled workers.

Our community of MoCreebec opened the Cree Village Ecolodge for business on July 15, 2000. This beautiful $6-million dollar facility is one of the first Aboriginal developed and owned ecolodges in the world, as well as one of the first ecolodges in North America (www.creevillage.com). Cree Village Ecolodge has won major national and international awards; including being listed in 2005 as one of the Top Ten Eco-destinations in North America by Natural Home Magazine, and, winning the Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s 2005 Air Canada Business of the Year Award. Our project will be carried out in three broad steps:

Step One: Research and Program Design - further research & detailed design of our skills transformation program drawing

on the latest national tourism skills development research, specific tourism and ecotourism industry requirements for Aboriginal communities, in general, and the specific situation for our low-skilled workers, our Cree Village Ecolodge business and our community of Moose Factory in north-eastern Ontario, including all lessons learned from our past projects.

Step Two: Pilot Implementation and Evaluation - pilot implementation, evaluation, modification and further implementation of our

skills transformation program.

Step Three: Final Program Documentation and Final Project Evaluation - preparation of final program documents designed to meet the current and future

needs of Cree Village Ecolodge, and for much needed broader application in the Aboriginal tourism, ecotourism and mainstream tourism industry.

- final project evaluation and assessment by an independent third party.



Our proposed transformation project reflects an important new approach to developing worker skills for rural and remote communities where the labour pool is predominantly low-skilled, where economic opportunities are limited, and where Aboriginal tourism and/or ecotourism represent a very important economic opportunity. Within various tourism industry reports over the last decade, there has been an increasing focus on the significant and growing international demand market demand for ecotourism and adventure tourism products, particularly when mixed with Aboriginal culture and heritage. There is a growing recognition of the need for more high quality product, and many rural, remote and/or Aboriginal communities are now pursuing tourism and ecotourism development. Much of the tourism industry research published has identified broad areas of need in response to the rapidly rising demand. Despite its fundamental importance, Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism skills training is usually relegated to a minor mention in each report or study, if it is mentioned at all. A good example of this is the ‘Best Practices in Aboriginal Tourism 2004’ report by Raincoast Ventures – covering marketing, product development, industry development and industry partnership – with skills development and human resources noticeably absent. In terms of general tourism industry human resource materials and reports, there is an extensive collection available by sources such as the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council who publish “national occupational standards” for dozens of tourism occupations, including relevant ones such as Heritage Interpreters and Outdoor Adventure Guides. To our knowledge, based on our research to date, the only Aboriginal tourism skills development research and program is the Aboriginal FirstHost program developed in British Columbia under the leadership of Sandra White (former head of Aboriginal Tourism BC and former Canadian Tourism Commission board member). In 1998, our community worked with local partners Moose Cree First Nation and the Moose Factory Tourism Association, to bring Sandra White to our community to offer the FirstHost program to our area. FirstHost was developed based on work done in Hawaii with Indigenous communities and is presented in the form of one-day workshops with “learning circles” focusing on the history of Aboriginal hospitality, tourism leadership development, respect, building relationships between host and guest, and generally promoting a tourism business philosophy based on traditional Aboriginal values. Our effort with FirstHost including the training and certification of our Moose Factory Tourism Association (MFTA) coordinator Laurie Philip. FirstHost is an excellent program, though limited in delivery scope. In 1999, given the lack of appropriate skills training programs for Aboriginal tourism, we undertook an Aboriginal Hospitality & Ecotourism Employment Training (AHEET) study with our local Moose Factory tourism industry partners. Designed to support the launch of Cree Village Ecolodge, and other related tourism facilities under development (Fur Trader Village at Moose Factory and Washow James Bay Wilderness Centre), the AHEET study had funding through HRDC and Mushkegowuk Employment Training Services (METS). The goal of our AHEET project was to secure high levels of Aboriginal employment in the expanding Moose Factory ecotourism industry, and to enhance the quality and success of Aboriginal ecotourism business development efforts leading to further employment opportunities. The project included a community consultation study to determine the level of interest in pursuing ecotourism as an industry, and documented current and traditional approaches to hospitality in Cree society.



Our AHEET approach was taken as the basis of ongoing training that will contribute to the development of a local workforce which can successfully deliver Aboriginal ecotourism products and services that are authentic and in keeping with our culture, our traditions and our special relationship with the land. The AHEET study outcomes included increased awareness in our community regarding the potential for ecotourism development, and preliminary guidelines for appropriate training program development. In 2001, again building on our past efforts, we undertook a MoCreebec project called the Cree Village Ecolodge Training Study. This was carried out in the context of the Cree Village Ecolodge early operations and involved facilitators working closely with management and staff to establish dialogue and gain a detailed understanding of the dynamics and level of knowledge and awareness of all workers within the lodge, and identified desired improvements in the workplace environment, and its operational effectiveness and efficiency. Our final report listed essential workplace skills areas of prime relevance to an Aboriginal ecotourism facility such as ours in three areas:

1. Aboriginal hospitality, ecotourism, personal development & cultural representation a. Aboriginal hospitality b. ecotourism c. personal growth and development d. cultural representation

2. Hospitality occupational skills e. worker safety and emergency training f. certification g. departmental training needs – kitchen, dining room, housekeeping, front desk, maintenance,

landscaping and grounds maintenance 3. Guest tour/program development and delivery

h. cultural programming i. tour hosting j. prioritizing ecolodge programming k. understanding guest expectations, code of ethics for facility and guests … l. equipment and material needs m. certification/license requirements

In the last five years, we have continued with various partnership tourism industry development efforts. For example, we administered a project in 2003/04 to further develop the Moose Factory Tourism Association with funding support from FedNor. This was followed in 2005/06 with capital projects related to the Fur Trader Village at Moose Factory including improvements to three historic buildings that are related to Moose Factory’s rich history as one of the most important Hudson Bay posts in Canada. In 2006, we initiated a Cree Village Ecolodge Enhancements and Improvements project. This project began in December 2006 and is ongoing now, with funding support from FedNor. Major findings to date by the project consultants (MacLeod Farley & Associates) include the following:

– lack of staff capacity within Cree Village Ecolodge – personal issues for the low skilled workers have been leading to high levels of worker ‘burn

out’ and high turn-over rates, leading to increased stress and demands on remaining staff – low skilled worker capacity needs to be improved through skills training hand-in-hand with

personal development support to deal with evident social issues – Cree Village Ecolodge management needs to accept high turn-over rates as a reality, and

develop the ability and systems to effectively address this on an ongoing basis



All of our tourism skills development research and our projects to date reinforce the fact that rural and remote communities, particularly Aboriginal communities like our own, require a new approach to worker skills development and learning. The Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism industry has extensive demand for product, but supply of high quality services is hampered by the evident lack of effective approaches for skills development that are in keeping with the industry requirements combined with the present reality of low-skilled workers available to work at our tourism facilities. It is vitally important to understand that Cree Village Ecolodge, like all Aboriginal tourism facilities, are in a competitive labour force market, where government jobs at First Nation offices, hospitals and other institutions attract our highest skilled people with higher wage, higher benefit positions. For staffing our tourism operations, especially for the non-management positions, this leaves us with a pool of low-skilled workers to draw upon – who also happen to be members of our families, extended families and communities, and who are seeking and deserving of meaningful employment opportunities so they can support their families in an independent manner. Worker skills enhancement programs must address the specific, industry standard occupational skills, as well as the knowledge and skills related to Aboriginal ecotourism and tourism, many of which are culturally and geographically specific. Most of all, however, an effective training program for our communities must address the personal challenges for individual workers that have evolved out of many generations of loss and dependency for Aboriginal peoples in Canada. In the last century, for example, our people have experienced the loss of our traditional livelihood, the movement to reserves, and forced attendance at residential schools. As with any society whose development is obstructed by outside forces, this has resulted in severe social issues. High rates of alcoholism, drug and solvent abuse, and domestic violence have lead to continuing cycles of dependency, frustration, anger, despair and abuse. The low-skilled worker of Moose Factory, in keeping with most other remote and rural Aboriginal communities, comes to work every day out of this socio-historical context, and any program designed for worker success must take this social reality into consideration. Along with our local partners, our MoCreebec community has have developed an overall vision for the Moose Factory tourism industry based on sharing the region’s rich cultural, historical, and natural heritage with the world, while providing much-needed economic benefits for community members, for our region, and beyond. Our community envisions a future where we have restored health, pride and self-sufficiency and where there is ample employment and a vibrant economy. It is clear to us that Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism is key to achieving our positive vision. It is also clear to us that our present tourism and ecotourism labour force are predominately low skilled workers who require a new approach to skills development and, indeed, skills transformation, for individual workers, for our business workplaces including Cree Village Ecolodge and for our industry.



Objectives What this proposed project will achieve Through this proposed project, we will develop an Aboriginal tourism skills training and learning system at Cree Village Ecolodge that will help

(1) transform the lives of our low-skilled workers at Cree Village Ecolodge through skills training and support for personal and professional development,

(2) transform our workplace at Cree Village Ecolodge into a ‘centre of excellence’ for Aboriginal tourism skills development and learning for low-skilled workers, and

(3) help transform the Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism industry, and the broader tourism industry, by providing a successful model for skills development for low-skilled workers.

Our proposed transformation project reflects an important new approach to developing worker skills for rural and remote communities where the labour pool is predominantly low-skilled, where economic opportunities are limited, where social conditions are challenging, and where Aboriginal tourism and/or ecotourism represents a key economic opportunity. In terms of ‘hard results’, this project will produce two major documents:

1. For ongoing internal use, the Cree Village Ecolodge Aboriginal Ecotourism Skills Transformation System Binders that will include all staff development materials created in the project including employee handbooks and training materials. This will be a ‘living document’ that will be central to human resources for the ecolodge.

2. For external use, a Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Manual

that documents the history of the project, and explains in a step-by-step process how the materials and approach can be applied to other projects elsewhere in Canada. This will be an incredible resource for much needed broader application in the Aboriginal tourism, ecotourism and mainstream tourism industry.

Rationale and Benefits for Partners and Stakeholders As noted in the background section, Cree Village Ecolodge is the winner of numerous national and international awards as a world-class ecotourism facility. This recognition speaks to our patient and purposeful effort to design and develop Cree Village Ecolodge, from 1995 through to 2000, in a manner which was in keeping with our community vision and aspirations, and in tune with market demands for ecotourism. With seven years of operations experience, we clearly acknowledge the extensive learning that has taken place for our community, our lodge management and our staff in many, many areas. Back in the late 1990’s, our chief, Randy Kapashesit, used to tell our facility planners that “building it is the easy part - the hard work will be operating the lodge”. Despite the facility design and construction challenges these words have stood the test of time, and we certainly face many challenges in operating an Aboriginal ecotourism facility, particularly with regards to human resources and dealing effectively with our pool of low-skilled workers available for our tourism facility. Staff-turnover is an ongoing challenge, with over 280 people having worked at our facility over the last seven years. This represents 40 people every year to keep our present 6 full-time and 11 part time staff positions filled.



As noted earlier, the ongoing Cree Village Ecolodge Enhancements and Improvements project has identified that Cree Village Ecolodge is currently faced with (1) a lack of staff capacity, (2) personal issues for the low skilled workers have been leading to high levels of worker ‘burn out’ and high turn-over rates, leading to increased stress and demands on remaining staff, (3) low skilled worker capacity needs to be improved through skills training hand-in-hand with personal development support to deal with evident social issues, and (4) we need to accept high turn-over rates as a reality, and develop the ability and systems to effectively address this on an ongoing basis. For MoCreebec Non-Profit, as the lead applicant, and for our major partner Cree Village Ecolodge, we have jointly designed this project to address these critical areas of need which are all related to our low-skilled worker labour pool. This critical areas of need is key to our business viability, and our ability to affectively address it will, quite simply, determiner whether or not or business operations are able to continue over time. Our partner Georgian College has an ongoing interest in hospitality training. Our community has had dealings with various Ontario college institutions over the last seven years, and Georgian has proved to be the most capable college for our general hospitality training needs. Georgian recognizes the limitation of current training approaches for our community and for others remote and rural Aboriginal communities through years of practice. They have expressed a real desire to work with us to develop innovative approaches and systems to address human resource needs for our facility, and they have a strong interest in taking the lessons learned from our project to other communities in the years ahead. Our other partner, Cedar Meadows Resort, is a Timmins based private operator with a specific interest in the financial success of their own business venture success. We have cultivated a mutually beneficial relationship over the last few years, and we work together informally and formally when possible on joint tourism packages. We have a similar high quality of facility which is rare in the north, and we anticipate indirect benefits from each other’s success over time. This project is not critical to the success of Cedar Meadows Resort. However, Cedar Meadows is looking forward to participating as an advisor, to providing a professional location for worker placements, and to learning from the entire project. Lessons learned in our project will certainly also be applied to the Cedar Meadows operation, as human resources is an ongoing challenge for all tourism operators including Cedar Meadows. The key stakeholder for our project is our employees at Cree Village Ecolodge, most of whom are low-skilled workers. For our employees at Cree Village Ecolodge, this project is needed to enable them to transform themselves personally and professionally, over time, for their own direct benefit and such that Cree Village Ecolodge can be commercially viable overall. Other stakeholders include our community members of MoCreebec Council of the Cree Nation, our broader community on Moose Factory Island (including Moose Cree First Nation), our Mushkegowuk Region, and our Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism industry. Broader stakeholders would include other rural and remote communities, the tourism industry and other service industries. For our community, the lodge operations and the employee positions are central to our current and future economy. More broadly, the success of Cree Village Ecolodge to date has had a transformational effect already on our people – increasing their pride, self-esteem and self-confidence by having a recognized world-class facility designed and developed by our own



community. The success of our proposed project will further reinforce this positive impact, which will have many positive spin-off benefits, in terms of our economy, as well as culturally and socially. Our broader community of Moose Factory, has been taking a leadership role in Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism development through the work of the Moose Factory Tourism Association and its Aboriginal Tourism & Ecotourism Employment Training project (AHEET), through Moose Cree First Nation and its long-standing Cree Cultural Organization and the proposed Washow James Bay Wilderness Centre (under construction), and our own community’s award-winning Cree Village Ecolodge. Together we have long recognized the need for a greater emphasis on tourism skills development, and, despite the economic barriers common to northern Aboriginal communities like ours, we have slowly been making progress in this regard. The aforementioned AHEET project (1998-99) provided a first step to the development of an authentically Cree brand of tourism by studying traditional hospitality practices. Subsequently, at MoCreebec took a more focused look at this question in conjunction with the opening of our Cree Village Ecolodge in 2000 through our 2001 CVE Preliminary Training Study. In addition to addressing the immediate training needs of major partner Cree Village Ecolodge, our key stakeholder employees, and the broader Moose Factory’s tourism industry, we also foresee the development of our skills transformation package as being of critical importance for Aboriginal tourism training programs and Aboriginal tourism development right across Canada. According to the recent National Study on Aboriginal Tourism in Canada, demand for Aboriginal tourism is outpacing capacity: “There is great potential to increase Aboriginal tourism activities and at the same time contribute to the wealth creation, economic development and self-reliance of Aboriginal people and communities in all provinces/territories in Canada” “Building a National Tourism Strategy,” Industry Canada, 2006 One of the critical factors for increasing industry capacity is ensuring that Aboriginal tourism ventures are staffed by workers whose skills meet industry standards of excellence. And yet, little has been done to date to address the very unique situation of rural and remote Aboriginal communities who are investing in a tourism-based economy. In 2002 the Northern Ontario Native Tourism Association made very specific recommendations towards addressing this situation:

Fundamental tourism training and cross-cultural training are essential components of delivering a quality tourism product. A training program specifically designed for First Nations called FirstHost … should be made available to communities throughout Northern Ontario. (source: 2002 “Aboriginal Tourism Development

Strategic Plan for Northern Ontario”) For all rural and remote Aboriginal communities, ecotourism and tourism represents a critical economic opportunity but the success of everyone’s efforts is dependent upon the available low-skilled labour pools in our communities. Therefore, our project can be of critically importance to these efforts and the positive impacts of our project can and should be far-reaching. The tourism industry in general can benefit from the lessons learned and materials developed through our project. We anticipate that non-native tourism operations in other rural and remote areas may face similar labour pool challenges with regards to low-skilled workers, and our approach may be applicable to some of these operations.



Beyond the tourism industry, our findings and approach may also be applicable for other industry workplaces across Canada – particularly in other service industries – whether rural, remote or urban, and whether Aboriginal or otherwise. There are many locations in Canada with challenging low-skilled worker conditions and aspects of our project outcomes may have broad applicability. In sum, the need is great for our community and industry, and the potential benefits very significant for our workers, for our partner Cree Village Ecolodge, for our community and region, and more broadly for our industry and for other workers and workplaces right across Canada. Project objectives

Overall Project Goal: To develop an Aboriginal tourism skills training and learning system at Cree Village

Ecolodge that will (1) provide our low skilled workers with the training and learning support they need to dramatically improve their work, (2) transform Cree Village Ecolodge into a ‘centre of excellence’ for Aboriginal tourism skills development and learning, and (3) help transform the Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism industry, and the broader tourism industry, by providing a successful model for skills development.

Project Key Objectives 1. Enhance the performance of low-skilled workers and workers in low-skill occupations

within Cree Village Ecolodge and the Moose Factory tourism industry. 2. Establish Aboriginal tourism industry training guidelines based on Aboriginal tourism

traditions and community values, and building on the knowledge gained by previous Aboriginal Tourism training initiatives in our community and elsewhere, and on national tourism industry occupational standards;

3. The development of a successful model for Aboriginal Ecotourism skills transformation

training for use by other Aboriginal communities and businesses – one which provides a clear path for others to develop an ongoing skills and learning environment that is immersed in and reinforces the community traditions and culture, while achieving the highest international standards of tourism and ecotourism service.

How our project objectives fit your 2007 WSI call for proposals Our proposal matches your objective for a ‘low-skilled worker’ focus. It is a demand driven project initiated by our lead applicant, MoCreebec, and our major partner, Cree Village Ecolodge, both of whom are eligible organizations, in the target program category of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, our project meets all of your stated priorities. We also meet all of your program criteria as follows: partnership-based, applicants and partner providing minimum of 25% of eligible costs, willing and capable to share results, promising, demand-driven and targeted to Canadian employers and their workers, developing worker skills and Human Resource tools and practices for the workplace, and building on current and leading HR trends addressing a critical skills gaps in a growing and critically important economic sector. Finally, our focus on low-skilled workers is also in sync with your call for proposals, given our emphasis on the development, testing and sharing of a new approach for enhancing the employability and skills of low-skilled workers and workers in low-skill occupations, to meet employer needs.



Project Description

Project Approach We have designed this project in response to the needs of the Cree Village Ecolodge and the Moose Factory tourism industry labour pool. The Skills Transformation Program we develop here is also being designed to be an important model and guide for other Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism efforts, and the broader tourism industry. As Aboriginal ecotourism operators, we are very focused on creating meaningful and rewarding guest experiences. We try to ensure that our guests have a seamless experience, from marketing and first contact with us, through booking and travel here, to reception on-site, ensuring basic needs are addressed as well as guest comfort and satisfaction through dining, accommodations and programming, ending with departure and return travel. Through this proposed project, we seek to bring the Cree Village Ecolodge workplace into this same mode of hospitality, this time applied to all of our staff who are predominantly low-skilled workers. We will develop systems and procedures for Cree Village Ecolodge (and for others afterwards) so that we can skillfully and systematically recruit, orient, train, support, and when possible advance internally or encourage departure to further personal or professional development opportunities. We need to move from our current 'ad-hoc' approach, with mixed results, to a professional, systematic and effective approach which is in keeping with the demands of our industry and the reality of our low skilled labour force. We have known from the beginning that successful operations depends on attracting sufficient clientele to our facility as guests and providing the appropriate and complete experience. Now we are ready to transform Cree Village Ecolodge into a facility which also creates the appropriate environment and experience for our workers through this Skills Transformation Project.

Project Management Guiding Principles The guiding principles of the project are as follows;

1. features a strong leadership role by senior staff and management that provides a model for all workers in terms of a values-centred, individual needs and greater community focus;

2. utilizes a participatory approach of program design and development involving input at strategic intervals from all partners and stakeholders;

3. supports the development of a coherent, shared vision for Cree Village Ecolodge and its worker skills program with an emphasis on transforming the workplace and the workers to become highly skilled, productive and competitive;

4. results in the design, testing and further development of an effective and appropriate tourism skills development and transformation program that will • be guided by Aboriginal cultural values, both in development and implementation; • reflect the community’s approach to Aboriginal community-building; • reflect the need and desire to provide world-class ecotourism and tourism services;

People are our organization, and our organization’s success depends upon people working together as a community —on their relationships with each other, on mutual respect, on occupational skills, and on the development and maintenance of a professional, human-centred workplace environment that is supportive of our worker’s personal and professional development requirements.



We seek to provide opportunities to engage all workers at Cree Village Ecolodge to transform our work place to become a learning and personal development culture that will lend itself to the development of dynamic, healthy, and effective organization where:

• actions and decisions are guided by an appreciation of the importance of communities in organizational life and where managing is focused on building and sustaining relationships

• gaining knowledge and developing skills helps empower individuals to understand their own role and importance, and to act effectively and responsibly within the organization

• we all recognize that the organizations exist through collaboration, and that by working together people can accomplish things that they cannot do individually —the organization encourages the development of collaborative relationships in order to draw strength from the diverse knowledge, experience and capabilities

• every person and every role is respected — all involved strive to recognize, acknowledge, and respect others’ responsibility, experience, authority, capabilities, insight, expertise and judgment — each taking personal responsibility for their roles, while developing the capacity to act as a leader in different situations when required – in keeping with our Aboriginal traditions of situational leadership

Three Step Workplan Our three-step workplan will generate an Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Program that is innovative and effective, while being consistent with our Aboriginal culture and values, each worker’s personal and professional development requirements and healthy community development.

Step One: Research & Program Design Step Two: Program Implementation & Evaluation Step Three: Final Program Documentation and Final Evaluation

Step One: Research & Program Design

The purpose of Step One of is to engage all persons involved in the Cree Village Ecolodge – through education, consultation and dialogue— in a structured, collaborative design and development process, resulting in a comprehensive Aboriginal tourism skills transformation program. Step One Objectives

1. to launch the project by establishing a Project Steering Committee (made up of partners including MoCreebec, Cree Village Ecolodge, Georgian College and Cedar Meadows Resort), by reviewing project plans, and agreeing on clear roles and responsibilities, expectations and timing;

2. to hire the project staff and consultants; 3. to establish a structured and facilitated approach to program design and

development; 4. to design an Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Program ready for pilot

testing. Step One Activities 1. recruitment of a Project Manager from our community, and an outside consultant with

expertise in Aboriginal Tourism and human resource development



2. launch the Project Steering Committee, made up of representatives from MoCreebec Non-Profit Development Corporation, Cree Village Ecolodge, Georgian College and Cedar Meadows Resort

3. research, information sharing & consultation The Project Manager, working closely with staff, management (Lodge Manager, Head Cook, Head Server) and the project consultant, will begin by:

a. examining the current relationships, assumptions and expectations between and among staff and management regarding ecolodge operations, management and skills requirements

b. reviewing previous Aboriginal tourism and training projects and studies carried out in Moose Factory;

c. gathering relevant information on ecotourism and hospitality skills development from a variety of industry and government sources

d. organizing a Project Launch Conference to be held in Moose Factory within the first month of the project

4. project launch joint session A two-day meeting will be organized to bring stakeholders and resource people together for the purpose of finalizing the parameters and guidelines for the development of the Skills Transformation Program. The project consultant will assist with facilitation. The objectives of the two day session will be:

a. to review and finalize the project’s plans, goals, work plan and timing b. to finalize roles and responsibilities c. to review the specific conditions and needs of the workers and other stakeholders d. to establish parameters for program design –specifically, how the status quo

regarding tourism training can be adapted to meet the needs of, and within the social and cultural context of, the ecolodge and Moose Factory’ low-skilled workers

5. preliminary program design workshops During this stage of the project the Project Manager will coordinate a series of design workshops to assemble and adapt training modules and processes in each of the designated skill areas. Workshops will be facilitated by the Project Manager and will involve ecolodge management and key staff, along with guidance from Steering Committee members, and utilizing professional assistance where required. As part of this design stage, key individuals within the CVE operation will be sent out to begin a series of work placements at other established tourism facilities to observe their best practices (i.e. Cedar Meadows Resort, Black River Golf Resort – to be confirmed). During the development of each module particular attention will be made to devising methods of delivery suitable to the cultural, social, linguistic (English as a second dialect) background of the participants.

Workshop Series 1: Cree Hospitality, ecotourism, personal development and cultural

representation Module 1.1 Cree hospitality

defining Cree values and practice; defining “hospitality” creating the experience including welcoming visitors and creating relationships



traditional knowledge – educational opportunities for guests language skills; i.e. understanding “y” dialect names of birds, animals, etc. learning area history and understanding Cree history communication skills

cross-cultural interaction (e.g. FirstHost training) self-confidence in dealing with guests ability to handle customer complaints, expectations customer service (i.e. telephone courtesy, guest services)

knowledge of CVE products and services Module 1.2 Ecotourism

defining ecotourism and Cree values; how CVE fits into the overall industry defining guidelines, code of ethics for CVE, guests learning more about local, regional, national ecotourism businesses,

organisations learning about ecolodges elsewhere in the world

Module 1.3 Personal growth and development communication skills – understanding roles and responsibilities of job;

understanding each other’s expectations, assumptions team-building and leadership development (community-building) counselling and accessible resources (e.g. stress management) understanding confidentiality and respect conflict resolution sharing knowledge (i.e. local history, environment etc.) self-confidence and self-esteem

Module 1.4 Cultural representation critical analysis and communications strategies cross-cultural awareness and interaction cultural knowledge and sharing our culture; defining what is acceptable and

not acceptable for sharing understanding and dealing with racism creating learning environment and being open-minded understanding history, issues of “selling culture”, “how things have

transpired, leading to symptoms like language loss (e.g.)” speaking for ourselves; having Cree and ecolodge standards, Cree principles

relflected in “ecotourism” Workshop Series 2: Hospitality occupational skills

Module 2.1 Worker safety and emergency training cpr/first aid; WHMIS; food safety maintenance of indoor environment (e.g. dust control)

Module 2.2 Kitchen & dining room supplies and equipment needs, costing and inventory control food safety and hygiene; i.e. food handling course food preparation and Aboriginal cuisine, communication with front staff supplies and material needs, strong interpersonal skills food safety and hygiene menu knowledge – especially Aboriginal cuisine



service and efficiency techniques, stress management during rush times communication with kitchen staff, customer service

Module 2.3 Front desk & housekeeping equipment and material needs, interpersonal skills and guest relations knowledge of each department function, duties, supplies hospitality and interpersonal skills, computerized reservations system

Module 2.4 Maintenance & grounds keeping environmental systems, naturalized landscaping sharing knowledge of plant species with guests

Workshop Series 3: Guest tour/program development and delivery

Module 3.1 Cultural programming sharing traditional knowledge, values, skills; utilizing local resource people,

elders demonstrations, teachings (e.g. setting up tepee, shabatwon) promoting an understanding of Moose Factory community, history,

Aboriginal ecolodge development, modern environmental practices and how they reflect traditional ways, etc.

Module 3.2 Tour hosting communication skills, cross-cultural awareness interpersonal skills, conflict resolution (e.g. customer complaints) knowledge of CVE products and technologies, background etc. understanding guest expectations, code of ethics for CVE and guests certification/licensing (emergency training, first aid, etc.) boat operator licence, insurance etc.

As part of the preliminary program design a set of training materials will be assembled, which will undergo modification throughout the duration of the project.

Step Two: Pilot Implementation & Evaluation

The purpose of Step Two is to pilot test the transformation modules developed in Step One. The entire staff of Cree Village Ecolodge will participate in the training modules. The modules will be offered as well to other tourism operations in the area (e.g. Washow James Bay Wilderness Centre). The Project manager will oversee the delivery of the training, gauging its effectiveness over a period of time, suggesting further refinements. Step Two Objectives:

1. To carry out training of Cree Village Ecolodge, and other local tourism staff utilizing training modules designed in Step One.

2. To carry out ongoing assessment, modification and re-implementation of the program. Step Two Activities:

a. Project Manager coordinates scheduling of training modules b. Project Manager observes trainer/trainee interactions, and meets one-on-one with

trainees to discuss effectiveness of the modules. c. Project Manager confers with CVE management and Steering Committee on results

of each module pilot testing. d. Modifications incorporated into each module as required.



Step Three: Final Program Documentation & Project Evaluation

Step Three has two purposes; A. Produce the final program documentation, reflecting all knowledge gained and

lessons learned from Step One and Step Two. B. Final evaluation by an independent party

The final project documentation produced will include 1. For ongoing internal use, the Cree Village Ecolodge Aboriginal Ecotourism Skills

Transformation System Binders that will include all staff development materials created in the project including employee handbooks and training materials. This will be a ‘living document’ that will be central to human resources for the ecolodge.

2. For external use, a Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Manual that documents the history of the project, and explains in a step-by-step process how the materials and approach can be applied to other projects elsewhere in Canada. This will be an incredible resource for much needed broader application in the Aboriginal tourism, ecotourism and mainstream tourism industry.

3. A final project evaluation and assessment report will be prepared by an independent third party hired by tender.

Work Plan and Timing month: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Step One: Research & Program DesignHire Project Manager and Project Consultant ●Launch & Operate Project Steering Committee ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●Research & Consultation ● ● ●Project Launch Conference ●Work Placements ● ● ● ● ● ● ●Design workshops:

module 1.1 Cree hospitality ●module 1.2 Ecotourism ●module 1.3 Personal growth ●module 1.4 Cultural representation ●module 2.1 Worker safety ●module 2.2 Kitchen & dining room ●module 2.3 Front desk & housekeep. ●module 2.4 Maintenance & grounds ●module 3.1 Cultural programming ●module 3.2 Tour hosting ●

Step Two: Pilot Implementation & EvaluationPilot testing preparation ● ●Pilot testing of 10 modules --> module: 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3.1 3.2

Step Three: Final Program Documentation & Final EvaluationFinal program documentation ● ● ● ● ● ●Final project evaluation ● ●

Communication and Dissemination Plan External communications about the project will be through regular press releases to parties such as Canadian Tourism Commission, Aboriginal Tourism Canada, Assembly of First Nations, the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council and through University and College associations. Press releases will acknowledge the contributors including WSI and HRSDC. Dissemination of the Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Manual, in PDF format, will be through the same channels and via the Cree Village web site. Closure Plan This project will be complete within the two year period. Lasting positive human resource impacts will have been created for our low-skilled workers, MoCreebec, Cree Village Ecolodge, Georgian College, and for all who access our materials afterwards.



Results Anticipated Overall Project Outcomes:

(1) transform the lives of our low-skilled workers at Cree Village Ecolodge through skills training and support for personal and professional development,

(2) transform our workplace at Cree Village Ecolodge into a ‘centre of excellence’ for

Aboriginal tourism skills development and learning for low-skilled workers, and (3) help transform the Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism industry, and the broader tourism

industry, by providing a successful model for skills development for low-skilled workers. Anticipated Employers and Employees Involved in the Project: The main employer directly involved in the project will be Cree Village Ecolodge. The

project will affect all employees of Cree Village Ecolodge which currently operates with one manager and seventeen staff (six full-time, and eleven part-time).

Pilot testing of the skills transformation program will also be open to other tourism

industry employers such as Cree Cultural Organization and Washow James Bay Wilderness of Moose Cree First Nation, the Moose Factory Tourism Association, and other private tourism operators. Final numbers of additional employers and employees will be determined within the project – at this time we would estimate an additional 4 employers (for a total of 5), and 8 employees (for a total of 25).

Overall Project Deliverables: Our project will generate a new Aboriginal tourism skills training and learning system including

Deliverable 1: For ongoing internal use, a Cree Village Ecolodge Aboriginal

Ecotourism Skills Transformation System Binders that will include all staff development materials created in the project including employee handbooks and training materials.

Deliverable 2: For external use, a Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Manual that documents the history of the project, and explains in a step-by-step process how the materials and approach can be applied to other projects elsewhere in Canada.

The above noted deliverables will include various products, tools and material. This will include specific training modules as follows: module 1.1 Cree hospitality module 1.2 Ecotourism



module 1.3 Personal growth module 1.4 Cultural representation module 2.1 Worker safety module 2.2 Kitchen & dining room module 2.3 Front desk & housekeep. module 2.4 Maintenance & grounds module 3.1 Cultural programming module 3.2 Tour hosting Specific Outcomes and Performance Measures

Outcome #1: Enhanced performance of low-skilled workers and workers in low-skill occupations within Cree Village Ecolodge and the Moose Factory tourism industry.

Performance Measure 1.1 Initial, quarterly and end of project average measurement

of work performance for all staff at Cree Village Ecolodge, and specifically for all participating workers (including those with other participating employers).

Work peformance measures to include work attendance (meeting shift and shift time requirements), quantiative measures (specific to each position) and qualitative measures by manager

Outcome #2 : New Aboriginal tourism industry training guidelines based on Aboriginal

tourism traditions and community values, the knowledge gained by previous Aboriginal Tourism training initiatives in our community and elsewhere, and on national tourism industry occupational standards.

Performance Measure 2.1 Completion of the noted guidelines for all areas

including all ten modules module 1.1 Cree hospitality module 1.2 Ecotourism module 1.3 Personal growth module 1.4 Cultural representation module 2.1 Worker safety module 2.2 Kitchen & dining room module 2.3 Front desk & housekeep. module 2.4 Maintenance & grounds module 3.1 Cultural programming module 3.2 Tour hosting



Performance Measure 2.2 Assessment of the noted guidelines in terms of applicability and useful for (1) Cree Village Ecolodge, (2) other Moose Factory Tourism Operators, (3) other Aboriginal tourism and ecotourism operations, (4) broader tourism industry and (5) broader service and other sectors in Canada.

Outcome #3 The development of a successful model for Aboriginal Ecotourism skills

transformation training for use by other Aboriginal communities and businesses – one which provides a clear path for others to develop an ongoing skills and learning environment that is immersed in and reinforces the community traditions and culture, while achieving the highest international standards of tourism and ecotourism service.

Performance Measure 3.1 Completion of the model. Peformance Measure 3.2 Assessment of the model.

Evaluation Strategy, Timeline and Personnel: Evaluation is a central element of our project approach. Within the project step one ‘research and consultation’ the above performance measures will be reviewed in more detail and refined further to provide final measures that will be used on a regular basis to monitor project outcomes throughout step two. Within step two, there will be on ongoing focus on assessment and evaluation of the skills transformation materials as they are being developed, testing and re-developed based on the ongoing assessments. This will apply broadly to our work, and specifically to the ten noted modules. This ongoing evaluation work will be led by our Project Manager, with support from the Project Consultant. All the workers will have involvement in the assessment process at strategic intervals. This evaluation work will be overseen by the Project Steering Committee. In step three, an independent third party will be brought in to carry out an overall final evaluation and assessment comparing anticipated outcomes and produced outcomes for the project for the specific workers, the specific workplaces (especially Cree Village Ecolodge) and more broadly to that date.



Budget Narrative Notes on Expenditures on Budget Sheet (page 23)

1. APPLICANT ORGANIZATION WAGES, BENEFITS AND MANDATORY EMPLOYMENT-RELATED COSTS (MERCS)

Applicant Project Wages/Benefits/Mercs

Project Coordinator The Project Coordinator will be hired through a competitive process for two years @ $40,000 per annum plus MERCs. 100% cost to project. CVE General Manager/Front Desk Manager/Head Cook Cree Village Ecolodge senior staff will be providing essential roles in designing, pilot testing and evaluating the Aboriginal Ecotourism Skills Transformation Program during Step One and Step Two – the project budget will cover dedicated project time only:

General Manager: 55.6 days @ $216 Front Desk Manager: 100 days @ $88 Head Cook: 100 days @ $88

Participant Wages/Mercs Participants are comprised of all low-skilled or underskilled workers at Cree Village Ecolodge. These primarily hold part-time positions, and will be participating in Step Two during the pilot implementation of the Aboriginal Ecotourism Skills Transformation Program - the project budget will cover dedicated project time only

Position # Wage/day Participation Total Front Desk PT 6 $80 100 days $8000 Server PT 6 $80 100 days $8000 Dishwasher FT 1 $72 100 days $7200 Dishwasher PT 2 $80 100 days $8000 Housekeeping FT 1 $80 100 days $8000 Housekeeping PT 2 $80 100 days $8000 Cook PT 1 $88 100 days $8800 Night Audit FT 1 $80 100 days $8000 Night Audit PT 1 $80 100 days $8000

2. CAPITAL COSTS - There are no capital costs associated with this project

3. PROJECT ACTIVITY COSTS

E. Professional Fees - Professional management firm(s) with related experience and qualifications will be contracted; one as Project Consultant (72 days @ $1,000 per diem) and one for Final Evaluation (8 days @ $1,000 per diem). F. Travel Costs

Management/Staff/Partner Travel Travel costs are related to trips to and from Moose Factory:



- Project Management and participant staff will travel to Cedar Meadows Resort near Timmins during Step One of the project: 3 persons x 2 trips ea. @ $2000 per trip

- Partners (Georgian College and Cedar Meadows Resort) will travel to Moose Factory during Step One and Step Two to assist with program design and pilot testing:

2 persons x 3 trips ea. @ $2000 per trip Travel for Participants - There will be no participant travel. Consultant/Contractor Travel - Consultant travel to Moose Factory will be required during all three steps of the project: 3 trips per year at $2000 per trip.

G. General Project Costs Material Production Costs are associated with producing copies of the final external distribution package (graphics, layout). A ‘PDF’ version will be made available on www.creevillage.com for downloading to avoid additional printing costs. GST All costs (consulting, travel, etc.) do not include GST - 100% reimbursed.

Breakdown of Partner Contributions MoCreebec is the lead applicant and will make a cash contribution of $10,000 (3.1%) as a significant stake in the project. Cree Village Ecolodge is the major partner and will contribute $70,2000 (21.9%) as they will benefit from the project directly. We are seeking a WSI contribution of $239,800 (74.9%) for a total project budget of $320,000. Hiring of Third Party Professional Consultants As noted, the two major activities requiring the hiring of third parties are the roles of ‘project consultant’ and ‘independent review’. Subject to approval by WSI, we anticipate hiring MacLeod Farley & Associates (www.macfar.ca) in the role of project consultant. They are currently doing excellent work on our Cree Village Ecolodge Improvements project (they were hired in 2006 by competitive tender), and have worked with us successfully on various past assignment including planning and development of Cree Village Ecolodge up to 2000, and our Cree Village Ecolodge Training Study back in 2001. They are very capable in terms of Aboriginal ecotourism and capacity building, and they have an intimate knowledge of our community and needs. If preferred by WSI, we will tender the assignment. Hiring a consultant for the independent review will be by tender. Source of Funds for Applicant and/or Partners MoCreebec Non-Profit Development Corporation is the lead applicant and the source of funds for the contribution to this project is general revenues from various operational projects such as the community cable television and internet services company. MoCreebec does not receive any operational funding, while the start-up of new projects are at times financed with government support from sources such as Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and Aboriginal Business Canada. The major project partner, Cree Village Ecolodge, does not receive operational funding from any source. The Cree Village Ecolodge cash investment in this project is from general revenues generated through operations (room, restaurant and programming sales). The other two partners, Georgian College and Cedar Meadows Resort, are contributing in-kind only (not cash).



Partners and Letters of Support

Partners and Project Steering Committee Our partners include MoCreebec, Cree Village Ecolodge, Georgian College and Cedar Meadows Resort. MoCreebec Non-Profit Development Corporation and Cree Village Ecolodge are both affiliated with the community of MoCreebec Council of the Cree Nation. MoCreebec has a mandate for overall community economic development, while Cree Village Ecolodge operates a world-class ecotourism operation with 20 guest rooms and dining for 60. There is no legal or community connection between our community organizations and Georgian College and/or Cedar Meadows. Our Project Steering Committee will include the participation of all project partners. This group will meet on-site at the launch of the project, and every 4-8 weeks by tele-meeting from that point onwards to oversee the project implementation. As part of the project launch efforts, the partners will help to finalize the project implementation plans, and will be encouraged to provide ‘value added’ input into the project management on an ongoing basis. Regular meetings of the Project Steering Committee will include a report from the Project Coordinator, highlighting progress on achieving the project workplan and issues encountered, and discussion by the partners on how best to proceed and on any desired changes to the workplan. Additional specific anticipated roles from the project partners include the following:

- MoCreebec Non-Profit Development Corporation - project management and administration - Cree Village Ecolodge - project host site providing staff participants and management guidance - Georgian College - specialist advice and support regarding industry skills training in terms of culinary and front-of-house and overall tourism industry knowledge - Cedar Meadows Resort - specialist advice and support regarding tourism industry operations in all aspects including accommodations, dining and programming - mentorship work placements, with quarterly work placements of select Cree Village Ecolodge staff for a 1-2 week period

Through the life of the project, we will seek additional project partners, with possibilities including Washow James Bay Wilderness (in development), Ontario Northland Railway, and The International Ecotourism Society (TIES). Project partner letters are enclosed from Cree Village Ecolodge, Georgian College and Cedar Meadows Resort (pages 24-26).



Budget

Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Project · 2008-06-11 · Cree Village Aboriginal Tourism Skills Transformation Project March 30th, 2007 MoCreebec Non-Profit

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