About the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, as Amended Training Program

In 1975, the United States Congress enacted the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (the Act), Pub. L. 93-638. The Act provided Indian Tribes greater autonomy and the opportunity to assume the responsibility for programs and services administered to them on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior through contractual agreements. The Act encourages Indian tribes to have paramount involvement in the direction of services provided by the Federal government, targeting the delivery of services to meet the needs and desires of local communities specifically. In the Act, Congress declared its commitment to maintaining the unique and continuing relationship with Tribes through the policy of self-determination. The strengthening of this relationship provides for improved and effective tribal involvement in the development and management of programs.

The Division of Self-Determination Services (DSDS) within the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Office of Indian Services (OIS), serves as the primary contact for policy affecting the unique contractual relationship between the Secretary of the Interior and Indian tribes and tribal entities. In addition to developing policy and providing program direction at a national level, the Division focuses its efforts on training and technical assistance to meet the increasing demand for modernization and professional growth of bureau employees.

Indian Affairs’ policy supports and assists efforts of federally recognized Indian tribes to plan, conduct, and administer programs and services provided for the benefit of Indian tribes and their members through the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, as Amended (ISDEAA). The training courses aim to enhance and develop self-determination staff and others with an overall goal to increase the number of specialists in the self-determination profession.

The training program is designed for federal officials to support the execution of self-determination programs and services. The training program provides training courses on program-specific components. The training curriculum targets the duties and responsibilities of the ISDEAA agreements in methods consistent with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. The professional discipline of an Awarding Official must meet the required knowledge, training, performance, and experience of an Awarding Official prior to the certification and designation of the individual. The schedule is crafted to meet the training requirements of an Awarding Official, an Approving Official, an Awarding Official’s Technical Representative, and a Subordinate Awarding Official’s Technical Representative.