Diné aging program head fined
Officials: Director failed to implement audit recommendations

By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Budget and Finance Committee has imposed sanctions on the department manager of the Navajo Area Agency on Aging for failure to implement a corrective action plan approved in June 2005 in response to a 2003 audit.

Anslem Roanhorse, executive director of the Division of Health, in cooperation with Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr., called for the audit in an attempt to try to improve services to the Nation’s elderly, Roanhorse said.

The B&F action authorizes the Navajo Nation Controller to withhold 20 percent of Aging Director Laverne Wyaco’s salary until such time as the department demonstrates to the auditor general that the corrective action plan has been implemented. Wyaco was traveling Thursday and unavailable for comment Monday.

The Aging program falls under the Division of Health, but the committee stopped short of sanctioning Roanhorse upon the advice of Legislative Counsel Frank Seanez, who recommended that that action go back to the Health and Social Services oversight committee and be made as a condition of appropriation.

The 2003 audit evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of the Aging program in utilizing program resources and in providing services to Navajo elders. The audit resulted in five findings:

NAAA budget for Senior Centers needs to be based on service levels; personnel options for Senior Centers can result in savings; NAAA services reach a small percentage of the Navajo elderly population; NAAA services duplicate Division of Social Services; and NAAA administrative operations need improvement.

The corrective action plan included a number of measures under each of the five categories. The review conducted by Karen Briscoe of the Auditor General’s Office found that overall, 14 of 30, or 47 percent of the corrective measures approved by the Budget and Finance Committee in 2005 have not been implemented.

Six corrective measures regarding duplication of DSS services are no longer applicable due to implementation of alternative corrective actions.

The Auditor General’s Office did not recommend sanctions be imposed on the NAAA program in general because improvements were recognized in several areas of the program. Among the five agencies that oversee the 91 senior centers across the Nation, some agencies made important strides to improve operations but similar initiatives were not found in other agencies.

“It would be unfair to penalize an agency/staff, who is performing well, for the shortcomings of others,” the audit review states, adding that the department manager, as the program leader, failed to recognize the inconsistencies and find solutions to bridge the gaps in performance, contrary to the job duties outlined in the plan of operation.

“I’ve asked the Aging program to work on it,” Roanhorse said. “They have a corrective action plan that they have put together, but unfortunately they were never allowed to present before the Health and Social Services Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee.

“We’ve made progress. It’s not that we’re ignoring those recommendations. There has been a report that came out, showing that this is what we have done. Maybe it’s not everything, but at least it’s what we have accomplished thus far. That report never became part of the record.”

Delegate Evelyn Acothley of the Health and Social Services Committee said she was in support of a failed motion by B&F’s Lorenzo Curley to sanction the executive director as well as the department manager.

“It’s about time. There’s really no monitoring. They’re not there to supervise and make sure everything is in compliance. If the Navajo Nation can amend and can waive all laws, I’m sure they could have done this. Why are they not doing anything about fiscal management and accountability to the Nation?

“Mr. Seanez told us to go ahead and do a separate legislation to sanction Mr. Roanhorse,” she said, adding that one of the committee members will do the legislation.
“This will be a red flag to all division directors. If their program directors are not doing their work, or not complying, they should be sanctioned too. People think this is not serious. This corrective action plan has been pending for 3-1/2 years and our committee has been pushing it, but NAAA failed to do anything about it.

“Most of the funding that we receive is returned to the state because they fail to do their part. It doesn’t even reach the communities where the elders can be served. The quality service is not being provided to our elders. It’s really a disservice,” Acothley said.