| First Nations social service organizations operate in an environment different from that of the mainstream, and management practices are both determined and affected by this environment. Programs that intend to train management staff for these organizations must incorporate traditional cultural values with today's realities and today's knowledge. Aboriginal social service organizations, serving First Nations communities, often have difficulty in recruiting trained aboriginal staff to the rural and/or remote locations, and existing management training programs are not practical for these social service organizations. Faced with these factors it would appear that the best option for the agencies is to train and develop aboriginal staff who are already living in the area, who are committed to residing in the area, and who are familiar with the cultural context of the communities.;The practicum involved designing a culturally specific management training program for an aboriginal child and family services organization. This included a needs assessment of management training needs within the organization, an extensive review of literature for appropriate source materials, and designing twelve one week training modules. The training program was then implemented in the organization over a two year period, with nineteen of the staff participating as trainees.;The training had significant impact on the organization. It provided the organization with increased numbers of potential management staff, added to the knowledge and skill base of current management staff, and empowered staff to be participants in the management process. Within the organization, service and administration have become more culturally competent. |
