Lifecycle of a First Nation community infrastructure project
Learn about the different stages of a community infrastructure project on reserve.
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Context
First Nations and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) work together to ensure funding for essential community infrastructure projects. Each year, First Nations collaborate with INAC regional offices to develop a First Nations Infrastructure Investment Plan (FNIIP) addressing the:
- planning
- construction
- acquisition
- operation
- maintenance of community infrastructure
Community infrastructure includes:
- water and wastewater facilities
- waste management systems
- schools
- houses
- culture and recreation centres
- other types of infrastructure such as roads and bridges
Project lifecycle
On-reserve infrastructure projects funded through FNIIP usually have five stages:
Text description of Project lifecycle
Stage 1: Identification
- The First Nation identifies infrastructure needs in the community.
Stage 2: Planning
- The First Nation submits its community-level infrastructure plan to INAC.
- Infrastructure plans and projects are reviewed and prioritized based on established criteria such as health and safety.
- The First Nation completes the planning study for the infrastructure project.
- If the project meets the mandatory criteria and priority ranking, it receives funding.
Stage 3: Design
- The First Nation engages a professional firm through a tendering process to develop a project design. This includes construction documents such as drawings and building specifications.
- The First Nation initiates the tendering process for construction. The terms of the tendering process can vary depending on the project.
Stage 4: Construction
- A contract is awarded to the construction company who wins the tendering process.
- Construction of the project begins.
Stage 5: Completion
- Once the construction is complete, the professional firm issues a certificate of project completion.
Timeline considerations
Factors which could impact the delivery of a project include:
- emergencies or natural disasters
- lack of access to remote communities
- weather conditions
- changes in community priorities and needs
- community capacity to manage a project
The timeline of every infrastructure project differs. For example, a house could be built in one construction season, while a wastewater treatment plant may take several years to build.