[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 77 (Tuesday, April 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19846-19847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9839]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


Working Group on the Re-Engineering (``To-Be'') Process and 
Fiduciary Trust Improvement Efforts: Call for Nominations

AGENCIES: Bureau of Indian Affairs and Office of the Special Trustee 
for American Indians, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Office of the 
Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) in the Department of the 
Interior (Department) are seeking to assemble a working group to 
provide input and comment on the re-engineering process and fiduciary 
trust improvement efforts. The department has worked extensively on 
examining the current fiduciary trust management practices and ways to 
improve and change how the Department manages the Indian fiduciary 
trust. The Trust Business Process Modeling Team completed numerous 
regional workshops allowing for the BIA, OST, Minerals Management 
Service, Bureau of Land Management, Office of Hearings and Appeals and 
Tribal entities to document their current fiduciary trust management 
practices (``As-Is'' process). During these workshop discussions, a 
baseline model for each core trust business process was closely 
reviewed, analyzed and commented on by Interior and Tribal staff 
responsible for performing the fiduciary trust functions. The 
information collected from these discussions will serve as the 
foundation for re-engineering the management of trust assets (``To-Be'' 
process). This notice serves as a call for nominations of Tribal 
officials to participate in a working group to discuss the processes 
and provide input and comments on potential alternatives on how the 
fiduciary trust process should be improved and administered.

[[Page 19847]]


DATES: All nominations must be postmarked within 30 days of the date of 
publication in the Federal Register. Final selections will be made by 
and served at the discretion of the Deputy Commissioner for Indian 
Affairs and the special Trustee for American Indians.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You can obtain information and a copy 
of the Call for Nominations at the following offices: ATTN: Terry 
Virden, Deputy Commissioner for Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Room 4160, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240; or ATTN: 
Donna Erwin, Acting Special Trustee, Office of the Special Trustee for 
American Indians, Room 5140, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Electronic Data Systems (EDS) 
Corporation, in its January 2002 Trust Reform Report, recommended that 
the Department develop an accurate, current state model to include 
business processes, internal controls, and associated information 
technology. The Department has been working extensively on documenting 
the business processes currently employed in managing the Indian 
fiduciary trust. Through this process, the Department established a 
comprehensive understanding of current trust business operations, 
identified needs and opportunities for improvement, and was able to 
understand the variances among geographic regions, and their causes.
    After completing the ``As-Is'' phase review, detailed 
recommendations will be developed for adjusting business processes, 
where appropriate. The Department will integrate the final ``To-Be'' 
model porcesses with universal support and operational functions, and 
these reengineered business processes will be documented with 
appropriate policies, procedures, guidelines and handbooks.
    The Department, through the BIA and OST, is now establishing a 
working group that will consist of Tribal officials and Departmental 
personnel to discuss the re-engineered processes. The working group 
will provide input and comment on potential alternatives on how the 
fiduciary trust process could be improved and administered. 
Participants should be prepared to engage in serious dialogue on all 
matters relating to the fiduciary trust management process. Nominees 
should be committed to spending a significant amount of time reviewing 
existing statutes and programs, discussing the issues within a diverse 
working group, and exploring creative solutions to the problems 
discussed. Participants should plan to meet approximately once per 
month from June through August 2003. Travel and per diem expenses will 
be provided.
    Tribal officials who have been nominated to serve to this working 
group must complete and submit the following information to the BIA or 
OST at the address listed above in the section titled FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT within 30 days of publication of this Notice in the 
Federal Register:

A. Nominee's Full Name:
B. Business Address:
C. Business Phone:
D. Home Address:
E. Home Phone:
F. Title/Position in Tribe:
G. Qualifications (e.g., education, experience, or whether you are an 
individual or tribal account holder):
H. Nominated by: Include Nominator's name, address and telephone 
number(s).
I. Date of nomination:
J. Two or three Letters of Reference:
K. A brief summary or explanation of areas of expertise that you or 
your nominee will be prepared to discuss with the working group 
regarding fiduciary trust improvement efforts.

    Groups may nominate more than one person. If nominating more than 
one nominee, please indicate your preferred order of appointment 
selection.

    Dated: April 11, 2003.
Richard V. Fitzgerald,
Trust Policy Manager.
    Dated: April 15, 2003.
Aurene M. Martin,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-9839 Filed 4-21-03; 8:45 am]
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