The purpose of this government report is to "provide practical advice and direction to federal departments and agencies regarding the legal requirement for the Crown to consult with Aboriginal groups and, where appropriate, accommodate their interests." It presents pointers for determining where a legal basis for consultation exists, how to prepare for consultation, and how to ensure that the consultation is meaningful. The report authors aim to strike a balance between being overly prescriptive in their guidelines and leaving individual departments free to decide how best to consult. A driving objective is to advise a consultation approach "that reconciles the need for consistency … with the desired flexibility, responsibility and accountability." The guidelines are considered interim until the federal government develops a consultation policy. Following a brief presentation of the context for the guidelines and the principles employed for writing them, the report is divided into two main sections. The first provides information for managers, the second information for practitioners. A glossary of select terms and summaries of Haida Nation v. British Columbia, Taku River Tlingit First Nation v. British Columbia, Mikisew Cree First Nation v. Canada are buttressed between the two sections.