SDWG PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE
Project Title:
ECONOR III – The Economy of the North
2015
Lead Country
Norway
Project leader(s):
(name of individual(s) person and
institution(s)*
Iulie Aslaksen, Statistics Norway
Solveig Glomsrød, CICERO Center for
International Climate and Environmental
Research, Oslo, Norway
Co-leads: USA and Canada
*Also include participating Arctic States, Permanent
Participant Organizations and contact person.
Participants from Arctic States:
ECONOR Network:
Gérard Duhaime/Andrée Caron, Université
Laval, Canada
Cara Williams/Helen McDonald (retired)/,
Statistics Canada
Ilmo Mäenpää, University of Oulu, Finland
Birger Poppel, Ilisimatusarfik Greenland
University, Greenland,
Alexander Goncharov, Federal State
Statistical Service, Russia
Scott Goldsmith, University of Alaska at
Anchorage, USA
Davin L. Holen, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of subsistence, USA,
Andrey Petrov, University of Northern Iowa,
USA,
Iceland: Thorolfur Matthiasson, University of
Iceland. Aim to establish contact with statistical office.
Sweden: Previously contact with Marianne
Eriksson, Statistics Sweden. Aim to update contact.
Observers:
Netherlands, Plansup/PBL, Wilbert van
Rooij; International Centre for Reindeer
Husbandry, Ellen Inga Turi, contributes to
ECONOR III on Sámi reindeer herding.
Permanent Participants:
ECONOR III has contact with Sámi Council,
Gunn Britt Retter. ECONOR III aims to expand its contact with other Permanent
Participants.
In addition, many other experts across the
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circumpolar Arctic contribute with data, text, and other input to ECONOR III.
Total Cost of Project:
(Identify all sources and types of funding)
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) funding 4.25 mill. NOK = 556 750 USD
+
Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) funding 400 000 DKK + 300 000 DKK = 60 800
USD + 45 000 USD
=
Total MFA and NCM funding = 617 550 USD
+ 45 000 USD = 662 550 USD
Additional funding requested for ECONOR
III, through SDWG and application to NCM
(for 2016) =
Lack of funding compared to original budget = 750 000 NOK – 300 000 DKK =
98 250 USD – 45 000 USD= 53 250 USD
Additional 200 000 DKK=ca. 35 500 USD required for Summary Policy Report
January 2016: Have applied to Nordic
Council of Minsters for 400 000 DKK = ca
70 000 USD to write Policy Summary Report
Relationship to other AC Working Groups:
(name of Working Group/contact name)
Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program
(AMAP): Lars Otto Reiersen, Jon L.
Fuglestad
Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna
(CAFF): Contact with CAFF will be extended, following the Arctic Biodiversity
Congress, Trondheim, Norway, December
2014, where a special session presented the GLOBIO model for analysis in the
ECONOR III project of impacts on Arctic biodiversity.
Criteria for assessing SDWG project proposal submissions:
Objective of Project:
Outline a clear and concise description of the new action including its correlation to an identified SDWG priority thematic area, and linkages to other AC Working Groups’ activities.
The ECONOR III project - The Economy of the North 2015 - will provide an updated overview of the economy, socioeconomic living conditions and environmental issues in the circumpolar Arctic, as impacted by the global economy and climate change. The report to be published primo March 2016 will update and follow up the previous
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ECONOR reports The Economy of the North (from 2006) and The Economy of the North
2008. A main motivation for the ECONOR projects has been to harmonize socioeconomic statistical data across national and regional borders. The ECONOR reports have contributed to obtain this overview, however, circumpolar comparison of economic data is not yet established in official statistical systems. The purpose of establishing a harmonized statistical overview is to improve the knowledge basis for policy for natural resource management and socio-economic development.
The current and previous ECONOR projects are funded by the Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and in kind funding from institutions participating in the ECONOR network, with representatives from national statistical offices and research organizations across the circumpolar Arctic. Statistics Norway hosts the editorial group, in close cooperation with CICERO Center for International Climate and
Environmental Research. For the previous projects ECONOR I and II, Statistics Norway contributed to the in kind funding, however, the current project ECONOR III is entirely based on full project funding by funding organizations, as required by Statistics Norway.
The previous projects ECONOR I and II were presented to the SDWG, although not formally approved as SDWG projects.
Like the previous ECONOR projects, ECONOR III responds mainly to two of the six SDWG thematic priority areas (which include health, socioeconomic issues, adaptation to climate change, energy and communities, management of natural resources, and culture and language), namely socioeconomic issues and management of natural resources.
Socioeconomic issues: The ECONOR projects represent a major initiative for harmonizing data on socioeconomic issues of the circumpolar Arctic. Socioeconomic data presented in the ECONOR reports include economic data, such as regionalized Gross Domestic
Product and production by main industry, indicators for socioeconomic living conditions, and survey and case study data for traditional nature-based subsistence production. For economic data and socioeconomic indicators a main purpose is to establish and update time series.
Management of natural resources: The ECONOR projects contribute to analysis of management of natural resources, in particular petroleum, with model based scenario analysis of future petroleum production in Arctic regions. Knowledge on nature-based subsistence livelihood is provided in survey data and case studies.
In addition to these two thematic priority areas, the ECONOR projects aim to develop knowledge for comprehensive analysis of conditions for Arctic sustainability. In particular,
ECONOR III will contribute to analysis of adaptation to climate change by providing data to the project Adaptations Actions for a Changing Arctic (AACA) for the Barents region.
Linkages to AMAP and CAFF:
AMAP: ECONOR III cooperates directly with AMAP on contributing with data from the
ECONOR III report to the AMAP project Adaptations Actions for a Changing Arctic
(AACA) for the Barents region.
CAFF: Contact with CAFF was established in relation to the Arctic Biodiversity Congress,
Trondheim, Norway, December 2014, where a special session presented the GLOBIO model for analysis in the ECONOR III project of impacts on Arctic biodiversity. Contact with CAFF will be extended as the GLOBIO model may be applied more widely for different regions of the circumpolar Arctic.
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[Project lead(s) will ensure there is adequate funding to support the meaningful engagement of Permanent Participant Organization(s) in the realization of this project’s objective(s).]
The ECONOR project involves contributions with and interactions with people living in the
Arctic Region, including indigenous scholars and experts. For ECONOR III, there is some funding for International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry, Ellen Inga Turi, to update the material on Sámi reindeer husbandry. For future ECONOR projects, it will be ensured that there is adequate funding to support the contributions to the report from several
Permanent Participant Organizations.
Background:
Provide a summary outlining the following:
 Intended date of project commencement; corresponding milestones and completion date;
 Updated milestones:
 September 2013: Start of ECONOR III project.
 18-19 November 2013: Start-up workshop for ECONOR III.
 2014 - 2015: Work on data and text of chapters.
 May/June 2015: First draft of all chapters of the ECONOR III report.
 September 2015: Workshop for review of chapters (with additional funding from
Research Council of Norway and AMAP).
 October 2015: Revised draft of all chapters of the ECONOR III report.
 November 2015: Final version of all chapters of the ECONOR III report.
 November/December 2015: Final editing of the ECONOR III report.
 January to March 2016: Continued final editing of the ECONOR III report
 Spring 2016: The ECONOR III report will be shared with SDWGs Heads of
Delegation for review.
 September/October 2016: Results from the ECONOR III report presented to the
SDWG/SAO-meeting (tbc)
 After SDWG/SAO-meeting: Final approval and printing of the report.
 Spring 2017: Summary for Policymakers (conditional on funding)to be presented at the Arctic Council Ministerial.
 Identify key stakeholders, organizations participating in project and how their participation is complementary to mutual objectives;
Key stakeholders: Arctic Council/SDWG, indigenous peoples organizations, ministries in participating countries, e.g. Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Ministry of Climate and Environment, national statistical offices, International
Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD), national and international research community, and media.
Organizations participating in the project:
Researcher/expert
Iulie Aslaksen
Solveig Glomsrød
Organization
Statistics Norway
CICERO
Country
Norway
Norway
Area of contributing to the ECONOR III report
Editor; subsistence economy; impacts on biodiversity
Co-editor; petroleum; circumpolar economy
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Gérard Duhaime
Andrée Caron
Ilmo Mäenpää
Scott Goldsmith
Alexander Goncharov
Université Laval
Université Laval
University of Oulu
University of Alaska
Federal State Statistical
Service
Ilisimatusarfik
Greenland University
Canada
Canada
Finland
USA
Russia
Indicators on socioeconomic living conditions
Indicators on socioeconomic living conditions
Regionalized economic data/time series
Economic data
Statistics on Russia
Birger Poppel
Ron Morency/Helen
McDonald
Davin Holen
Wilbert Van Rooij
Ellen Inga Turi
Andrey Petrov
Thorolfur Matthiasson
Marianne Eriksson
Per Arild Garnåsjordet
Lars Lindholt
Kristine Grimsrud
Statistics Canada
Alaska Department of Fish and Game,
Division of subsistence
Plansup/PBL
International Center for
Reindeer Husbandry
University of Northern Iowa
University of Iceland
Statistics Sweden.
Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway
Greenland
Canada
Subsistence economy; sustainability
Statistics on Canada
USA Subsistence economy of Alaska
Netherlands Impacts on biodiversity
Norway/Sápmi Sámi reindeer husbandry
USA
Iceland
Russian economy; industry
Economic analysis. Aim to establish contact with statistical office.
Sweden
Norway
Norway
Norway
Previously contact, aim to re-establish contact.
Sustainability, impacts on biodiversity
Petroleum analysis
Sustainability, impacts on biodiversity
Edita Zahirovic Statistics Norway Norway National accounts for Norway
Jan Henrik Wang Statistics Norway Norway Svalbard statistics
 As indicated in the table, the statistical experts and researchers contribute data on regionalized economic time series, socioeconomic indicators, subsistence economy, petroleum production and prospects, and environmental impacts.
Their participation is complementary to the mutual objectives of providing a comprehensive knowledge base for an overview of the intertwined nature of the economy, social conditions and environment, on regionalized level in the circumpolar Arctic, which is the aim of the ECONOR projects.
 Project proposals should have broad Arctic States and Permanent
Participant Organizations support and should contribute to one or more of the following: to building an integrated multi-disciplinary knowledge-base and to building the capacity of Arctic residents to better manage the current and future challenges and opportunities
 in the circumpolar region;
ECONOR III contributes to building an integrated multi-disciplinary knowledge-base described above.
 Cost estimate and budget.
See total budget on page 1. Detailed budget (after approval in 2013) is attached.
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Not all activities are fully funded. The intention of the ECONOR projects has been to provide an outlet for material not published elsewhere.
Rationale:
Describe why this work is required and how this project contributes to the fulfillment of the SDWG mandate, and how it is linked to one of the SDWG thematic priority areas.
The challenge remains to establish a statistical system for circumpolar Arctic statistics with sufficient institutional anchoring. As the Arctic regions belong to different nations, statistical information on economic and social issues has been widely dispersed, not easily available at a circumpolar level. In general, regional economic statistics are less complete than national data. Some Arctic regions have small populations and lack capacity to carry out surveys and administrative routines to establish economic statistics and national accounts. A central task of the ECONOR projects has been - and will be - to contribute to fill this knowledge gap by presenting data in a common format that facilitates comparison of income, production and economic structure among the Arctic regions, as a building block for capacity building towards a harmonized database on
Arctic socio-economic issues. The lack of well-established and harmonized circumpolar statistics describes why this work is needed. The comprehensive socio-economic knowledge base generated by ECONOR III contributes to the fulfilment of the SDWG mandate, within its thematic priority area of Arctic socioeconomic issues.
The ECONOR III report will present data for gross regional product per capita for each
Arctic region, compared to the national and circumpolar level. Core tables will present data by region, at disaggregated level of industry (18 industries), in order to show economic structure in comparable terms.
Analyses of Arctic petroleum prospects and impacts until 2050 will be presented. Focus will also be given to mineral prices and mineral exploration. In resource-rich Arctic regions, large parts of resource rents are taken out of the region. In order to give a better picture of the Arctic livelihood, data for household disposable income per capita are presented, in addition to data for regionalized Gross Domestic Product (denoted gross regional product). Socioeconomic indicators, including gender composition, life expectancy, infant mortality, tertiary education and dependency rate, convey information on the basis for livelihood and well-being, which neither gross regional product nor household disposable income per capita can communicate. It would be interesting to present available health data comparing the health situation in different regions.
While employment and revenues from petroleum and mineral extraction are expected to be the pillar of the economy of many Arctic regions, nature-based activities still contribute in important ways to the Arctic economies and culture. Fishing, hunting and reindeer herding for own consumption and community sharing is still a major source of subsistence livelihood for indigenous peoples and other local people. The subsistence activities represent traditional and local knowledge (TLK). The ECONOR III project seeks to express the importance of this knowledge. Availability of cash income from wage employment and product sales is important in order to purchase equipment and means of transportation for hunting, fishing and reindeer herding. With the notable exception of
Alaska, subsistence activities are mostly invisible in official statistics. An important
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challenge for research and statistics is to develop measures for subsistence activities, based on approaches used in Alaska, to be applied for sustainable development indicators and potentially as satellite accounts to the national accounts.
The outline of the ECONOR III report is:
 Chapter 1. The Economy of the North 2015: An introduction
 Chapter 2. Economic and social conditions of Arctic regions
 Chapter 3. Comparative analysis of Arctic economies at macro level
 Chapter 4. Arctic economies within the Arctic nations
 Chapter 5. Arctic natural resources in a global perspective – petroleum and mining
 Chapter 6. The Arctic as “hot spot” in a natural resource boom
 Chapter 7. Overview of traditional living in increasingly market-based Arctic economies
 Chapter 8. Ecological impacts in Arctic regions – a pilot study of impacts on biodiversity
 Chapter 9. Gaps in knowledge and statistical challenges
 Chapter 10. Discussion and concluding remarks
Issues to be covered include the following:
 All new SDWG project proposals must demonstrate their linkage to an SDWG priority thematic area. In this regard, a description on how this project will contribute or advance on previous activities and initiatives undertaken in the thematic area is required. Also if relevant, describe how it correlates to other Arctic Council Working
Group activities in this area.
As described above, ECONOR III addresses the priority thematic areas of socioeconomic issues and management of natural resources/petroleum and nature-based subsistence livelihood. The project advances on previous activities by updating time series on economic data. It correlates well with activities of
AMAP by providing socioeconomic data to Adaptation Actions for a Changing
Arctic (AACA), and with activities of CAFF by integrating biodiversity impacts into the socioeconomic framework of ECONOR III.
Integration of Traditional and Local Knowledge:

Identify whether the use of Traditional and Local Knowledge will lead to better project outcomes;
 The use of Traditional and Local Knowledge will clearly lead to better project outcomes. The approach to circumpolar economy as addressed in the ECONOR III project recognizes that nature-based subsistence activities contribute in important ways to Arctic economies and culture.
Fishing, hunting and reindeer herding for own consumption and community sharing is a major source of subsistence livelihood for indigenous peoples and other local people. These subsistence activities represent traditional and local knowledge (TLK). The ECONOR III project seeks to express the importance of this knowledge for understanding the
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 characteristics of the economy of the north. For example, availability of cash income from wage employment and product sales is important in order to purchase equipment and means of transportation for hunting, fishing and reindeer herding.
If so, explain how Traditional and Local Knowledge will be used in this project;
 With the notable exception of Alaska, nature-based subsistence activities are mostly invisible in official statistics. ECONOR III as well as the previous
ECONOR projects recognize that an important challenge for research and statistics on the economy of the north is to develop measures for subsistence activities, in order to present a more complete description of livelihood. In the ECONOR projects, Traditional and Local Knowledge is integrated in a chapter that describes traditional living, the subsistence activities and their relationship to the market economy. This chapter consists of contributions from many experts, including indigenous scholars, representing Traditional and Local Knowledge, expressed in data and case studies. Ellen Inga Turi will update the section on the economy of reindeer herding. The importance of the Traditional and Local Economy expressed in the activities of fishing, hunting and reindeer herding is emphasized in communication and presentation of the ECONOR projects.
The ECONOR III project has contact with the Sámi Council, by Gunn Britt

Retter, and the project aims to expand its contact with other Permanent
Participants.
If not, provide an explanation why Traditional and Local
Knowledge is not applicable or not feasible for this project.
 As explained, Traditional and Local Knowledge is clearly applicable and feasible for this project.
 If the project is linked to knowledge or action, describe the type and nature of information that will be made available, the beneficiaries; and their capacity to apply this knowledge in situation.
The purpose of ECONOR III is to generate new knowledge, on socioeconomic issues in the circumpolar Arctic, made available to stakeholders and policy makers. The project also provides model based scenario analysis of future petroleum production in Arctic regions. Experiences from presentations of ECONOR I and II to the SDWG and other fora indicated that the knowledge was well-received and that there is demand and anticipation for an updated ECONOR III report with an even wider scope than the previous reports.
 If the project is linked to capacity building, identify the target group or institution; type of capacity to be developed and how this strengthened capacity will benefit or improve the quality of life of
Arctic residents.
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The main purpose of ECONOR III is knowledge building. The project can also contribute to capacity building, and the previous ECONOR reports have been widely used by organizations involved in Arctic issues and policy.
Activities and Outputs:
 Outline the key activities/tasks to be undertaken;
Arranging start-up seminar in 2013, discussion of structure of ECONOR III report, data compilation, soliciting new contributions, drafting chapters of the report, review workshop in 2015, editing report, publication, dissemination.
See timeline presented above.
 Identify how target group will benefit from this project;
The ECONOR III report will be presented to SDWG in 2016. The ECONOR network will be utilized to reach other groups for presentation of results. Target group will benefit from the comprehensive statistical overview of socioeconomic conditions in the circumpolar
Arctic, as well as updated prospects for Arctic petroleum production.
 Identify partners’ contributions toward the project’s success and how this links to the activities of the SDWG. This would include: leveraging financial and other forms of support, individuals and groups who will participate in the implementation of the project.
The partners’ contribution of their unique knowledge, data and approaches to circumpolar comparison is fundamental to the success of the ECONOR III project.
Anticipated Outcomes:
 Outline the desired project outcomes – these should support the project’s objective(s).
Outcomes:
The published ECONOR III report.
A summary report for policy makers (if additional funding is made available).
Dissemination activities.
Timetable and Project Completion:
 Outline in detail the project’s implementation plan;
The implementation plan coincides with the Milestones described above.
 Target completion date;
Publication of ECONOR III report planned for fall 2016.
Dissemination activities will start after the publication. A summary for policy makers
(conditional on funding) will be prepared for the 2017 ministerial.
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 Will the project end and, if it is to continue outside the SDWG purview how will the project be sustained once it is no longer an
SDWG project?
The long-tem goal is to achieve secure institutional anchoring and funding for future compilation and dissemination of circumpolar social and economic statistics.
Communications:
 Identify the target audience(s) and how will the SDWG and/or State
Project lead communicate its project’s goals/objectives, implementation strategy and final results to the broader Arctic
Council community, proponents, beneficiaries and Arctic residents.
Targets groups:
 SDWG/Arctic Council. Presenting the report.
 Governments and regional/local management of the Arctic states and regions and indigenous groups, following advice from SDWG/Arctic Council and stakeholders.
 Statistical and international research community. Article in international scientific journal.
 Popular dissemination and news coverage.
Communication channels:
 Communication of results will initially take place through the SDWG/Arctic
Council, in order to ensure that the project is well rooted with ownership at local/ regional level.
 A summary report for policy makers (conditional on funding) will be elaborated for the AC Ministerial 2017.
 Dissemination and communication of the results from the ECONOR III project and the ECONOR III report will be emphasized throughout and following the project period, drawing on the valuable experiences obtained from dissemination of the previous ECONOR projects.
 Follow up communication channels used for ECONOR II project, where data were used in both scientific articles and reports – e.g. in the AMAP SWIPA Report
chapter 10: Arctic societies, cultures and peoples in a changing cryosphere.
 The ECONOR II project resulted in three articles in international scientific journals, one in Polar Geography, one in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, and one in
Energy Economics. Results from ECONOR III will be used for at least one article in an international scientific journal.
 The ECONOR III project was presented at the conference of the International
Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE) in 2014, and the results of the report may be presented at the Arctic Frontiers and the European Society for Ecological
Economics (ESSE) conference in 2017.
 Results from the ECONOR II project on Arctic petroleum prospects were reported in Norwegian media and in Washington Post.
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The general framework for project proposals comprises the Arctic Council
Terms of Reference for a Sustainable Development Program 1 , Sustainable
Development Framework Document (SDFD) 2 , Operating Guidelines for the
Sustainable Development Working Group 3 and the Arctic Council Rules of
Procedure.
There is a broad support for promoting activities based on the priority subject areas identified in the SDFD. The Sustainable Development Action
Plan (SDAP) adopted at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic
Council will be an important tool to identify new activities.
 The SDWG shall review new project proposals in the SDFD priority subject areas.
 Project proposals that have broad support and funding or that seem to be innovative should be favourably considered.
 Approvals shall be based on consensus, even if a member state or a permanent participant does not actively take part in the project.
 A rejected proposal can be re-proposed when the sponsor believes it meets the criteria for authorization, endorsement or designation.
 The SDWG shall every second year review its finished projects in order to determine what results have been gained from the project.
Approved projects may be authorized, endorsed or designated by the
SDWG. Authorized and endorsed projects have been reviewed and recommended by the SDWG and approved by the SAOs. They may be
1 Arctic Council Terms of Reference for a Sustainable Development Program as adopted by the Arctic Council at the First Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting Iqaluit, Canada, 17-18
September 1998.
2 Sustainable Development Framework Document, 13 October 2000 (SDFD).
3 Operating Guidelines for the Sustainable Development Working Group adopted by the
Sustainable Development Working Group on 14 May 2002 and approved by the Senior
Arctic Officials (SAOs) on 16 May 2002.
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grouped into clusters to promote synergy, provide for expert oversight and/or consolidate management.
Designated projects are projects that do not meet the criteria for approval by the SAOs, but address SDFD priority subject areas.
A. Authorized Projects
Authorized projects meet the criteria for Arctic Council projects. They should enjoy the participation of all Member States and Permanent
Participants. “Participation” may take the form of funding or the provision of human resources, in-kind contributions, or other resources. Authorized projects from their inception are circumpolar in nature, and should have circumpolar participation, effect and influence.
The project lead should include in its proposal and work plans provisions for outreach and dissemination of the results of the project, and should indicate what, if any, follow-up activity is required for the project.
Authorized projects approved by the SAOs will be included in the SDAP.
B. Endorsed Projects 4
Endorsed projects must be sponsored by more than one Member State.
One or more Permanent Participants should also participate.
“Participation” may take the form of funding or the provision of human resources, in-kind contribution, or other resources. Endorsed projects may be regional in scope and participation, but should have circumpolar effect and influence.
The project lead should include in its proposal and work plans provisions for outreach and dissemination of the results of the project, and should indicate what, if any, follow-up activity is required for the project.
Endorsed projects approved by the SAOs will be included in the SDAP.
C. Designated Projects
Designated projects are projects that do not meet the criteria for approval by the SAOs, but address SDFD priority subject areas. They may be proposed by one Member State, a Permanent Participant, an
Observer or by an organization not affiliated with the Arctic Council.
These projects should make a valuable contribution to the overall work of
4 ACToR, s2.b: “More than one Member State participates in the project.”
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the Arctic Council. For such projects a designation from the Arctic
Council may help a sponsor develop additional support or sponsors, raise funds for the project, or otherwise advance the project.
The Arctic Council takes no responsibility or active part in the implementation of designated projects. A Member State or Permanent
Participant, at its discretion, may advise or support the sponsor of a designated project.
If a designated project evolves to fulfil the criteria for an endorsed or authorized project, the project lead may present it to the SDWG for a change in status to an authorized or endorsed project at the next scheduled SDWG meeting.
D. Project Clusters
The 2004 Reykjavik Declaration approved the concept of project clusters, under which related projects can be grouped and jointly managed, and authorized the creation of a health cluster.
Project clusters may be composed of projects from the SDWG as well as from other Arctic Council working groups.
In order to promote synergy among specific projects, the SDWG, by consensus among its members, may designate existing authorized and/or endorsed projects into a cluster consistent with a SDFD priority subject area. The SDWG, by consensus among its members, may create a cluster of new authorized and endorsed projects in a SDFD priority subject area.
New authorized or endorsed projects may be added to an existing cluster.
Project clusters require an identified lead Arctic Council Member State or
Permanent Participant who will: a) organize reporting of all projects into a single report in a consistent format; b) create and maintain an oversight committee composed of subject matter experts to approve and maintain contact with projects within the cluster.
Project clusters will be added to the SDAP.
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A. Deadlines, procedure and timetables for project proposals
SDWG members must have enough time to analyse and form their opinion about the proposed projects.
Proposed procedure:
 Initial project proposals should be sent to the SDWG secretariat 90 days in advance of the SDWG meeting for comments by the SDWG representatives. A proposal can be submitted as a concept paper.
 The revised project proposal incorporating comments shall be sent to SDWG members at least 30 days prior to the meeting.
5
 Proposals can, as appropriate, be sent to relevant organizations for a scientific or quality content evaluation or to other Working Groups of the Arctic Council for coordinated activities.
 Decisions taken at the SDWG meeting are reported to the next SAO meeting.
B. Format for project proposals
1. The title of action proposed
2. The new action initiator 6
3. Lead country and project leader (name of person and institution)
4. Participating countries and permanent participant including name of institutions and contact persons.
5. Justification of the new action including relations to a priority subject area, activity of other working groups and contribution to gender equality.
6. Outcome of the project, deliverables and implementation plan.
7. Summary
8. Project description including methods to be used and work plan.
9. Cost estimate and budget
10. Sources of funding
5 OGSDWG, s 3.4
6 Member States, Permanent Participants or AC Working Groups can initiate a new action in the SDWG. Observers and organizations that are not members of the Arctic
Council can submit their projects for consideration to SDWG.
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