NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: community based harvest

Objective(s): To identify options for elements of the Harvest Study that reflect both scientific best practice and community-specific needs and priorities.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 5883. The main output of the project will be options for elements of the Harvest Study that reflect both scientific best practice and community-specific needs and priorities. The elements in question are timing of the survey, how to record observations on the health of animals and the land, observations of pressures and stresses on harvest activities, and incentives and compensation levels for harvesters to participate and send in their data. The Inuvialuit Game Council and the 6 Hunters and Trappers Committee will have the final decision on which options to choose to use in the Inuvialuit Harvest Study. The secondary output will be a Master's thesis for the student conducting the work based upon analysis of harvester perceptions of the survey elements and on the compensation/incentive options. Phase 1: January 2023-March 2023 Clarifying the central vision and knowledge needs associated with the harvest study (e.g., what kind of data do different committees, councils and others need and why) The researchers have already started participatory design by taking direction from the Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat (IJS) and Inuvialuit Game Council (IGC) and building on the work that they have already started to re-launch the Harvest Study. The researchers met with the Inuvialuit Game Council and the Wildlife Management Advisory Council to inform them about the project and to get their initial opinions and recommendations. The Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat also shared internal documents that started the redesign process (Firelight report) as well as places where harvest data was used, such as in the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway Environmental Impact Statement, and other monitoring programs like the Imaryuk Monitors. Phase 2: April 2023 - January 2024 Survey Design Developing options/examples of what a harvest study might look like (e.g., examples of surveys) From meetings and conversations with community members, there are 3 specific challenges that need to be addressed in the new design of the harvest study: interview fatigue, meaningful incentives for participation, and a user-friendly set-up. The researchers were also told that the survey should reflect the unique needs and concerns of each community, and not just be a cookie-cutter standard survey. Based on these directions, the survey components will be developed with one baseline section to be consistent across the entire region and other optional components tailored to community preferences and to incorporate local knowledge. A web form will be created to be distributed to all HTC members who are interested in having a say in the development of the survey questions and to select incentives for taking part in the Harvest Study. The design survey is completely voluntary and people may choose to opt-out at any time in the process. The design survey will present examples of questions and ask if they are understandable and appropriate, and the second part of the survey will address the theme of incentives to encourage members to participate and will present choice options on how the person responding would like to be compensated. Once the draft has been confirmed, the researchers will begin sending promotional material to invite people to take the design survey. Phase 3: February - March 2024 Data Collection The survey link will be sent to the HTCs in February. In March, I will travel to communities to host open office hours to talk in person about the Harvest Study redesign, answer questions about the survey, and help with any technical issues. Phase 4: April - September 2024 Writing the Harvest Study Options Paper The response data will be analyzed to find the top choices for survey questions and response incentives as well as any other comments participants have shared. This feedback will ensure that the efforts for the long-term viability and engagement with the Harvest Study are supported by preferences of the people involved. The researchers will also be working on exploring technology that will meet the needs as expressed in the design survey. The research team has heard that most people would prefer a way to enable Inuvialuit researchers to collect data digitally on a smartphone, but still allow people to do either their own data entry on their phone or on paper in an in-person interview. The final options paper will be presented to the Joint Secretariat and Game Council. The project’s main point of contact will be the Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat (IJS) Committee Program Manager and Inuvialuit Game Council. Regular updates on the progression of the project will be sent in a newsletter format via email to the Resource Persons of the Hunters and Trappers Committee to pass along to their Board members. For critical developments, we will apply to be on the agendas of the meeting of HTC and other joint management boards. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: March 7 - December 31, 2024