Decentralization Report

Here at joint meeting of Budget and Finance Committee and Resources and DEvelopment Committee where Joint Committee Chairperson LoRenzo Bates called for Report on Decentralization. Bates recalls that the Council appropriated $2 million for the Decentralization Project.

NAVAJO NATION DIVISION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR LEONARD CHEE
Directive to DCD in July 2013 and formed Decentralization TAsk Force. None of the $2 million has been used. We refer to as Decentralization and not Regionalization. We are only decentralizing some services. In the Report are summaries of 7 summits and all comments are posted on our website, whether verbal or written. Most comments were for services closer to chapter.
Focus 4 Major Authorities: There was a lot of misinformation about this project. Business as usual remains at chapter. But there will be 16 service centers.
What we want to see as outcome are more local legal services, financial accountability, capacity building, more Local Governance Certified Chapters.
We want to incrase chapter projects from pre-planning to construction.
We are also trying to balance chapters in different regions.
There are some chapters that asked to remain as group.
Chapter political boundaries.
Organizational charts included. There are six attorneys with one legal secretary. DCD will not supervise attorneys because we are authorized to do that.
We were looking at 24 services centers but cuz of cost reduced to 16.
Salaries are for planning purposes only.
Plan of Operation has four goals: financial management system, certify all 110 chapters, project management, post certification – 34 chapters certified but they lack financial resources to get them going. And capacity is strong recommendation from public – enable us, provide us opportunities for training, sharpen skills.
Looked at Audits.
All studies regarding Decentralization are posted on or website.
The report also shows where we have gone: fairs, committees, chapter meetings, agency meetings. As we went to these places, we incorporated most of recommendations. As of last week, i was still accepting comments. If you go to website, you can see this report.
WE also looked at proposed sites of service center which includes internet, wheel chair accessible, etc.
And as we traveled around reservation, we were asked about what we were going to do with Local Governance centers or LGAs.

The DCD is having a Decentralization Summit at Chinle High School gym on Jan. 16, 2014. Click on DECENTRALIZATION SUMMIT JAN. 16, 2014.
Click on NAVAJO NATION DIVISION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT to go to their website.

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