Strategic Interface
We navigate complex projects by combining rigorous data verification with culturally competent facilitation
Service Tier 1: The "High-Stakes" Strategic Advisor
Indigenous Engagement
PROBLEM: Resource companies and developers face legal roadblocks and project delays due to inedequate consultation with Indigenous communities or insufficient understanding of Traditional knowledge and cosmogony
- SOLUTION: Facilitate the consultation process by providing the "hard data" for it. Using Participatory Action Research skills to map the traditional knowledge system. Sumak serves as the technical bridge between community concerns and companies' interests.
- WHY IT PAYS:
Participatory Planning and Conflict Resolution
PROBLEM: New subdivision or infraestructure projects often stall due to fierce community resistance
- SOLUTION: Design and facilitate the mandatory community consultation meetings. Sumak uses participatory action research and socio-ecological framework to show the community how the development impacts (or benefits) their local system.
- WHY IT PAYS: Delays cost project managers vast sums in interest and opportunity costs.
Environmental Sustainability governance & Regenerative Agriculture Verification
PROBLEM:Â Agri-food family business and landholding companies are making bold “Net Zero” or “Regenerative Agriculture” claims to investors but lack the sceintific data to substantiate them
- SOLUTION: Design the monitoring framework. Using digital soil mapping, soil health indicators, statistics and agronomy background to audit supply chain programs.
- WHY IT PAYS: Greenwashing is a significant liability risk and companies need data to report to shareholders safely.
Service Tier 2: Public sector & Institutional Support
Capacity Development & knowledge Co-creation
PROBLEM: There is an overwhelming volume of information that fails to communicate effectively with Indigenous communities. As a result, new economic initiatives, such as food production, often struggle to succeed without considering the community’s traditional knowledge.Â
- SOLUTION: Integration and adoption of "Two-Eye Seeing" and "Learning and Action" approaches through community-driven practices provide a better orientation for communities to increase the likekihood of success in implementing new initiatives
- WHY IT PAYS: New initiatives in communities require services to implement, improve and disseminate food production and processing that respond to local realities.
Knowledge Mobilization and & Science Translation
PROBLEM: Organizations, Institutes secure millions in grant funding but often fail the “knowledge transfer” requirement- explaining their complex climate/agronomic findings to policy-maker and the public.Â
- SOLUTION: SUMAK acts as the "Translation Partner" for the grant. Sumak takes their raw data and converts them into policy briefs, community toolkits and "what we heard" reports.
- WHY IT PAYS: For large research or project activities is often a mandatory line item that project leaders or principal investigators don't have the time capacity to generate.
Regional and Local Environmental Strategic Planning and Policy Development
PROBLEM: Small to mid-size local and regional municipalities, counties, and districts need to develop environmental strategies and plans, but lack the specialized staff to conduct intensive public consultation or draft technical policy.
- SOLUTION: Sumak comes in as the Engagement & Policy specialist. Sumak facilitate the engagement by organizing workshops, designing surveys, and writing the Environmental Strategy, Plan, or Policy that manages programs, projects and initiatives for community members and interested parties.
- WHY IT PAYS: Regional and local governments and agencies need to outsource to remain compliant with provincial planning acts.
Service Tier 3: Corporate Branding and & Quick Wins
Corporate CSR & Green Space Design and Implementation
PROBLEM: Corporate or organizations want to demonstrate “Employee Wellness” and sustainability, but don’t know how to manage green initiatives.
- SOLUTION: A turnkey package is designed and launched to establish an employee community garden or re-naturalization project on their corporate campus. Includes landscape design, the staff engagement workshop, and the maintenance plan.
- WHY IT PAYS: It provides branding benefits( retention, mental health).
Environmental campaigns
PROBLEM:Â Institutions and corporations may have the intention but lack the resources to implement environmental communications campaigns to promote environmental goals and objectives, and new programs and initiatives.
- SOLUTION: Customize campaigns to reach target audiences on specific environmental topics to increase awareness.
- WHY IT PAYS: Multiple skills and experience with environmental issues in the area provide a systems-thinking perspective, making ecological campaigns more effective.
Grant Writing & Program Design for Environmental Institutions and Indigenous Tribal Councils
PROBLEM: There are grant opportunities to design environmental programs by writing a proposal that requires a specialized set of tools to comply with all requirements to successfully acquire a new source of fundsÂ
- SOLUTION: Sumak designs the program (e.g., "Youth for Climate Action") and writes the grant application to funding bodies.
- WHY IT PAYS: Community members and residents benefit from new environmental programs implemented in their communities.