| Summary: | From 2018 to 2021, a series of Indigenous Procurement Engagement sessions (IPE-sessions) took place in-person and virtually in Ottawa and Toronto to explore the modernization of Indigenous procurement in Canada. Stakeholders from regional and national Indigenous organizations, Indigenous and non-Indigenous business leaders in the private sector, as well as federal government officials, participated in the engagement sessions. In total, there were 98 participants (n = 98) for all the engagement sessions (28 in 2018; 49 in 2020; and 21 in 2021). This research re-analyzes data collected from 2018 to 2021 and aims to answer the question—can Indigenous procurement be a catalyst for community building? The research re-analyzes the data through the exploration of 4 main chapters: 1) Building Strong First Nations Economies: Economic Development, Community Building, and Procurement; 2) Social Procurement Policy and the Inclusion of Diverse Supply Chains. Is Indigenous Procurement ‘Social Procurement’? 3) Challenges and Wise Practices for First Nations Procurement in Canada; and 4) Should Indigenous Procurement be Legislated? Federal Indigenous Procurement Policy Versus Article 24 of the Nunavut Agreement. The research findings indicate that procurement is a catalyst for First Nations community building as local procurement contributes to community prosperity through business development and growth, job creation, and community wealth building, as well as other social outcomes, which are defined by First Nations communities, organizations, and businesses. PhD
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