Heritage impact assessment (hia) / archaeological consultancy

• Background Information:

HAMAP-Humanitaire (HH) is a French NGO founded in 1999 and active in humanitarian mine action in multiple countries. HH is currently developing its Mine Action programme in the Middle East in line with its mandate to reinforce local and national actors and ensure safe, responsible, and context-sensitive humanitarian action.

HH has been working in Iraq since 2016, focusing on strengthening local and national partners. HH initially delivered IED-clearance training to local authorities in Sulaymaniyah and Erbil. From 2019 to 2025, HH supported a local Iraqi NGO through a long-term partnership aimed at improving organizational and technical capacity, resulting in the implementation of EORE, NTS, and Clearance operations in Ninewa Governorate, particularly in Sinjar District, clearing more than one million square meters of land. Since September 2025, HH has launched MIRATH in southern Iraq.

MIRATH (Mesopotamia Initiative for Rehabilitating Archaeological Tourism and Heritage) aims to support the Iraqi Civil Defense in Dhi Qar Governorate through training and equipment, enabling clearance of at least two million square meters of archaeologically sensitive land contaminated with explosive ordnance. The project is implemented in partnership with the Iraqi Directorate of Mine Action (DMA) under the Ministry of Environment and in close coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities at central and governorate levels.

Given the project context and the sensitivity of operating within or near major archaeological and World Heritage-related landscapes, HH must ensure that mine action activities are planned and implemented in a way that protects cultural heritage values and supports responsible site management. In accordance with UNESCO-endorsed and ICOMOS-referenced methodology for World Heritage contexts, a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) is required to establish baseline knowledge, identify attributes related to Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), assess risks and impacts, and define proportionate avoidance, mitigation, and monitoring measures prior to and during operations.

Against this background, HH seeks the services of an Archaeologist / Heritage Specialist to conduct a UNESCO-aligned HIA for at least one priority site, including Eridu, Kisiga (Tell Al-Lahm) and Tell Zaid, and to provide technical guidance to integrate heritage protection into clearance planning and quality management.

The consultant will work in close coordination with HAMAP-Humanitaire’s Regional EOD Technical Advisor to ensure that heritage protection requirements are translated into practical, safe, and implementable clearance planning measures.

• Objectives of the Assessment:

The main objective of this assignment is to conduct a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for one priority archaeological site in Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq, in accordance with UNESCO standards and ICOMOS guidance for World Heritage and related contexts, and to support the integration of heritage protection requirements into mine action planning, quality management, and field implementation. Specifically, the assessment will aim to:

• Establish a robust heritage baseline for the site, with specific reference to attributes conveying its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);

• Assess potential direct, indirect, cumulative, and accidental impacts of planned mine action activities on the site’s authenticity, integrity, and wider setting.

• Ensure that clearance operations are planned and implemented in a manner fully respectful of internationally recognized cultural heritage protection standards

• Define practical and proportionate avoidance, mitigation, and monitoring measures to prevent or minimize adverse impacts on archaeological remains; and

• Support the integration of heritage-sensitive requirements into operational planning, quality management, and field implementation of humanitarian mine action activities.

• Scope of Work

Through the HIA, the consultant will be expected to:

• Establish a clear heritage baseline for the assessment area, focusing on attributes that convey OUV and other nationally significant heritage elements.

• Identify and map sensitive heritage areas and constraints relevant to mine action operations (including physical remains, stratigraphy risk, visual/setting considerations where relevant, and access/visitor management sensitivities).

• Assess potential impacts of proposed mine action activities, including direct, indirect, cumulative, and accidental impacts, and consider whether impacts are temporary/permanent and reversible/irreversible.

• Propose a package of avoidance, mitigation, protection, and monitoring measures, including operational recommendations that can be implemented by mine action teams.

• Provide clear guidance on operational integration, including exclusion zones, adapted clearance methodologies and constraints, and quality management considerations.

• Develop a chance-find procedure adapted to humanitarian demining operations in archaeological contexts, including procedures for suspected archaeological remains, human remains, associated artefacts, structural remains, and other culturally or legally sensitive finds.

• Define clear heritage-related hold points and stop-work triggers to be applied during clearance activities, including the procedure for notifying HAMAP-Humanitaire, the Regional EOD Technical Advisor, Civil Defense clearance teams, DMA/RMAC-S, and the relevant heritage authority. These triggers should cover, at minimum, the discovery of suspected archaeological remains, unexpected subsurface features, human remains, culturally significant artefacts, structural remains, or any field condition requiring archaeological review before clearance activity continues.

• Support structured consultation and coordination with relevant Iraqi stakeholders (heritage authorities, mine action authorities, and other designated entities) as required for scoping, validation, and practical implementation.

• Deliver a final HIA report suitable for submission to project stakeholders and donors, including a non-technical summary and operational annexes.

The consultant will work closely with HAMAP-Humanitaire’s Regional EOD Technical Advisor, mine action staff, and designated national counterparts to ensure that HIA findings are translated into practical operational requirements for heritage-sensitive clearance. The consultant will not be responsible for technical EOD decision-making, clearance supervision, or explosive ordnance disposal procedures; these responsibilities remain with the competent mine action actors under applicable national procedures and HAMAP technical oversight.

Note: The HIA shall follow a fit-for-purpose approach proportionate to site conditions and operational risks, and may require a multidisciplinary perspective as needed to ensure the assessment is complete and implementable.

• Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The outputs and deliverables for this consultancy are presented as below:

• Inception report (incl. scoping, methodology, study area definition, stakeholder consultation plan, workplan and timeline)

Estimated duration: 1–2 days

Target due date: To be confirmed

Review and approvals required: HH + relevant national counterparts (as applicable)

• Field mission(s) to the selected priority site(s) (including Eridu, Kisiga (Tell Al-Lahm) and Tell Zaid) and stakeholder consultations

Estimated duration: 5–10 days

Target due date: To be confirmed

Review and approvals required: HH + site authorities

• Final HIA report, revised based on comments, including final operational annexes (maps/tables/procedures) and an operational coordination annex covering archaeology–mine action interface arrangements

Estimated duration: 7–10 days

Target due date: To be confirmed

Review and approvals required: HH + relevant authorities / technical reviewers

• Final HIA report, revised based on comments, including final operational annexes (maps/tables/procedures) and an operational coordination annex covering archaeology–mine action interface arrangements

Estimated duration: 3–5 days

Target due date: To be confirmed

Review and approvals required: HH + validation entities as agreed

Note: Exact duration and sequencing will be confirmed at contracting stage based on access, permissions, and the specific site covered.

The operational coordination annex should set out practical interface arrangements between the archaeology/heritage advisor, HAMAP-Humanitaire technical staff, Civil Defense clearance teams, DMA/RMAC-S, and relevant heritage authorities. It should define, at minimum, decision points for excavation, exclusion zones, chance-find procedures, data-sharing arrangements, heritage-related hold points, stop-work triggers, and notification lines. The annex should also clarify that any archaeological observation, documentation, or intervention within or adjacent to a hazardous area shall be conducted only under applicable mine action safety controls, including access control, safety briefings, communications, medical support, and movement restrictions as defined by the competent mine action actor. Finally, it should describe how heritage-related risk assessment will be reviewed during field implementation, particularly where new archaeological features, human remains, associated artefacts, or unexpected subsurface conditions are encountered.

• Duration of the Work

The consultancy is expected to start on the date of contract signature. The expected duration is to be defined, depending on the site, the level of baseline documentation available, stakeholder consultation requirements, and field access constraints.

• Duty Station

• Primary duty station: Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq

• The consultant may work remotely for desk-based research and report drafting but will be required to conduct field visits to the selected archaeological site(s) as necessary.

• The consultant must maintain regular coordination with HH and designated counterparts throughout the assignment.

• Profile of Consultant

The consultant should be in possession of and demonstrate experience in the following areas:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or PhD) in Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Management, or a related field.

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in archaeology and/or heritage management (or equivalent demonstrated expertise relevant to the assignment scope).

• Proven experience conducting Heritage Impact Assessments (or closely comparable heritage assessment studies) in complex operational contexts.

• Strong knowledge of UNESCO World Heritage processes and ICOMOS HIA guidance, including OUV-based assessment logic.

• Demonstrated capacity to translate heritage requirements into practical operational recommendations.

• Experience working alongside operational field teams, such as mine action, EOD/UXO, engineering, construction, environmental, infrastructure, or security teams, is highly desirable, particularly where heritage protection requirements had to be translated into practical field procedures, constraints, or mitigation measures.

• Excellent research and analytical skills.

• Excellent report-writing skills in English.

• Experience in the Middle East, particularly Iraq, is highly desirable.

• Arabic and/or French is an asset.