Generational Strategic Planning with ICA

The Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) has been a cornerstone of newcomer and refugee welcome and inclusion in the Capital Region for over 50 years. Amidst organizational growth, leadership transition, and structural change, ICA recognized the need for a long-term strategic framework – one that could anchor their values while remaining responsive to the evolving needs of the communities they serve.

They didn’t just want a plan; they wanted a process that would bring their full community together – staff, board, clients, volunteers, funders, and partners – to co-create a shared future.

My Role

ICA invited me to design and facilitate a full-scope, inclusive strategic planning process that would carry them from October 2024 to March 2025. The path wasn’t pre-set – instead, we designed it collaboratively, allowing the process to evolve as people came forward with insights, needs, and aspirations. The journey began with visioning sessions, co-designed and co-facilitated with Susana Guardado from Bright Light Ideas.

Our goal was not just to generate a document, but to weave together a living plan: one that could grow and shift as ICA did, while staying rooted in community, equity, and shared vision.

A Relational and Responsive Approach

The process was rooted in:

• Inclusivity: Prioritizing all voices – especially clients.
• Equity and Reconciliation: Embedding EDI and decolonial principles.
• Accessibility: Adapting methods, timing, and language to support full participation.
• Collaboration: Working closely with a core team and 12-member planning committee while engaging clients, staff, and community members.
• Transparency: Consistent communication and feedback loops.
• Client-Centeredness: Anchoring decisions in client impact.

We moved through four iterative phases:

1. Visioning: Cross-stakeholder sessions explored ICA’s journey and imagined a 25-year horizon.
2. Client Engagement: Participatory focus groups used art, storytelling, and journey mapping to capture client hopes and experiences.
3. Strategic Planning: Staff and board confirmed goals across 5, 10, and 25 years, creating a laddered roadmap toward shared aspirations.
4. Operational Planning: We translated strategy into action, mapping timelines, responsibilities, and resourcing needs.

Each session was intentionally designed to be immersive and human-centered, incorporating land acknowledgements, mindfulness practices, music, and even nature-based facilitation. It was a process that felt uniquely Foxfire – creative and grounded, structured and relational.

Outcomes and Impact

The process produced:

• A comprehensive Strategic Plan
• A high level Operational Plan, outlining year-by-year activities
• Supporting materials: phase reports, staff and client vision boards, and a context map capturing political, economic, social, environmental, and technological influences

Equally meaningful were the intangible results:

• Renewed clarity and direction
• Hopeful momentum
• Greater interdepartmental alignment
• A shared confidence in ICA’s ability to respond to uncertainty with vision

Reflections

This was a joyful and deeply rewarding project. ICA’s team leads with compassion and purpose, and it was an honour to support them in building a framework that reflects who they are, and who they are becoming.

I walked away with new tools and insights into large-scale, multigenerational planning – and a powerful reminder that when we trust the process, meaningful transformation becomes possible.

At Foxfire, we help build strategies that live, breathe, and belong to the people who shape them. If you’re seeking a plan that holds complexity while moving toward clarity, we’d be honoured to walk that path with you.