Thunder Valley CDC
Report date
January 2019
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
An important aspect in our work for this year, was continued collaboration building with Oglala Sioux tribal leadership, tribal programs, and regional partners in regard to economic development. In 2017, TVCDC was approached by OST Tribal Council to develop an Economic Development working group within the Pine Ridge Promise Zone. A direct activity of that working group was to provide leadership and those associated with economic development information/education related to economic development. We gathered partners together to plan and conduct an Tribal Leaders Economic Development Summit. Late in 2017, The OST Tribal President Scott Weston asked us to help coordinate a second summit to continue the conversation and work of the first summit. That second summit was held in April of 2018 in Rapid City. The planning group invited speakers to address ways lawmakers can foster environments (through policy and legislation) that develop economies in tribal communities, specifically Pine Ridge Reservation. Both summits, had over 200 hundred participants and included a youth track. Discussions and planning sessions are underway with current and newly tribal leaders about a third summit.
To further build out the adoption of the strategies of the Oglala Lakota Oyate Omniciye Plan we have been providing technical assistance to the OST Planning Office to help identify priorities, understand vision/mission of the Planning Office, and help build out a work plan. One challenge we encountered was a fragmented OST Planning Office staff with each staff member having a different idea about the direction and purpose of the planning office. Also, the Director of the Planning Office left in the Spring to run for a political seat on tribal council. So our efforts turned to providing direct technical assistance to the Statistician. We worked with her to outline a work plan that included developing data profiles around various areas: health, housing, jobs, basic demographics, youth and education, and land/infrastructure. Later in the year we shifted focus to help her develop a concept for an Oglala Lakota Data Governance Center. It's mission to provide a data bank and clearinghouse for all entities and organizations on the Pine Ridge Reservation. In 2019, TVCDC will assist in more formal strategic planning sessions to finalize the concept and direction of the center.
In this year, a key activity was to review the Oyate Ominicye internally and begin a planning process for ways to re-engage regional partners to continue advancing the strategies of the plan. 2018 was a year of transformation for both TVCDC and the region. TVCDC transitioned in a new Executive Director and our tribal nation elected and seated a new tribal council. These changes stalled some of the strategic planning and re-engagement of partners we had hoped to conduct this year. We did get to review the Oyate Ominiciye strategies internally and with some close partners. In that process, we discovered that two potential emerging strategies are safety and law enforcement, and regional policy work. Early in 2019, we plan on inviting longstanding and Pine Ridge Promise Zone partners into a strategic planning process to review the Oyate Ominiciye strategies, revision of those strategies as needed, and to create a work plan for the next 3-5 years. Now that the dust has settled on transition, we feel like this is actually a better time for partners to re-engage and are excited to start this process.
Key lessons learned
The key lesson I learned this year is that when engaging community partners in system change work, it's best to expect change and to be flexible! Early on I was excited to collaborate with the staff of the OST Planning Office and see where that work had grown into. Instead, I was met with a fragmented group working isolated and silo'ed. It was discouraging but we quickly adapted and focused energy on the items each member was excited about. The Economic Director was excited about the Economic Summit planning and the Statistician was excited about the data work. The original plan was to work collaboratively with the Planning Office to build a comprehensive work plan for Oyate Omniciye regional plan, instead I felt like we were starting from scratch. At the time that did feel like a failure. But looking back, that provided opportunities for different plans and conversation. Now we are working in partnership on developing a Data Governance Center. Whether that data center continues in the planning office remains to be seen. But the data profiles created in the center will be the foundations for the work plan for the Oyate Omniciye plan. Things change and you got to be flexible!
Another lesson I learned is that leadership changes perspective and focus of the work. Leadership changes at TVCDC took effect mid-year. Our new Executive Director, has a different focus on regionally equity and is wanting a more intentional community engagement of local partners, especially with tribal leadership. Internally, we have undergone a strategic planning process for the organization to help shape the new goal and direction for the organization. Since that process is complete, we can adjust the strategic planning for this regional equity work, and make sure community engagement is emphasized across all initiatives of TVCDC, and what specific focus should be for Oyate Omniciye plan. We excited to continue that process in 2019 for regional equity and Oyate Ominiciye.
Reflections on inclusive, collaborative or resourceful problem-solving
So far, the element that has helped us the most has been inclusive. Inclusive is helping us build out both collaborative and resourceful. We have always worked to engage partners in a genuine way, meeting them where they are at, understand why they would want to partner, how does a partnership mutually benefit all parties, and being intentional about utilizing people's time and resources. We have found partnerships move at the speed of trust and we work to be good, transparent, reliable partners. In this systems change work, we realize we can't be in every meeting and in every discussion. So building partners that share a common vision, mission and message is crucial to progressing the work. With that, inclusive allows us the freedom to NOT have all the answers and engage with partners that do or can develop strategies and solutions.
We seen 'inclusive' in practice, when tribal leadership asked for our assistance in convening partners to plan the first and second economic summits. The first year we helped gather parties to plan, both years we served on the planning team, but we were not necessarily the lead in that planning process. We are excited to help for a third year.
We seen 'inclusive' in practice, when tribal leadership asked for our assistance in convening partners to plan the first and second economic summits. The first year we helped gather parties to plan, both years we served on the planning team, but we were not necessarily the lead in that planning process. We are excited to help for a third year.
Other key elements of Community Innovation
I would say flexibility. Understanding that the best plans may change based on community and partner needs. We had hoped to be further along in out strategic planning process, more in the implementation phase, but our partners weren't there. In some ways, with our internal leadership transition, also meant we weren't there. But that doesn't mean the work didn't progress. In fact I would say the delay allowed for other ideas to emerge. Working with the Statistician to develop data profiles that organically grew into to creating a concept for the Data Governance Center has been exciting and a much needed resource. With where we are at and where our partners are at, I feel much more comfortable going into 2019 and taking on strategic planning early in the year.
Understanding the problem
Our work this year has provided clarity in the importance of a regional plan and developing coalition, collaborations and partnerships to carry out the work of that plan. While building collaborations are a natural part of work outside of our region, it hasn't always been so natural for our region. So the plan allows for a mechanism for partners to convene, strategize and progress change. In the past few months, partners have expressed their wishes for larger discussion and planning, so that is exciting and affirming that they still want to do that.
If you could do it all over again...
My advice would be to embrace change and that what appears to be a 'stall in progress' is actually new, fresher ideas germinating. I was discouraged when I first reached out to the Planning Office and realized that they were a disjointed staff. I was afraid the planning office was a dying effort and wasn't sure how to revive it. But I found hope and interest in the Statistician and the ideas that she had about her work. She expressed a strong interest in partnering and was committed to change in our community. So it took us sometime to reflect on the planning office and build a new concept of a Data Governance center. It was exciting to see her embrace the strategies of the Oyate Omniciye plan. And now we move forward on building out the Data Governance with more partners. As well as, building a strategic plan identifying clearer directions and objectives for the Oyate Omniciye.
One last thought
I'm reminded that this work takes time. That partnerships and community readiness are real, fluid, ever changing realities. I've been humbled to do this work, but also humbled to remember that this work is bigger than one person and one organization. There is no real roadmap or prescription for change, but there is intention, passion, and lots of hard work.
I am looking forward to 2019 and re-engaging partners.
I am looking forward to 2019 and re-engaging partners.