Decision Support Systems for

TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS

Maximize Efficiencies in “477” Human and Social Services

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November 13 | 2015

When it comes to government funding and aid for Native American tribes, nothing is simple. After navigating the many complexities to obtain the needed funding, tribal governments face the multi-layered challenges to manage those financial resources efficiently.

Public Law 102-477, also known as the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992, enables federally recognized tribes and Alaska native entities to combine employment and training-related federal grant funds into a single plan with a single budget and a single reporting system. This law helps tribal nations in their goal of self-governance and self-determination. An integral part of these goals is to work efficiently at meeting the unique human services needs for all tribal members. However, many tribes become bogged down with data entry and reporting for the “477” law, taking up time and valuable resources. This is where Tribal D™ steps in to help with its proprietary resources

Tribal D has created software specifically designed to assist in American Indian benefits management by minimizing non-value-added activities for tribal human and social services intake and caseworkers. This software system, called TribeVue™, eliminates: 1) the problems caused when consolidating many grants into one fund; 2) the repetitive data entry and reporting required by the “477” law; and 3) many other administrative headaches. TribeVue™ enables tribes to be as efficient as possible with available funds.

Public Law 102-477 is permanent legislation and has no expiration date. It is designed to help tribes become more efficient with government grants and funding. While voluntary, there are distinct benefits for participation. Public Law 102-477 helps tribes consolidate funding for employment and training activities, and provides a better view of overall employment and training funding. The law helps tribal governments to ease some of the burden placed on administrative services as it relates to receiving and distributing those funds. Spending less of its resources on administrative costs empowers tribes to become more efficient and allows better use of that funding for its intended purposes.

The lead federal agency is the Office of Indian Energy & Economic Development within the Department of the Interior (DOI). Formula-funded programs in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education are also involved. Public Law 102-477 embodies the ideas of self-governance and self-determination. It has proven successful for over 20 years and demonstrates how tribes can effectively consolidate limited funding to address the unique needs of their tribal members while accomplishing individual tribal goals.

Tribal D, with its TribeVue™ software, aids tribes in spending federally funded grants in the most efficient manner possible, while creating an easier path to collect, track and report on funding activities.