Base de données de recherche des TNO

Régions: South Slave Region

étiquettes: environmental assessment, social sciences, traditional knowledge, cumulative effects, resource management, decision making

Objectif(s): To create a community-based monitoring methods toolkit for gathering and incorporating traditional knowledge (TK) of cumulative effects for environmental decision-making; and to create a curriculum for an intensive pilot training course in qualitative environmental research and analysis for decision-makers and TK researchers.

Description du projet: This is the 3rd Phase of the research program looking at how Indigenous Knowledge is included in GNWT decision making and understanding cumulative impact management. The first phases consisted of a literature review, analysis of Reasons for Decisions in environmental assessments (EAs), and qualitative analysis of interviews in Phase 1 & 2, and yielded recommendations for decision-makers and TK researchers alike for the improvement of the inclusion of traditional knowledge (TK) in resource management and understanding cumulative effects. The main objectives of Phase 3 will be to work with the partnering community of Lutsel K'e, decision-makers, and NWT Cumulative Impacts Monitoring Program (CIMP) to create tools to help communities and decision-makers implement these recommendations and improve research methods in multi, inter, and trans-disciplinary research involving TK for use in decisions. These tools will take the form of: 1) A community-based monitoring methods toolkit, including relevant monitoring protocols and methodology for gathering and incorporating TK of cumulative effects for environmental decision-making. •This toolkit will explore methods to identify elements that are both compatible with TK holders’ worldview and the information needs of regulatory decision-makers. The toolkit will be made available to all groups wishing to engage in on-the-land monitoring programs in the NWT. 2) A curriculum for an intensive pilot training course in qualitative environmental research and analysis for decision-makers and TK researchers. Research questions to guide the development of the monitoring toolkit, and in turn, curriculum are: 1. Have the results and recommendations from Phase 1 & 2 adequately captured the issues experienced by decision-makers and regulatory analysts? What is missing? 2. What current methodologies are in use in TK research and monitoring, and how are they serving their purposes for resource management decisions? 3. For indigenous communities, what are the information needs and expectations to understand and manage cumulative impacts? For decision makers and ENR, what information needs exist that are expected to come from communities/indigenous knowledge? How do these needs differ? How are they the same? Year 1 Methods: The Principal Investigator (PI) will explore answers to the research questions in two ways: 1) Through inductive, semi-directed interviews with 4 community TK research directors, 4 monitors, and 3 TK monitoring program coordinators. •Interviewees will be given the results of Phase 1 & 2 to read prior to interviewing, along with the main questions. •There will be up to 11 interviews, each lasting approx 1-3 hours. 2) A presentation of the Project to Lutsel k’e Council for feedback and review. The information they provide through interviews will be anonymously cited in the final report if applicable. Interviewees will have an opportunity to review and verify their interview transcript, and remove any material they wish from the record. Transcripts and recordings will be stored in a secure location disclosed to the interviewees, and may be made available to each individual upon request. Qualitative analysis of interviews will follow the principles of grounded theory (dividing transcripts into meaningful segments to notice patterns, difference and commonalities, as they define the perspectives and experience described by the interviewee. Results from interviews and review of literature will be used to structure the development of the monitoring toolkit. An outline of the toolkit and its proposed content will be shared with Lutsel K’e for review and comment. A draft toolkit will be released for review and comment by identified stakeholders and community partners. A meeting to discuss this document and review will be held with the Project Lead and Lutsel K’e and NWT CIMP, respectively. A final community-based monitoring toolkit will be developed and distributed to Lutsel k’e, NWT CIMP, Environment and Natural Resources (ENR), and other NWT communities. Year 2 Methods: In follow-up to Year 1 individual interviews, a brief, easy to fill out digital survey will be developed and widely distributed to ENR and co-management board staff and community stakeholders on their content, training and delivery needs related to project goals. Year 2 will focus on the development of a curriculum in qualitative social science research and analysis and building integrated research (multi/inter/trans-disciplinary) programs for environmental management. The content of this curriculum will be informed by participants and research partners, with regular meetings to seek contribution or feedback on its content, and report on its progress. The content may include education on the history, assumptions, and critical inquiry of current methods in traditional knowledge and land use research, training in methods for achieving the best available social science for impact assessment, cultural sensitivity and intercultural communication, and applications and theory of integrated research and knowledge co-production. A draft curriculum will be released for review and comment by identified stakeholders. A meeting to discuss and review this document will be held with the Project Lead, Lutsel K’e informants, NWT CIMP, and other potential stakeholders. This research is proposed in partnership with Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation, who have committed to in-kind support as research informants, reviewers, and participants. Community participants will be provided training in designing community-based monitoring research programs, as well as assistance to assess and improve current programs to better meet their current monitoring needs. A final deliverable for the first year will be the co-development of a monitoring toolkit to support Lutsel K'e Dene and other indigenous communities in developing innovative programs for the inclusion of local knowledge in internal and external resource management process. This study will result in a toolkit for publication and distribution, as well as curriculum for implementation across GNWT and aboriginal community stakeholders. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from November 20, 2018 to December 31, 2018.