Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 4, 1 April 2001 — Beneficiary grants may lose funding [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Beneficiary grants may lose funding

W^- £LJ This month, I am using my eolumn to raise concerns that will affect many, if not all, OHA beneficiaries. Those of you who are funded by OHA through grants or contractual services may be affected by the current administrative decision to cut funding. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is making an ill-advised move to eliminate or severely cut OHA grants and various programs. The effort is being developed under the guise of being fiscally prudent so that OHA ean better manage the monies for beneficiary programs. The administrative plan, whieh is being implemented without Board review or approval, identifies over 20 Boardapproved community grants and contracts and proposes to terminate or severely reduce the funding if all the money is not spent by June 30. The irony is that many of the grants and contracts have not been fully implemented due to OHA administrative delays. Moreover, the administrative plan is considering cutting grants and programs that

directly serve beneficiaries such as the Ni'ihau School of Kekaha grant, the Moloka'i Slaughter House, Nā Pua No'eau and the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. Sadly, this administrative plan will save thousands of dollars by compromising the grants and services already approved by Trustees thereby failing to truly serve our beneficiaries. As one staff associated with OHA programs said, "We are punishing our beneficiaries for our poor administrative management." Critical to the success of this plan to reduce budgets and act "prudent" for the beneficiaries is a Board of Trustees discussion on these matters. Unfortunately, staff has been reluctant to forward any written documentation for fear of reprisal or some other form of punitive action. This fear should eome as no surprise since the state auditor identified that OHA lacked any grievanee or employment due process procedures. So, a poorly planned administrative funding cut affecting

OHA grantees and service providers will continue to move forward regardless of Board approval. At the heart of this issue is the newly adopted point of view from administration that OHA must forgo its current grants and subsidies program altogether for a stifling procurement process. However, OHA's contracts and procurement attorney has already provided some guidance on this matter. The attorney noted that the grants process has a good screening process and fulfills all legal obligations that the Trustees have to the beneficiaries and the trust. The problem is that politics and undue influences have hampered the positive advancement of the grants. The solution now by administration is to impose a process that would adversely affect OHA's ability to fund programs that will directly benefit Hawaiian beneficiaries. The issue is somewhat clouded due to the laek of clear guidance and information. What was onee a clear process has now become a

stalled process. Those who have been awarded grants may find it increasingly difficult to complete their contracts and receive their funding on a timely basis. Those who may be applying could end up more discouraged by the confusion that will surely be created through this unprecedented change. Though there is no reason to be alarmed, there is reason for eoncern. OHA's primary focus and saving grace has been its services to its beneficiaries. That is at the heart of people like Rice, Barrett and Carroll. Nevertheless, we should not wander away from our purpose, to serve Hawaiians. Onee we do begin to cut these programs, limit funding and impose unnecessary impediments on the process, we buy into the Rice, Barrett and Carroll effort to dismantle our trust. These legal attacks are a wake up eall to us all - a eall to eome together and serve our people well. Any effort to limit this goal would be counter productive and a disservice to all our people. ■

Colette Machado

Trustee, Moloka'i and Lana'i