Short term consultancy to develop background information supporting a safeguards screening of Sápmi

WWF is committed to respecting and promoting human rights in all our work, recognizing that human rights are central to achieving effective, equal, and long-lasting conservation and development outcomes.

To ensure that an inclusive, human rights-based practice is implemented across the network, WWF has developed a framework for environmental and social safeguards (ESSF), and also Statements of Principles on human rights, gender and Indigenous Peoples.

For all our field-based work, an ESSF screening is mandatory throughout the WWF Network. For WWF operational landscapes, the screenings are conducted at landscape level, but project level screening tools can also be used when feasible.

WWF-Norway does not currently conduct any field-based work in Sápmi. We do, however, hold ourselves accountable to high standards of principle related to our work with Indigenous Peoples, and acknowledge that our ongoing national advocacy, communication and policy activities may impact Sámi rights.

In order to better understand these potential impacts, WWF-Norway intends to conduct a safeguards screening of Sápmi in Norway, aiming to deepen our understanding of issues related to nature conservation and climate change adaptation in the area.

As Sápmi also covers parts of Sweden and Finland, we will collaborate with WWF-Sweden and WWF-Finland, as well as with the WWF Global Arctic Programme, to also identify possibilities for collaboration on strengthening our policy, communication and advocacy work related to Sápmi across the three countries.

We will use the WWF project safeguards screening tool for the in-house screening. WWF-Finland has already carried out such a screening, still in draft, and WWF-Sweden plans to do so for the Swedish Sápmi areas.

External expertise is now being sought to provide in-depth background information about key issues related to Sápmi in Norway, to complement WWF-Norway’s knowledge and understanding when feeding into the safeguards screening.

The purpose of the consultancy is to provide background information and analysis for WWF-Norway to better understand and take into account the potential impact of our work, in relation to Sápmi and Sámi indigenous rights.

WWF-Norway will use these deliverables for carrying out an in-house safeguards screening, to ensure that our policy, advocacy and communications work related to Sápmi remains of high quality and reduce risks.

The methodology for this consultancy may include, but is not limited to, review of relevant literature, legal and political frameworks, planning documents, research publications etc, as well as interviews and discussions with key stakeholders, WWF staff and others.

The methodology will be tailored by the consultant in the inception phase, in agreement with WWF-Norway. There will be no travel in connection with this consultancy.

1. The key deliverable is a report in English, which will provide background information and analysis to inform WWF-Norway’s safeguards screening process and subsequent future work related to Sápmi. The report will provide a factual description and strategic analysis of key issues related to the following thematic areas in the context of the Norwegian parts of Sápmi:

• Nature and biodiversity
• Political and legal
• Socio-cultural
• Socio-economic

Attached to the report, there will also be a list of key sources and reading suggestions: books, reports, conventions, etc.

2. In addition to the final report, there will be three sub-deliverables:

• An initial meeting with WWF-Norway to ensure mutual understanding and align expectations.
• An inception report, outlining the process the consultant intends to use and listing planned interviews. This will form the basis for a discussion and agreement with WWF-Norway on the overall consultancy process and deliverables.
• A presentation of the final report at the office of WWF-Norway, including a summary of key findings.

• Solid understanding of key environmental issues in Norway.
• Good understanding of international law related to Indigenous Peoples.
• In-depth knowledge of Sápmi and issues of significance to the Sámi people.
• Demonstrated social science methodologies skills; degree in social sciences, environmental sciences, or similar is a plus.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience.
• Excellent communication skills in English and Norwegian, knowledge of a Sámi language is a plus.
• Adequate general knowledge of key Norwegian socio-economic, legal, political, economic and cultural issues.
• List of three relevant references.

The consultancy has an estimated timeframe of 30 days.

Interested candidates should send an application including a summary of the applicant’s experience and qualifications demonstrating relevance for the task; an outline of how/where the necessary information will be obtained; a delivery plan including timeline of key deliverables and activities; a total cost breakdown, including hourly rate, and a resume to tender@wwf.no as soon as possible.