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NEVER FORGOTTEN MEMORIALPROJECT
Project Planning Memorandum
Recommendations Deliverable:
May 4, 2012

Dear Tony,
In the past few weeks the Never Forgotten Memorial project has crossed two important milestones.
One is the submission of the Campaign Planning Study by The Fundraising Network (April 12th), the other
is the letter of endorsement for the project from the Minister Kent, Ministry Environment (April 27 th).
With these key anticipated milestones comes the beginnings of a new stage in this important project
and with that the need to lay out next steps and confirm roles and responsibilities.
We thought it would be helpful to outline some of the issues, as we judge them, and provide you with a
set of next steps, which can form the beginnings of detailed game plan for how to move forward. There
are different options to moving forward into this next phase and we feel that the best service we can
provide you is to clarify what we see as critical things to consider and be aware of and where possible
give recommendations on how to proceed.
Roles and Responsibilities
A key task to planning for the next phase of the Memorial, will be clearly defining the role and
responsibilities of all those involved in the project. To date you’ve had different consultants working
with you to develop your vision and dream toward a concrete project with design, legal, fundraising and
marketing components.
For our part we’ve been in a hybrid role as both project designers and project managers, a role that has
included a variety of responsibilities including: providing strategic support, developing design concepts,
conducting research, preparing presentation material, soliciting other consultants, and coordinating
their work to varying degrees. As things have evolved our role has taken on some ambiguity as you’ve
become more involved in direct communications with consultants like Rayment & Collins and have
taken on more of the contractual and invoice issues directly with these and other consultants.
In order to keep things efficient and accountability clear, we’d advise more clarity on how you’d like
project management to be handled and by whom. Generally, the party managing the contracts and
invoices provides the direction to those contractors. So it’s important to determine if you’d like us to
fulfill that role, or for us to simply render design services as you need them.
Recommendation: A meeting to clarify LANDinc’s role relative to the next phase of project.

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Fundraising Strategy
The Campaign Planning Study prepared by The Fundraising Network (TFN), is in our assessment an
extremely thorough and revealing document. It gives a well researched picture of the projects strengths
and weakness as well as providing clear direction on how to proceed with the fundraising campaign.
It is our strong view that the TFN has a handle on the potential of the project and the means to see it
reach its fundraising goals. We feel that they should be retained and their recommendations acted on
immediately.
Of particular note in their Study document are the following early stage recommendations:
1. Address the urgent need to secure seed funding
2. Develop organizational structure –i.e. for Board of Directors and Campaign cabinet
3. Develop plan to recruit Community Champions (esp. in East Coast)
4. Begin the process of cultivating volunteer leaders to support project (esp. incl. new Canadian
constituency)
5. Begin process to identify, cultivate and solicit donor prospects
As noted in TFN’s report, the majority of these critical steps require addressing gaps in our materials
and/or research which will require a Business Case to be conducted. The needs and gaps identified in
the TFN report (pg. 54) include:
 A stronger case for the location, and the Memorial’s distinctness and value to all Canadians


Specifics on visitorship, the nature of facilities



More specific costs of project and clarity on the level of government involvement /
operating and servicing costs (Parks)

Recommendation 1: A meeting with TFN and team discuss the fundraising schedule and confirm the
critical next steps.
Recommendation 2: Upon securing sufficient seed funding, launch Business Case (2 month timeline) to
address identified gaps and solidify donor pitch.

Memorial Design and The Statue
The design of the Memorial has gone through several design iterations and numerous rounds of
tweaking since the initial conceptual sketches. These changes have led to new design elements as well
as a considerable amount of time on the particularities of the Mother Canada Statue.
While this work has allowed for the exploration of your grand vision for the Statue there will be, in the
next phases, an increased risk to showing the statue as a resolved design element. Figure statues are
often polarizing objects that can become lighting rods for public criticism, criticism that can gain steam
and even sink a project. The case of Per Ardua Ad Astra or “Gumby goes to Heaven” is a prime example
of a high profile privately funded Memorial statue falling victim to this kind of scrutiny. (see attached
article). To date in the Memorial project, there have been comments of caution on the explicitness and
scale of the Statue.

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The risks of criticism are much less in the case of open sculpture competitions, which can give the
project wide exposure and ultimately buy-in for the ultimate statue. Competitions can have specific
guidelines
Consider: A strategy to show the statue in less specific terms (e.g. use a simple outline, especially for
wide / public release.
Recommendation: Plan for a design competition for the Mother Canada Statue.
Communications
In the next phases of the project, a defined communication strategy will be required to ensure that
communication within the team and to the outside are as effective as possible.
Within the core team there are deferent options to think about. The current flow of communications is
one of constant exchange, which is excellent from ideas sharing standpoint, and from our perspective
we feel privileged to have the kind of quality dialogue with you that we do. It has added much value to
the project to date. However, you’ve noted that you’re looking for a way to reduce costs on the project
and one way to do this is by consolidating and streamlining communications.
A weekly team meeting (over the phone) with all core team members would allow for brainstorming ,
review of deliverables and team decisions all in one session. This wouldn’t come at the exclusion of all
other contact, but it would serve as the main exchange on any given week. Individual calls between you
and your consultant team would be reserved for pressing and immediate issues only.
It is also worth revisiting whether communications would be more streamlined if they occur between
you and one point person. This ties into the issue of project management and whether you’d like to
relate directly with all consultants or have a project manager do this.
Recommendation: Adopt a weekly Team meeting schedule and determine meeting process.
For outside communication the stakes will continue to climb in the next stage and we feel that it’s worth
putting together a communication and PR strategy to head off these challenges. The Fundraising
Network and Rayment and Collins and echoed this need and it’s clear that the amount of high level
communication will only increase and become more sensitive. In order to bolster your role as the figure
head of the project, a communication person should be identified as either a lead or support for
external communication planning and execution.
Recommendation: Review communications issues and develop initial strategy at next Team meeting.
Organizational Structure and Administration
The next phase of the project will require the formation of a team to support your vision. Among other
things, a Board of Directors and Fundraising Campaign team will be necessary to get large donor
fundraising a reality.
This task alone will require significant coordination, and a focused approach to organizing material,
setting up meeting, follow-ups and so forth. An experienced administrator, under your direction, can
help keep these elements stay on track and ensure a professional face to the Memorial initiative, while
more knowledge and know-how is accumulated internally. Someone with experience with Boards or
similar high-level individuals may also bring valuable organizational expertise to the project.

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Consider: Recruiting a volunteer or new staff member to take on the role of administrator for the
Never Forgotten Memorial.
Government Relations
Support of the Vision of the Never Forgotten Memorial from the Government of Canada - to this point has been very strong and with the arrival of the latest endorsement letter from Minister Kent, the
ground is set for an even stronger partnership with Parks Canada, Environment Canada and Veterans
Affairs (VA). The next phase of the project will be somewhat more tactical as both Parks and VA begin
to participate more directly with the Team in the assessment of the projects environmental impact and
the development of a business case among other aspects.
Parks Canada
Now that Parks Canada has been provided a more explicit direction from Minister Kent, this will
hopefully allow Hélène to begin the process of assessing the project and providing feedback on Parks
requirements relative the proposal.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process is one key step that is within her court and for
which the Team will need direction as to her requirements and schedule and what roles her staff will
play in the analysis and public consultation components. The commencement of a business case will also
require input from Hélène and Parks and should be discussed with her prior to launch.
Certainly the recent announcement regarding job cuts within Parks Canada, will likely influence the level
and nature of their engagement. Hopefully information will be forthcoming on the how these changes
will affect the review of the project.
Recommendation: that Tony speaks with Hélène to ask what she needs, and to outline how she sees
the EIA process unfolding.
Veteran Affairs
Veteran Affairs should be kept updated of progress in fundraising, EIA and other areas of the project
over the next phase. They should be contacted to confirm whether and/or when regular meetings will
be established that include VA staff. They should also be consulted on matters relating to military
history, veterans groups and ceremony procedures that may be included in Version 5 of the
Presentation book or developed for the business case or in dealings with Parks Canada.
Recommendation: Discuss and develop parameters for a partnership with Veteran Affair, at first
Team Meeting.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
The TFN Study outlined some claims and numbers regarding overseas Cemeteries that need to be
verified with the CWGC. These were somewhat addressed in Version 4 of the Presentation Book, but
additional information is required.
Recommendation: LANDinc and/or other members of the Team to meet with CWGC representative to
review material and further discuss the Memorial project.

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Summary of Recommendations/Considerations:
1. Schedule a meeting to clarify LANDinc’s role relative to the next phase of project.
2. Schedule a meeting with TFN and team discuss the fundraising schedule and confirm the
critical next steps.
3. Upon securing sufficient seed funding, launch Business Case (2 month timeline) to address
identified gaps and solidify donor pitch.
4. Consider a strategy to show the statue in less specific terms (e.g. Simple outline, especially for
wide / public release.
5. Plan for a design competition for the Mother Canada Statue.
6. Adopt a weekly Team meeting schedule and determine meeting process.
7. Review communications issues and develop initial strategy at next Team meeting.
8. Consider recruiting a volunteer or new staff member to take on the role of administrator for
the Never Forgotten Memorial.

9. Tony to speak with Hélène to ask what she needs, and to outline how she sees the EIA process
unfolding.

10. Discuss and develop parameters for a partnership with Veteran Affair, at first Team Meeting.
11. LANDinc and/or other members of the Team to meet with CWGC representative to review
material and further discuss the Memorial project.