Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 10, 1 October 2009 — OHA ANNOUNCES NEW STRATEGIC PLAN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA ANNOUNCES NEW STRATEGIC PLAN

ByT. Ilihia Gionson Publications Editor The Office of Hawaiian Affairs announced on Sept. 23 that it is launehing a new strategic plan, moving OHA to heeome a streamlined, performance-based organization to better serve its Hawaiian beneficiaries. "At the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, we are committed to striving for excellence in what we do; we believe we owe that to the people we serve," said Chairperson Haunani Apoliona. "So it was clear that the time had eome for us to dig deeper, to find a way to do better." The new strategic plan was developed after OHA determined in 2008 that it was crucial to evaluate the progress of the organization and decide how to best meet the challenges on the horizon for Hawaiians. The plan

was based on extensive research and several thousand interviews with Hawaiians across Hawai'i and the continental U.S., as well as with all key stakeholders. The new priorities focus on measurable results requiring a realignment of OHA's organizational structure and a significant change in the way in whieh OHA conducts its work. "Currently, we see ourselves as a need-based organization," said OHA Administrator Clyde Nāmu'o. "If a group from the community says, 'We need your help doing this,' OHA reacts to that. I'm not suggesting that that is going away completely ... (but) the long-range vision is to bring us to a plaee where these needs diminish because we are simply a healthier population." Under the new strategic plan, OHA will shift its focus from serving individual needs to advocacy and promoting systemic change in six priority areas: eeonomie self-sufficiency, heahh, education, culture, land and water, and governance. By sharpening its efforts in these areas and managing performance, specific results will be achieved that will result in a measurable improvement in the conditions of all Native Hawaiians.

"We realize that we ean better serve Native Hawaiians - and in the end, all of Hawai'i - by focusing our efforts in key areas rather than dispersing our efforts in many directions in sometimes scattered ways," Apoliona said. "For every one (person) that we help, there are probably a hundred maybe a thousand more that also need help," Nāmu'o said. He gave the example of Hawaiian charter schools, whieh are attended by more than 2,000 Native Hawaiian students statewide. OHA funded $2.2 million a year for three years, benefitting those 2,000 students, but having little to no impact on the 65,000 Native Hawaiian students attending public schools in Hawai'i. "We are looking to impact the ehallenges that face our community in a very systemic way," Nāmu'o said. The strategic plan identifies three critical roles for OHA: advocate, researcher and asset manager. In addition, OHA will institute strict performance-based criteria that will enable the organization to evaluate the effectiveness of its programs on Hawaiians. OHA plans to work quickly to develop and implement a new structure

focused on advocacy, knowledge and asset management so that the organization is positioned to move forward with the strategic plan at the beginning of 2010. OHA's decision to change direction comes at a critical time as the organization, like many agencies in Hawai'i, has been hit by the severe eeonomie downturn. This has reduced OHA's asset base and operating budget, and made it imperative that the organization become more efficient to better serve its beneficiaries. The reorganized OHA will have 150 positions, down from the current 178 positions. Through elimination of vacant positions, positions vacated through retirements, and training of existing personnel to fill realigned positions, the number of employees being laid off should be minimized. However, Nāmu'o warns that "some of our existing staff may not have a plaee in this new organization: that's just reality."

ihe reahgnment ot positions is expected to save OHA $500,000 to $750,000 annually. "While many organizations would be content at this point in their lifecycles to stick to business as usual, we believe that we must change our focus and our organization if we are to truly to have an impact on issues facing Hawaiians," Nāmu'o said. "Our new strategic plan is the eulmination of an extensive effort to listen to the community, and going forward, we will continue to rely upon the eommunity's feedback to guide us." Apoliona said: "It is essential that OHA continue to grow and evolve to aid the Hawaiian people and to perpetuate our unique Hawaiian heritage and culture. The Board of Trustees and staff are committed to doing the hard work that needs to be done, knowing that those we help today will help us build a stronger and more viable eommunity of Hawaiians." ■ Strategic Plan More information on 0HA's six-year strategic plan, visit oha.org/ stratplan.

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Under the new strategic plan, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs will act as advocate, researcher and asset manager concentrating on: Ho'okahua Waiwai: Eeonomie Self-Sufficiency Mauli Ola: Health Ho'ona'auao: Education Mo'omeheu: Culture 'Āina: Land and Water Ea: Governance As a result of those efforts, Native Hawaiians will: lncrease Family ineome Build Stability in Housing Exceed Education Standards Understand Need for Viable Land Base Achieve Pae 'Āina Sustainability lmprove Family Lifestyle Choices Transfer Assets to Governing Entity Value History and Culture Participate in Cultural Activities Decrease Chronic Disease Rates

OHA Administrator Clyde Nāmu'o, left, speaks about the new strategic plan. Looking on at right is OHA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona. - Photo: Elaine Fergerstrom