Engagement and Knowledge-Sharing

• Collaborative Global Initiatives – Joined with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its ongoing Mining Regions and Cities initiative to advance recommendations for improving development outcomes for regions engaged in extensive mining and resource extraction. NSG advised on effective ways to engage with Indigenous and rural communities and worked on the fourth Meeting of Mining Regions and Cities, held in 2020. 
• Facilitating Stakeholder Cooperation – Reinvigorated a long-standing conversation regarding the reintroduction and management of sea otters in Alaska with the Southeast Sea Otter Stakeholder Meeting. NSG developed a comprehensive framing report and established a respectful and constructive environment for identifying collaborative management strategies to mitigate conflict with diverse user groups.
• Enhancing Indigenous Community Engagement– Consulted with the Municipality of Anchorage as they developed a government-to-government relations ordinance with the Native Village of Eklutna, one of the first nationwide. NSG works to promote participation of Indigenous groups in decision-making, relationship-building, advocacy, and communication with government entities and the private sector. Other examples of NSG work in this area has included developing divestment strategies for energy companies that benefit rural communities, establishing public affairs and outreach plans, and advising clients on key issues and interests amongst Indigenous stakeholders.
• Shaping Industry-Government-Public Dialogue – Designed the Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Arctic Mining initiative between the Arctic Council’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group and the mining industry to examine the challenges and opportunities for incorporating conservation measures and biodiversity into Arctic mining operations. NSG has taken a leading role from the beginning, and most recently by contributing to the May 2021 Progress Report.

Baseline Research and Reporting

• Stakeholder Analysis – Conducted baseline research mapping projects in a variety of thematic areas, compiling and curating exhaustive lists of influential participants and their interests to inform client engagement  strategies. Examples include an overview of international Arctic mining companies, an analysis of Alaska’s climate change influencers, and a database of U.S. Indigenous stakeholders.
• Cataloguing Good Practices  – Compiled examples of the northern mining industries’ biodiversity efforts and community engagement and environmental protection initiatives. NSG created the first-ever effort to gather information about good practices employed by mining and extractive industries throughout the Arctic. 
• Whitepapers and Issue Briefs  – Prepared reports on current events, issues, and policy developments in response to client interests such as transboundary mining issues, rural economic development strategies, regional social-economic conditions, and indigenous participation in renewable energy industries. NSG also provided input for a Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development whitepaper that explored successful partnerships between indigenous communities and extractive industries.