REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Consultancy Services - Conservation Planning

About the Gwich’in Tribal Council (GTC)

Established in 1992, the GTC is an Indigenous organization that represents over 3,500 Participants to the Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement (GCLCA) who originate from the Northwest Territories communities of Aklavik, Inuvik, Teet?’it Zheh (Fort McPherson) and Tsiigehtchic. The Gwich’in are a culturally and independent Nation that is focused on protecting and advancing our interests. Through quality work, collaborative approaches, and good governance, we strive to increase economic opportunities, develop quality infrastructure, promote health and wellness, and preserve the culture and language of the Gwich’in. The GTC represents and defends the inherent Treaty rights of all Gwich’in under the GCLCA.

The GTC Lands and Resources Department ensures compliance with the GCLCA and is responsible for the overall protection, management as well as reporting in relation to the Gwich’in Settlement Region (GSR). This includes the protection of water quality, land resources, air, fisheries, wildlife, and wildlife habitats as well as cultural and heritage resources.

Scope of Service

The GTC seeks a highly motivated and qualified consultant or consultancy firm (the consultant) to assist with conservation planning in Gwich’in traditional territory in the Peel River Watershed, Yukon. The primary emphasis of this work is to facilitate the establishment of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) or similar on select Gwich’in-held parcels within the GSR. 

Reporting to the Director, Lands and Resources, the consultant will be responsible for planning aspects related to the establishment of conservation areas on Gwich’in-held parcels in the Yukon, , including but not limited to:

• Conducting community and stakeholder engagement activities as appropriate in all stages of planning.
• Identifying information needs and potential sources and gathering initial data from existing sources and through site visits (as required).
• Developing a conservation area Strategic Plan including priority issues and development of short- and longer-term goals.
• Ensuring the strategies and goals of proposed conservation approaches conform with the objectives and management directions of Special Management Areas in the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan.
• Assisting with defining and negotiating the policy frameworks associated with establishing conservation areas in the Yukon Territory, such frameworks to include: 

o   Decision making policies regarding IPCAs;

o   Existing Gwich'in governance bodies and processes that can be used to support the IPCAs;

o   Avenues to collaborate with other indigenous peoples whose shared territory overlaps the Peel watershed to confirm buy-in, governance arrangements, roles, and responsibilities;

o   Gwich'in land management guidelines that can be used to support the establishment of IPCAs; and,

o   Identification of pathways and necessary tools for establishing Gwich'in IPCAs.

• Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to advance and achieve GTC’s conservation area objectives.

Schedule

This consultancy will begin on July 1, 2024, and be completed by January 31, 2025.

How to submit a proposal

Interested people should submit the following to jobs@gwichintribal.ca :

1.    A proposal describing your qualifications (or the qualifications of the team of consultants) and how the tasks described above would be carried out;

2.    A firm estimate of fees to be charged and expenses that would be incurred;

3.    Resume of the principal consultant and team members with relevant (+10 years) experience in land use planning; and,

4.    Recent references, including names, phone numbers, and contact people at two organizations who have been your clients during the last 18 months.

Timeline

The deadline for submission is May 31, 2024.

Interviews with finalists will be held during the week of June 17, 2024.

Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Contact

For any questions or requests for information, please get in touch with:

Name:             Kanda Kola Gnama

Title:               Transboundary Specialist,

Telephone:     867-777-7912,

E-mail:            kanda.Gnama@gwichintribal.ca