Tribal Utility Governance Program

Program duration: Sept. 1, 2012 to Aug. 31, 2013

Funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [1] (EPA), this program provides assistance primarily to develop the capacity of personnel and decision makers of tribally operated systems in EPA Regions 6, 8 and 9 [2].

This program, because it has a specific geographic scope defined by EPA, its funder, is being implemented by three of RCAP’s six regional affiliates and two external partners:

• RCAP regional partners
  • Rural Community Assistance Corporation [3] (RCAC), the Western RCAP
  • Community Resource Group [4] (CRG), the Southern RCAP
  • Midwest Assistance Program [5] (MAP), the Midwest RCAP
• Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) [6]
• SmallWaterSupply.org [7]

The Tribal Utility Governance Program (TUG) provides training and technical assistance in the areas of finances and management of a utility. TUG will provide support to tribal systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, to become sustainable in the long-term, and to reliably provide safe drinking water to their customers.

Nine Native American Water Master Association (NAWMA) working groups will be created, mirroring the existing California groups. The program’s training and technical assistance are being offered at the quarterly meetings of the working groups. When requested, reactive on-site technical assistance is being provided. Additionally, TUG is offering technical support by email and telephone.

A Certificate of Completion will be provided to those who attend trainings and take both pre- and post-assessments on their managerial and financial general knowledge. In addition, a new type of certification is being developed through ITCA specifically for tribal personnel and non-tribal staff desiring certification in tribal utility governance. A new examination for a Certificate of Achievement in Tribal Utility Governance is being developed through coordination with the Association of Boards of Certification [8] (ABC) and tribal stakeholders. This exam process will be made available to TUG program participants at the end of the curriculum series. The ITCA Tribal Water Systems Operator Certification Program’s eligibility criteria will also be modified to include tribal utility management training (such as trainings under TUG) as prerequisite specialized training for operator certification advancement and renewal.

SmallWaterSupply.org, a website maintained by a close and trusted partner of RCAP, is continuing to serve tribal utilities and will provide extensive access to resources supporting the TUG program.

SmallWaterSupply.org is producing Tribal Utility News, which is a key communications vehicle for the program. This monthly newsletter will:

• inform readers about activities and training opportunities through the TUG program, including formation of new Native American Water Masters Association groups.

• inform tribes and assistance providers nationwide on topics relevant to the capacity development of American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Sign up to be a part of the new tribal interest group and to receive the newsletter [9]

Tribal resources [9]