Narrative Medicine & Social Prescribing Recreation Summit Integration

Project Management Volunteers (PMV) Sponsored Project
This is a PMV sponsored project.  The Project Manager will enter into a 3-way partnership between the Client organization, the Project Manager, and PMV.  This will include additional responsibilities and benefits for the Project Manager.

Our Client Organization: Nanaimo Social Prescribing Collective
The Nanaimo Social Prescribing & Narrative Medicine Summit Integration Project, also referred to as the Architecture of Connection: Social Prescribing, Narrative Medicine & Recreation Summit, is a community-based initiative focused on strengthening whole-person-centred health and well-being in Nanaimo.
The initiative is rooted in the principles of social prescribing, narrative medicine, and the question, “What matters to you?” It aims to support stronger connections between healthcare providers, community organizations, recreation and arts partners, local government, educators, and community members.
The project recognizes that while social prescribing pathways may exist, successful follow-through depends on strong community awareness, coordination, and engagement. By helping community partners understand how they can support the existing pathway, the initiative seeks to build a more sustainable, connected, and person-centred approach to health and well-being.
The initiative is currently connected to the VIU Recreation & Health Summit, scheduled for November 12–14, 2026, which will provide an important platform to share the project vision, build momentum, and engage community stakeholders.

Project Summary
The client organization is seeking a Volunteer Project Manager to support this initiative in two distinct phases. Phase 1 is focused on collaboration with a core group to prepare for the VIU Recreation & Health November Summit, deliver a clear conference presentation, and capture lessons learned. Phase 2 builds on that work after the conference by supporting broader city-level collaboration and the development of a shared social prescribing governance system for Nanaimo.
For Phase 1, the primary objective of this project is to help define, develop, and deliver a series compelling panels/presentations on the Architecture of Connection at the Summit. The presentation will communicate the vision of the initiative, reinforce the existing social prescribing pathway, and highlight the role of broader community engagement in supporting health, identity, and well-being.
Following the conference presentation and lessons learned review, Phase 2 will shift toward broader partner engagement and collaborative system development. This phase will focus on bringing together a wider group of city-level partners, regulators, small businesses, healthcare and primary care representatives, community organizations, social services, recreation and parks, arts and culture, education and research partners, Indigenous partners, and people and families with lived experience.
The intent of Phase 2 is to support the development of a shared governance commons for social prescribing in Nanaimo. This may include clarifying partner roles, supporting governance recommendations, developing a multi-party Memorandum of Understanding, and helping define the structures, resources, and processes needed to steward the initiative over time.
This project has a fixed milestone date due to the November 12–14, 2026 Summit, so the successful Volunteer Project Manager should be comfortable working within a defined timeline, helping the client prioritize scope, and supporting practical execution.

Required Qualifications
·	Minimum 8 years of project management experience
·	Strong project planning, coordination, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills
·	Experience supporting community-based, nonprofit, healthcare, public sector, education, or social impact projects is desired
·	Ability to work with diverse stakeholders, including healthcare practitioners, academic partners, community organizations, volunteers, Indigenous partners and community members
·	Strong communication, meeting facilitation, and relationship-building skills
·	Ability to clarify ambiguity, define scope, and support practical decision-making
·	Experience developing project charters, work plans, RACI matrices, risk registers, schedules, and status reports
·	Ability to work within a fixed milestone timeline
·	Strong organizational, planning, and risk management skills