January 29, 2001
TO: Heads of Operating Divisions
Heads of Staff Divisions
FROM: William F. Raub, Ph.D. Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
SUBJECT: Tribal Self-Governance Study: Request for Information
Title VI of the “Tribal Self-Governance Amendments of 2000" (P.L. 106-260) requires the Department to conduct a study and submit a report to Congress on the feasibility of a tribal self- governance demonstration project for “appropriate programs, services, functions, and activities (or portions thereof)” of the Department. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (OASPE) is charged with the conduct of the study. The study is directed at all Department programs and activities, exclusive of the Indian Health Service (IHS). IHS programs already are subject to tribal self-governance.
Your assistance with the study is needed. A central requirement of the study is consultation with the tribes. To fulfill their advisory role, tribal representatives have requested that the Department provide a baseline of information on all Department programs, services, functions, and activities. The attached questionnaire (Attachment A) encapsulates the information requested by the tribal representatives. I am asking your assistance in completing the questionnaire for all programs, services, functions, and activities under your jurisdiction by February 23.
Please note that a member of your staff already is cognizant of this request and helped with the design of the questionnaire. They are part of the Tribal Self-Governance Study Workgroup that is charged with providing assistance and guidance on the study. All OpDivs and StaffDivs are represented on the workgroup. A list of workgroup members, including your agency representative, is provided in Attachment B. Workgroup members were throughly briefed on the study in a meeting earlier this month and can provide you with background and details of the study.
In addition to helping with the design of the questionnaire, the workgroup is now completing a “field test” of the questionnaire for selected programs. Feedback from the field test will be used to revise and finalize the collection protocol. We expect revisions to be completed by February 5, although flexibility to address individual circumstances will be necessary.
Thank you for your help with this request. The OASPE contact for this request is Andy Rock. He can be reached at 202-690-8774.
Attachments