Kiwici-ohpikihitonaw: Together we grow
Everyone loves a good story. And PotashCorp has written the book on opportunity. The Aboriginal Content Playbook is a 66-page document themed “Together We Grow” and explains PotashCorp’s expectations for suppliers and the objectives around Aboriginal inclusion.
Released in mid-2016 and updated frequently, the Playbook is part of the company’s strategy to help suppliers boost their own local Aboriginal content in their businesses and activities. While many suppliers have been keenly interested in this, they didn’t know where to begin. The Playbook provides them with a roadmap.
PotashCorp itself has a goal of allocating 30 per cent of its local spend by 2020 to Aboriginal suppliers, or suppliers who share the company’s commitment to Aboriginal development in Saskatchewan. Currently, 15 per cent of PotashCorp’s Saskatchewan supply chain is Aboriginal-owned.
Tim Herrod, Vice President of Procurement for PotashCorp, said the company is doing that because it wants to help meet the demographic and social challenge.
“Within the next 15 years, the projections are that Aboriginal people will account for close to one quarter of the provincial population. Yet Aboriginal unemployment rates remain four times higher than non-aboriginal rates. Our goal is to help more Aboriginal people get involved in the economy and build a pool of skilled labour so all businesses can succeed together,” Herrod said.
PotashCorp has a significant part of their operations in Saskatchewan and with five potash mines in the province, that’s not going to change – even with the planned merger with Agrium later this year.
This significant presence in the province means building a diverse and inclusive workforce that better reflects society at large. It also means helping suppliers do the same. To do that, Herrod teamed up with Leanne Bellegarde, the company’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, to build the Playbook and explain it to suppliers.
“Our hope is that our suppliers will take part and then ask their own suppliers to get involved as well. Over time, it can make a real difference, both for the Aboriginal workforce and for the health of the labour market,” Herrod said. “This can be a win for all of us.”
Bellegarde says the Playbook came at the right time. Thanks to the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, corporations have been more interested in and aware of diversity and inclusion. The recommendations of the TRC gave Canadian corporations a broader understanding of the injustices of the past and marked a clear path towards what the Playbook calls, “a better future for all people”.
The Playbook is designed to help suppliers follow PotashCorp’s example and educate themselves on how to build their own path to Aboriginal inclusion.
So what is Local Aboriginal content?
Local Aboriginal content is described as “measures taken to increase participation by Aboriginal suppliers in local and regional business activities, and measures taken to benefit local Aboriginal communities.” There are four key areas of opportunity:
■ Direct Aboriginal employment
■ Aboriginal subcontracting
■ Support of new Aboriginal business and entrepreneurship
■ Aboriginal community investment
Every supplier is different, so this flexibility allows them to build the individual plan that will succeed for the long-term.
“We have increasingly asked our suppliers to align with us in this effort and they’ve been very receptive,” said Bellegarde. “We didn’t think it was fair to ask them and not give them some guidance and support.”
In fact, Bellegarde cites the collaborative nature of the effort in making it so successful. The Playbook isn’t a one-size fits all approach.
Included in the Playbook is a four-step process to implementing an inclusion strategy. It also has a list of Aboriginal-owned companies, organizations, suppliers and other partners. PotashCorp is committed to keeping that list up-todate as well.
The Playbook has not only received positive feedback from suppliers looking to implement their own inclusion strategy, but it has also inspired other organizations. The Saskatoon Tribal Council, for instance, has launched its own Playbook.
“The Aboriginal Playbook is a wonderful resource in many ways. It tells a powerful story about the vibrancy of Aboriginal people in this province,” said Bellegarde. “Even when you look through the playbook and see the range of institutions or businesses or organizations and opportunities for Aboriginal people, I think that in itself is very enlightening and empowering.
“We don’t think it’s a story that should be unique to us or only our story,” said Bellegarde. “We are happy to share that success.”