OUR MISSION BACKGROUND WHAT WE DO

Transcription

1 A Presentation by the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada To the Assembly of First Nations 33rd Annual General Assembly The Metro Toronto Convention Centre July 17 to 19,

2 OUR MISSION Contributing to Aboriginal social and economic prosperity by building a professional, educated workforce that supports effective governance and administration. BACKGROUND WHAT WE DO AFOA was founded as a not-for-profit association in 1999 to help Aboriginal people better manage and govern their communities and organizations through a focus on enhancing finance and management practices and skills. Provide professional development training in the areas of finance and management; Give workshops on financial literacy and current management topics; Publish Canada s only professional Aboriginal management journal JAM, or the Journal of Aboriginal Management; Encourage our youth to enter the finance and management professions; Set Aboriginal financial management, accounting and reporting standards; and Do management-focused research.

3 2 A COMMUNITY OF PROFESSIONALS AFOA is a grassroots and volunteer based organization. It is not-for-profit and non-political. We have eight chapters across Canada, with a head office in Ottawa. Our members are First Nations financial managers, band administrators, Tribal Councils, program managers, economic development officers, executives, and other individuals interested in advancing our communities through sound professional financial and organizational management. Together, we believe that the health and success of Aboriginal communities and organizations can often be directly linked to the effectiveness and capacity of its administration.

4 3 THE CAFM DESIGNATION Through its work in Aboriginal communities, AFOA is building up the stock of today s and tomorrow s finance and management professionals. Our Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager (CAFM) designation is increasingly becoming the preferred industry credential for highly qualified professionals equipped to meet today s challenges. This designation is based on rigorous competency and ethical standards, and a combination of education and experience requirements. Since 1999, AFOA has conferred 472 CAFM designations. In , 31 individuals were granted the CAFM designation, compared to 16 the previous year. In July 2008, the Assembly of First Nations signaled their support of the CAFM as a credential when hiring personnel in financial and management positions. Over the last three years, we have seen a demonstrable increase in the number of Aboriginal organizations and communities requiring the CAFM designation for financial positions.

5 4 OUR COURSES AND WORKSHOPS COURSES Here are sample topics on Aboriginal Finance Management courses we offer: Aboriginal Business Law Aboriginal Strategy & Decisions Values and Ethics in the Aboriginal Workplace Aboriginal History & Developments Aboriginal Human & Fiscal Issues WORKSHOPS AFOA Canada offers a wide range of community workshops across Canada or in communities. For more information, or to register, visit our AFN AGA booth or go to our website at

6 5 CAPA: THE CERTIFIED ABORIGINAL PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATOR PROGRAM One of our most powerful and promising innovations is the Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator, or CAPA, program. Guided by a grassroots CAPA Council, the Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator Program sets high-quality competency and certification standards, providing learning opportunities to enhance the knowledge and professional development of senior administrators working in Aboriginal communities and organizations on-reserve, off-reserve and in remote, rural and urban settings. A holder of a CAPA designation has demonstrated his or her attainment of high ethical, governance, finance and management competency. Our goal is to make CAPA the designation of choice for Aboriginal management professionals. The on-line CAPA courses are 15 weeks in length, including mid-term and final exams, and are offered in the fall (September - December) and winter (January - April) semesters. We are excited to launch five on-line courses on the following topics: Human resource management Leadership Financial Oversight Communications Governance Structures and Process

7 6 THE DRIVE FOR FIVE There is a great demand in Aboriginal communities and organizations for financial management professionals. AFOA s premise is that effective management is key to building social and economic prosperity and essential to successful Aboriginal governance. If our youth do not follow us into these professions, then we will suffer the consequences. Drive for Five is an AFOA Aboriginal Financial Recruitment Strategy designed to promote the awareness of and participation of young Aboriginal people, grade seven and up, in the field of professional finance. The five focus areas of our recruitment strategy are: Awareness (youth become aware of financial management as a profession) Interest (youth are interested in pursuing a career in financial management) Engagement (students continue with their university/college studies in financial management) Employment (graduates are provided employment opportunities in financial management) Advancement and Networking (opportunity is provided to further develop knowledge and skills and network amongst peers) To promote these strategic objectives, AFOA has developed a wide range of products and services. An example is Dollars & Sense: Guidance for Aboriginal Youth, a ½-day interactive youth-friendly workshop aimed at middle and high school students. Designed to be delivered in schools across the country by AFOA corporate partners, AFOA chapters and AFOA members, Dollars and Sense was piloted with 340 student participants. It is intended to be used as the basis for a high school curriculum, taught by teachers in Aboriginal schools. Learn more by visiting our AFN AGA booth.

8 7 THE AFOA AND YOU You and your community can benefit from the AFOA s services and resources. We will come to your community to offer practical workshops on key management, financial and governance topics such as: Performance Measurement and Reporting in First Nations An Introduction to Comprehensive Community Planning in First Nations Developing an Effective Management Action Plan Values and Ethics in the Aboriginal Workplace Strategic Planning for First Nations An Introduction to Community Economic Development The Politics of Ethical Decision Making for Elected Leaders Demystifying Finance for Elected Leaders Visit or call for more information on scheduled workshop dates and locations. We look forward to seeing you at our booth, here at the AFN AGA.

9 8 AFOA CANADA 2013 NATIONAL CONFERENCE AFOA Canada s National Conference the only forum for the exchange of knowledge and information on Aboriginal finance and management in the country will take place in Toronto on February 12-14, 2013 at the Westin Harbour Castle. The conference attracts over 900 delegates from across the country. Delegates to the conference include First Nation, Métis and Inuit executives, administrators, financial managers, program managers, and elected representatives. It is an important venue where Aboriginal financial professionals, Band administrators and other managers, Chiefs, Tribal Council members, Government representatives and consultants working with Aboriginal communities can get together to explore emerging strategies and tools to enhance finance and management in Aboriginal communities and organizations. Please visit as well as our booth here at the AFN Assembly AGA, for more details. We look forward to seeing you there.