Allocate $10 million to $15 million for new bosses at
the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the beleaguered agency might get
itself back on track, says a new report from the National Academy
of Public Administration. The BIA, which represents 1.2 million
Indians from 558 tribes, has long been plagued by mismanagement
(HCN 4/15/99). BIA head Kevin Gover asked the academy to study the
agency’s structure and propose some solutions. NAPA’s 130-page
answer, A Study of Management and Administration: The Bureau of
Indian Affairs, says the agency has been unable to “perform basic
federal functions of accounting, property management, human
resources management, procurement, and information resources
management.” But the four panel members and 11 researchers who
compiled the report say the situation isn’t hopeless. As a first
step, the BIA needs to create an office devoted to tracking
policies, budgets and staff, the report urges. Though both BIA
chief Gover and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt agree that
numerous budget cuts have contributed to the BIA’s current state of
disarray, the academy recommends holding off increased funding
until the agency can strengthen its management. Gover says he’ll
try to do that.
The $20 report is available from
NAPA Publications at 301/617-7801. The report can also be accessed
free at NAPA’s Web site, www.napawash.org. – Ali
Macalady
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline BIA told to get organized.
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