HR January 2023

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Spokane Tribe Human Resources: January 2023

  • Active Employees January 2023:  479
  • Positions Advertised January 2023:  7
  • Interviews January 2023:  6
  • New Hires January 2023 : 5
  • New Hires October 2022:  8
  • New Hires November 2022: 8
  • New Hires December 2022: 6
Total Tribal Preference – January 2023 Temporary Regular Part Time Seasonal Regular Full Time Total % (Rounded)
Spokane (s)11 11 10 13 244 278 58%
Spouse of Spokane (sp) 9 9 2%
First Decendent Spokane (sd) 2 2 15 19 4%
Member of Other Tribe (m) 4

 

 3 3 70 80 17%
Hispanic (h) 3 3 1%
Black (b) 4 4 1%
White (w) 4 2 80

 

 86

 

 18%
Total:18 19 15 20 425 479 100%

Project 2022-2023: Spokane Tribe Policy Manual, Update

The Spokane Tribal Government has been working on the development of a new employee policy manual since early Spring 2022.   HR has been working with the Office of the Spokane Tribal Reservation Attorney’s Office (OSTA), Richard McGee Law Office, LLC and the Tribal Business Council (TBC).  The initial meeting focus was to gain direction for policy development which will  encompass the unique sovereignty of the Spokane Tribe.

The first task has been to receive guidance from the Business Council. The second task will be to establish the necessary input from the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and finalize the new employee manual.  The Executive Leadership Team consists of all Directors within the Spokane Tribe’s Government.

January 2023 Update:  A draft is currently being finalized with the Legal team.  Once the draft is completed, ELT will be introduced to the process of working together to provide more detail to the initial framework done by Legal and the TBC.

Project 2023:  Technical Writer, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

At the direction of the Acting Executive Director, the development of (formal) Department SOPs will be underway in 2023.   The Tribe has launched the project by seeking professional services to begin working with ELT staff.  The project will help to establish formal departmental procedures, which will deliver quality, consistency and transparency for employees, clientele, and the community as a whole.

January 2023 Update:  The bids are being scored and reviewed to determine the professional service provider for this project.

Project 2023: Compensation Policy Update

This project began in 2019, pre-Covid.  The project was approved by the OED and TBC after at least two other attempts by prior administration in earlier years.  The Spokane Tribe engaged the services of the Bluestone Strategy Group.

As a result of Covid-19 impacts and administrative barriers, the project did not reach full implementation as intended.  The goal for 2023 is to update the compensation study with current local market comparisons.

Funding challenges are anticipated.  Some programs have adequate funding resources, while others do not. The responsibility remains with leadership to ensure funding challenges can be overcome.  TBC has been eager to encourage and support leadership’s ability to plan for success.   The opportunity is that the Tribe has this compensation structure with guidelines to aim for.   The compensation policy and guidelines establish consistent, fair, and equitable compensation for employee recruitment and retention.

January 2023 Update:  The project is ready to launch once the initial agreement is signed.  The target goal is to launch in February 2023 to be completed by May of 2023 in time for the FY 24 fiscal planning deadlines in July 2023.

Project 2022/2023: Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act (PL 202-630)

Pursuant to the Federal Code of Regulations 25 Part 63, SS 63.1, “The Tribe is required to establish minimum standards of character and suitability for employment for individuals whose duties and responsibilities allow the regular contact with or control over Indian children, and to establish the method for distribution of funds to support tribally operated programs to protect Indian children and reduce the incidents of family violence in Indian country as authorized by the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101-630”.

The ELT is currently in the process to formally designate the 101.630 positions within the Tribal Government.  Additional policy development is also underway to begin working with the FBI to administer the backgrounding process and remain in compliance with the federal mandate.

January 2023 Update:  Currently we are awaiting completion and approval of the FBI process to give the Spokane Tribe authorization to conduct FBI backgrounds.