AtkinsRéalis Commits to Indigenous Relations

A new ReconciliACTION Plan from AtkinsRéalis commits to supporting the Indigenous people of Canada across procurement, recruitment, education and career development, project delivery and philanthropy.

A key element of the plan increases collaboration between the engineering group and Indigenous groups by establishing limited partnerships and joint venture programmes on specific projects; as well as maintaining the involvement of Indigenous companies in its supply chain nationally.

Federally funded projects in Canada now require a minimum target on Indigenous inclusion, spend, employment, or a combination thereof. Implementation of the plan will help align AtkinsRéalis to the Indigenous inclusion requirements of Canadian clients and make services available to Indigenous communities looking to close the gap their communities experience in multi-billion-dollar markets such as infrastructure and clean energy where comprehensive Indigenous engagement requirements exist for successful bidders.

One of the ways we demonstrate this commitment is by continuing to evolve and strengthen our Indigenous Relations strategy in Canada

Ian Edwards, AtkinsRéalis president and CEO, says: “Operating responsibly as an organization is at the heart of living up to our purpose: to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

“One of the ways we demonstrate this commitment is by continuing to evolve and strengthen our Indigenous Relations strategy in Canada, from my signing of AtkinsRéalis’ Commitment to Indigenous Peoples in 2020, to the launch of our RAP in 2023. This Plan will continue to inform the important work being undertaken to support Indigenous communities nationwide for years to come.”

“This plan will help us embed meaningful Indigenous engagement into the work we do and the way we do it,” adds Stéphanie Vaillancourt, President of AtkinsRéalis’ Canada. “Our ReconciliACTION plan will now formalize the structure of direction, governance, and funding that we have brought to such projects as our Indigenous E3 partnership and the co-operation agreement with Shwe Miikaan. It will enable us to systemically embed the principles of Reconciliation into our relationships with communities in Canada.”

In line with the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report in 2015, many Canadian businesses have been creating and publishing specific strategies in response to the report’s Call to Action 92, which calls upon corporate Canada to engage in Reconciliation and contribute to understanding and respecting Indigenous rights and promoting economic advancement for Indigenous people and communities.

Key Aspects of the group’s ReconciliACTION Plan in Canada

The ReconciliACTION plan is founded on three core pillars: include, support, and empower. Having begun work under the plan in July, the company reports approximately 80 per cent of the actions identified in the Company’s RAP are already underway or complete. Key ‘actions’ under each pillar include the following:

Pillar 1: Include

• Plans to hire an additional Indigenous workforce of 210 people in the next 7 years
• Ensure all HR partners in Canada have training in Indigenous cultural awareness
• Engage and partner with Indigenous communities, organizations, and businesses to support and collaborate on mutually beneficial initiatives
• Increase the scope of job posting through Indigenous talent partners and recruiters
• Support Leaves of Absence for Traditional Land Use, Spiritual, or cultural practices

Pillar 2: Support

• Increase Indigenous Relations practice professionals to enhance our ability to collaborate with Indigenous groups
• Establish, align, and track internal KPIs to measure the year over year success or areas of improvement for the plan
• Publish an annual report summarizing the successes, lessons learned, and continual improvements made
• Partner with Indigenous communities, organizations, and businesses that provide education, training, and opportunities for Indigenous youth, in STEM

Pillar 3: Empower

• Provide training, capacity building, and development guidance to potential Indigenous business partners
• Increase the number of Indigenous suppliers qualified with AtkinsRéalis
• Establish Indigenous spend targets for projects and year to year services
• Identify opportunities to collaborate with clients and local Indigenous communities through investment or joint venture opportunities

Visit https://www.atkinsrealis.com/en/about/indigenous-relations to learn about the group’s broader approach to managing Indigenous relations.

Our ReconciliACTION plan will now formalize the structure of direction, governance, and funding that we have brought to such projects as our Indigenous E3 partnership and the co-operation agreement with Shwe Miikaan.