Assessment

Understanding current conditions and gathering what is already known

To lay out a plan of where you want to go or to avoid unforeseen problems down the road, we have found you first need to know where you are. You want to know things like:

• What results are we achieving?
• What are the barriers?
• How can we achieve buy in?
• Do we lack capable leadership?
• Do we have a vision? Do we have strategy or plan?
• Do we have a flawed strategy or lack of capabilities?
• Do we lack focus? Are too many projects competing against each other?
• Have identified the action we need to take?

By understanding the current conditions, you can clearly identify which areas need attention. We at One Fire will ask the critical questions and gather data to find out exactly where your team, department, enterprise, or tribe stands on the path to stability and success.

We have known of several Tribal nations who, in a “rush to get things moving,” tried to start their enterprises without a business advisory board or knowledge of their economic advantages. In one case they did so without knowing the necessary Tribal codes. Needless to say, these enterprises did not flourish.

We have also seen the opposite. In one case, a new Tribal economic development organization, with limited grant funding, gathered data about the needs of the community. Next, they developed a plan to diversify. They found a reliable joint venture partner and formed a new enterprise. As of today, the enterprise is doing well and growing.

One Fire has developed practices to quickly reveal barriers, constraints, and issues that, once solved, help the organization move forward. For smaller organizations, a few interviews may reveal the critical information, or with larger enterprises and tribes, surveys help to understand key issues.

Once this information is gathered, we will partner with your leadership, evaluate it, and make joint recommendations for improvement.