Brief description of the organization
The Nunavut Economic Developers Association (NEDA) is an active, membership driven organization assisting community Economic Development Officers (EDO's) and economic development professionals in Nunavut. Our mandate is to support our members through professional development, networking, advocacy and the exchange of information and ideas. In partnership with the Governments of Canada and the Government of Nunavut, we are a leader in economic development within the territory.
Problem area
The central problem is the lack of streamlined, data-driven processes for creating Community Economic Development (CED) plans in Nunavut’s municipalities. Currently, planning relies heavily on costly manual/southern consultant driven data analysis and writing, which is time-consuming and may not fully leverage available statistical data and community input.
Main objectives
- Develop a user-friendly AI-powered tool that can generate comprehensive CED plans.
- Utilize Statistics Canada data specific to Nunavut municipalities.
- Integrate public surveys and data collection methods to ensure plans are informed by community needs and priorities.
Scope of work
- Environmental Scan: Assess the current data availability from Statistics Canada relevant to Nunavut.
- Prototype Development: Build an AI/Language Model-powered tool tailored to Nunavut's unique needs.
- Data Collection: Develop and deploy standardized public surveys to gather community input.
- Testing and Iteration: Test the tool in a pilot municipality, gather feedback, and refine.
Deliverables
- Detailed report on the current challenges in CED planning in Nunavut.
- Summary of available data and tools that can be leveraged for the AI-powered solution.
- Solution Verification/Validation Deliverables:
- Functional AI-powered CED planning tool prototype.
- Training resources for economic development officers on how to use the tool.
- Final report documenting the development process, challenges, solutions, and future recommendations.
- Public survey tools and protocols for data collection.
Team meeting frequency
Bi-weekly
Skills and training required
- Research and analytical skills
- Presentation skills
- Proficiency in AI/Language Model development
- Data analysis and public survey design
- Municipal Planning
- Indigenous Communities
What types of UWaterloo resources will the project team need to access to complete the project?
- Computing resources with AI/ML capabilities
- Specialized software for AI/Language Model development
- Data analysis tools
What resources will the project team need to access from your organization?
- Access to datasets from Statistics Canada and other relevant sources
- Existing NEDA developed CED planning documents and resources for reference
Are there any other resources that the project team will need to access?
- Public engagement platforms for conducting surveys and gathering community input
- Data visualization tools for presenting CED plan drafts
NDA or a commercialization agreement for this project?
Yes