Department of the
Interior
Departmental Manual
Effective Date: 6/21/07
Series: Organization
Part 110: Office of the Secretary
Chapter 8: Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian
Affairs
Originating Office: Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian
Affairs
110 DM 8
8.1 General. The Office of the Assistant Secretary -
Indian Affairs is headed by an Assistant Secretary. The Assistant Secretary discharges the duties
assigned by the Secretary and provides direction and leadership over the Office
of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and
the Bureau of Indian Education. The
Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs (see attached
organization chart) includes the following:
8.2 Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary -
Indian Affairs. The Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs serves as the first assistant and
principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs in the
development and interpretation of program policies affecting Indian
Affairs. The Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary - Indian Affairs manages, directs, and coordinates functions to
strengthen the government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes and
Alaska Native villages in support of the Federal policy of Indian
Self-Determination; and discharges the duties assigned by the Assistant
Secretary - Indian Affairs.
A. Office of
External Affairs. The office reviews
and coordinates legislative planning and congressional relations for Indian
Affairs. The office provides legislative
research and assistance in planning, developing, drafting, and analyzing
proposed legislation; coordinates its work with the Office of Congressional and
Legislative Affairs in the Office of the Secretary, to ensure consistency of
Departmental communications with Congress; prepares speeches and articles for
key Indian Affairs officials; issues news releases on major developments;
provides general publications and multi-media materials in support of Indian
Affairs; serves as liaison and coordinates public affairs activities and news
releases with the Office of Communications in the Office of the Secretary.
B. Office of
Federal Acknowledgment. The office
reviews petitions and documentation submitted by groups seeking Federal recognition
and makes recommendations to the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs on
whether the petitioners should be granted status as federally recognized Indian
tribes; coordinates activities with affected internal and external
organizations to ensure that views and/or concerns are addressed. The office works closely with Departmental
staff to maintain liaison with the media, the public, and other Federal and
State agencies.
8.3 Deputy Assistant Secretary - Policy
and Economic Development. The Deputy Assistant Secretary - Policy and Economic
Development reports to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian
Affairs and exercises the oversight responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary
- Indian Affairs for the regulation of Indian gaming and for the management and
operations of self-governance initiatives.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary is also responsible for expanding
reservation business opportunities and Indian employment with emphasis on the
development of their energy and mineral resources on trust lands; providing
oversight of initiatives designed to assist tribes in developing stronger
reservation and/or tribal economies; developing policies and procedures for job
placement and training under the Indian Employment Training and Related Services
Demonstration Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-477), as amended, and providing credit
under the Indian Financing Act of 1974.
In addition, the Deputy Assistant Secretary serves as the primary
Departmental representative to international and multi-agency organizations,
work groups, and task forces that impact Indian Affairs, and provides executive
leadership, guidance, coordination, and direction to the following offices.
A. Office
of Indian Gaming. The office is
responsible for the development of policies and procedures used for
implementation of gaming-related activities authorized by the Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act and other Federal laws and coordinating development of all
related policies and procedures with affected offices. Other areas of responsibility include, but are
not limited to: tribal/State compacts,
per capita distributions of gaming revenues, and requests to take land into
trust for the purpose of conducting gaming. The office coordinates its work with the
National Indian Gaming Commission and with State, local, and tribal governments
impacted by gaming proposals.
B. Office
of Self-Governance. The office is
responsible for implementing Title IV of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (P.L. 93-638), as amended. The office develops and implements
regulations, policies, and guidance in support of Self-Governance initiatives;
facilitates the negotiation of annual funding agreements with eligible tribes
and consortia; coordinates the collection of budget and performance data from
Self-Governance tribes; and resolves issues that are identified in financial
and program audits of Self-Governance operations.
C. Office
of Indian Energy and Economic Development.
The office formulates policies and procedures with a view to removing
barriers to reservation economic growth and assists tribes in developing
economic infrastructure, increasing business knowledge, increasing jobs and
businesses, increasing capital investment, and developing energy and mineral
resources. The office is responsible for
providing support to tribes in the development of their energy and mineral
resources on trust lands and managing special economic programs, grants,
projects, and initiatives to advance reservation economies. In addition, the office is responsible for
implementing P.L. 102-477, as amended, as well as the Indian Financing Act of
1974. The office consists of the
following divisions:
(1) Division
of Energy and Mineral Development. The
division provides management direction, policy guidance, oversight, and
technical support to tribes in the development of their energy and mineral
resources on trust lands. The division
provides assistance in technical, economic, and business matters to tribes for
development of their energy and mineral resources, including resource
assessments, geologic studies, economic analysis and market studies, and
promotion of this information to the oil and gas and mineral industry. The division coordinates energy and mineral
resources activities with other Federal, State, and local governmental
agencies, industry personnel, and tribal governments. The division is located in Denver,
Colorado.
(2) Division of Economic Development.
The division manages special economic programs, grants, projects, and
initiatives, including the marketing of energy and mineral resources, to foster
strong, sustainable reservation economies.
To accomplish this, the division coordinates government and private
resources and facilitates the transfer of information and technology.
(3) Division of Workforce
Development. The division
provides vocational training and employment assistance to Indians to
improve skills; provides increased employment opportunities towards reducing
reliance on welfare programs; develops policies, procedures, and standards for
operation of the employment assistance and adult vocational training programs;
provides guidance, technical advice, and assistance to Bureau agencies and
field offices, tribes, and individual Indians; reviews and awards grants under the
P.L. 102-477, as amended; and provides statistical performance information to
funding agencies for inclusion in various reports.
(4) Division of Capital Investment. The
division is responsible for identifying and facilitating capital investment
opportunities for tribes and individual Indian entrepreneurs. The division provides access to
capital markets by coordinating with government capital programs and the
private investment community to address the capital needs of tribes and
individual Indian entrepreneurs. The division is also responsible for
managing the guaranteed loan program; including the approval and/or disapproval
of loan applications, loan cancellations, trust mortgages, and compromises; and
working as liaison with lending organizations, tribes, and Bureau credit
offices.
8.4 Deputy Assistant Secretary -
Management. The Deputy Assistant
Secretary - Management discharges the responsibilities of the Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs with regard to financial
management, strategic planning, workforce planning, Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA), human resources, equal opportunity, facilities,
environmental resources, cultural resources, safety management, and other
Administration initiatives for Indian Affairs.
The office is responsible for managing all headquarters and field
activities associated with the direction, coordination, support, operation, and
continuity of operations and emergency planning of all homeland security
activities including physical security policy and management with internal and
external law enforcement agencies and programs; ensuring that all Indian
Affairs organizations are in compliance with Federal laws and regulations
related to equal employment, affirmative employment, Indian preference, hiring,
and a discrimination-free working environment; and providing a full range of
management support functions related to alternative strategies for dealing with
conflict. In addition, the office is
responsible for correspondence control functions; and the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) operational activities that include receiving,
distributing, and tracking FOIA requests for Indian Affairs. The office of the Deputy Assistant
Secretary - Management includes:
A. Office of
the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO).
The office is headed by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) who serves as
the principal financial management advisor to the Assistant Secretary -
Indian Affairs and other senior Indian Affairs officials. The CFO is the primary conduit to the
Department’s financial management community.
The CFO also serves as the head of the contracting activity, the senior
Indian Affairs acquisition official, the audit liaison officer, and the
management control coordinator for Indian Affairs. The OCFO interfaces with appropriate
Congressional staff on budget issues and is responsible for budget formulation
and execution; financial management, including loan and construction
accounting; power and irrigation billings and collections; acquisition and grants;
and property and space management activities.
The OCFO also manages and monitors the Activity Based Costing/Management
program for Indian Affairs. The OCFO
prepares the Indian Affairs financial statements and is the primary liaison
with the Department’s Office of Inspector General. The OCFO ensures financial management is
consistent with requirements of the Chief Financial Officers Act, Government
Performance and Results Act, Office of Management and Budget guidance,
Department of the Treasury, Government Accountability Office, and Federal
Accounting Standards Advisory Board. The
CFO oversees and directs the Capital Asset Investment Board for Indian Affairs
and provides approved projects to the Department for inclusion in budget
submissions. The OCFO is the system
owner for all BIA financial management systems, including those that interface
to the Indian Affairs Federal Financial System, as well as the loan accounting
and power and irrigation billing and collection systems. The activities of the OCFO are largely guided
by the Chief Financial Officers Act, Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act,
Government Performance and Results Act, Government Management Reform Act, Debt
Collection Improvement Act, and Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board
guidelines and pronouncements. The CFO
is assisted by a Deputy CFO and the following offices:
(1) Office
of Budget Management. The office provides
senior leadership, policy, and oversight of all budget formulation and
execution functions. The office is
responsible for developing, managing, and implementing budget policy,
procedures, processes, and systems to effectively execute all budget functions
required under OMB guidelines. The
office ensures effective implementation of the Chief Financial Officers Act and
coordinates with all Indian Affairs component activities to ensure effective
integration of performance goals and the budget process.
(2) Office
of Acquisition and Property Management. The office provides senior leadership;
develops, manages, and implements policy; and provides oversight for all
acquisition, grants, cooperative agreements, and property functions. The office is also responsible for developing
and implementing procedures, processes, and systems to effectively execute all
acquisition, grants, cooperative agreements, and property functions required
under OMB, the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB), and other
appropriate regulatory guidelines.
(3) Office
of Financial Management. The office provides
senior leadership, policy, and oversight of all fiscal and accounting
functions. The office is responsible for
developing, managing, and implementing fiscal and accounting policy,
procedures, processes, and systems to effectively execute all fiscal and
accounting functions required under OMB, Treasury, FASAB, and other appropriate
regulatory guidelines. It also directs
and manages financial statement preparation and issuance.
(4) Office
of Audit and Evaluation. The office provides
leadership, policy development, and oversight for all audit functions and
ensures compliance with the Single Audit Act and OMB Circular A-133. It also serves as liaison for Indian Affairs
organizations to the Office of Inspector General and the Government
Accountability Office. The office provides
guidance and assistance to Indian Affairs organizations in establishing,
testing, and reporting on the effectiveness of management controls, the
preparation of annual assurance statements, and the timely correction of
identified weaknesses. It is also responsible
for Bureau program updates to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance and
directs and manages a quality assurance program for compliance with applicable
OMB, Treasury, and FASAB requirements.
B. Office of
Planning and Policy Analysis. The
office coordinates development of strategic plans and annual performance
reports in support of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). The office also determines the reliability of
performance measures and evaluates Indian Affairs programs for
effectiveness. The office is responsible
for providing guidance and technical assistance to all programs under the
purview of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs to
ensure compliance with Administration initiatives. The office provides assistance for the
development of manuals that set forth program and administrative policies of
Indian Affairs and handbooks documenting operating procedures. It is responsible for publishing and
maintaining the Indian Affairs Manual and reviews all notices and rules that
are prepared for publication in the Federal Register.
C. Office of
Human Capital Management. The office
is responsible for the development of comprehensive policies to guide all
aspects of human resources management, such as workforce analysis and
succession planning, classification and position management, employee
development, staffing, and retention, employee relations, labor relations,
ethics, and personnel information systems.
It is also responsible for the administration of the personnel security
and suitability program for all Indian Affairs organizations. The office provides direct supervision over
the field human resources offices. Other
responsibilities include monitoring and evaluating the equal employment and
Indian preference laws for staffing, promotions, reassignments, and transfers
for employees in the Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs,
the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Indian Education.
D. Office
of Facilities, Environmental, and Cultural Resources. The office is responsible for the management
and administration of Indian Affairs facilities management and construction,
environmental management, safety and risk management, and cultural resources
management programs.
E. Office of
the Chief Information Officer (CIO). The office is responsible for acquisition,
utilization, architecture, security, operations, and management of information
resources (IRM) and information technology (IT) for all Indian Affairs; i.e.,
Office of the Assistant Secretary and the Bureaus of Indian Affairs and Indian
Education. This includes leading Indian
Affairs strategic planning to improve the use of information and information processing
resources, developing policies promoting the effective use of information
technology and resources throughout Indian Affairs in consultation with Indian
Affairs Program Directors, and developing effective working relationships with
IRM organizations in the Department. The
office supervises field IT and IRM staff and manages all Indian Affairs
information resources and technology; provides direction and oversight for
Indian Affairs information system security activities, E-Government activities,
and the development and implementation of the Indian Affairs policies on the
creation and disposition of information; and ensures standardized IT and IRM
functions within Indian Affairs to achieve continuity of IT and IRM
accountability throughout the organization.
The following divisions are under the direction of and assist the CIO in
carrying out the IRM responsibilities:
(1) Division
of Information Policy. The division develops
policies and guidance on information resources and technology management;
manages the Indian Affairs information collection program; approves and reports
on computer matching activities; and manages the Indian Affairs policy for
managing printing, records, and mail.
The division coordinates with tribes on the identification of Federal
records and acquisition and is responsible for Indian Affairs compliance with
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Computer Matching and Privacy Act of
1988, the Computer Security Act of 1987, the National Archives and Records
Administration Act of 1984, the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984, the
Federal Records Act of 1950, OMB Circular A-130: Management of Federal Information Resources,
the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), and the Freedom of Information
Act.
(2) Division of Information Planning. The division coordinates the Indian Affairs
strategic planning, portfolio management, and budgeting processes for
information technology; provides capital planning and investment support to
assure that Indian Affairs’ plans support Indian Affairs business planning and
mission accomplishments; coordinates the activities of the Information
Technology Investment Council (ITIC); provides leadership for special priority
initiatives; and develops the IT five year plan. The division is also responsible for
administrative support and planning within IT and manages IT funds for
cross-functional and infrastructure projects.
It also ensures Indian Affairs compliance with the Information
Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (the Clinger Cohen Act), and OMB
Circular A-130: Management of Federal
Information Resources.
(3) Division of Information Architecture and
Engineering. The division develops
policies and guidelines addressing Internet technologies, enterprise
information, and IT architecture; coordinates with agencies through working
groups and seminars to promote a partnership with business partners; and
provides oversight and control of data, software, and hardware assets. The division oversees Indian Affairs business
data applications, technical and security architecture from baseline through
transition, and is responsible for establishing database standards, technical
references, and engineering assistance for projects. It is also responsible for implementing
Indian Affairs architectural and engineering compliance with the Information
Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (the Clinger Cohen Act), the Computer
Security Act of 1987, the National Archives and Records Administration Act of
1984, OMB Circular A-130: Management of
Federal Information Resources, and the Government Information Security Reform
Act of 2000.
(4) Division of Information Security and
Privacy. The division implements and
administers a program to protect the information resources of Indian Affairs in compliance with Federal
legislation; monitors cyber security policies and guidance for Indian Affairs;
monitors all Indian Affairs systems development and operations for security and
privacy compliance; monitors program office information system security
activities; develops, implements, and evaluates employee cyber security
awareness and training programs; establishes and leads the Indian Affairs
Computer Security Incident Response Capability team; monitors IT certification
and accreditation; and establishes guidance and training requirements for managers
of information systems designated as sensitive.
The division is also responsible for implementing Indian Affairs
security and privacy compliance with the Information Technology Management
Reform Act of 1996 (the Clinger Cohen Act), the Computer Matching and Privacy
Act of 1988, the Computer Security Act of 1987, OMB Circular A-130: Management of Federal Information Resources,
the Government Information Security Reform Act of 2000, Presidential Decision
Direction 63 Critical Infrastructure Protection, and Continuity of Operations
(COOP).
(5) Division of Information Development.
The division recommends and implements
the development of Web based applications for the Internet and intranet, palm
device attachment applications, and other applications for databases,
communications, wireless solutions, and emerging and enabling
technologies. The division also assists
in developing business process reengineering solutions and supports Indian
Affairs IT business.
6/21/07 #3746
Replaces 9/27/06 #3735
