Fiscal Pathways

Assessing Fiscal Pathways for meeting Climate Adaptation Needs of Rural Alaskan Tribes

Goals and Objectives

  • To assess the effectiveness of government programs in assisting Tribes in Alaska with climate resilience.
  • To identify strategies for increasing the effectiveness of government funding and technical assistance programs that understand and respect Tribal self-determination, sovereignty, and government-to-government consultation.
  • To develop reciprocal networks of information exchange and engagement including enhanced awareness and understanding between Tribal governments and Native communities and federal and state agencies that administer funding and technical assistance programs, as well as expansion of findings to other Alaska regions and nationwide.

Research Activities

Activity A. Analyze the fiscal pathways available to Alaska Native Tribes for adaptation, resilience, and mitigation planning and implementation.

Activity B. Key Informant Interview and Focus Groups 

Activity C. Workshop

Activity D. Transfer of Relevant Findings to Other RegionsActivity E. Project Evaluation

Research Questions and Related Activities

1What funding and technical assistance programs currently exist to support Alaska Native Tribes and communities in climate resilience, adaptation and hazard mitigation? What are the key characteristics of these programs?A. Analyze fiscal pathways
B. Interviews and Focus Groups
2What is the current distribution of federal funding to directly assist rural Alaskan Communities in climate adaptation?A. Analyze fiscal pathways
3What specific capacities and knowledge do tribes need in order to access these programs? What mechanisms can be put in place to develop these needed capacities and knowledge?B. Interviews and Focus Groups
C. Workshop
4What challenges do federal and state agencies face in order to make their technical assistance programs more accessible and equitable for Tribes? How could those challengers be overcome?B. Interviews and Focus Groups
C. Workshop
5What are the community and Tribal definitions and metrics of effectiveness of funding and technical assistance programs?How do these differ, if at all, from federal and state agency definitions and metrics of effectiveness?B. Interviews and Focus Groups
C. Workshop
6Based on community and agency definitions of effectiveness, what processes or mechanisms can be put into place to measure effectiveness of specific funding and technical assistance programs in Alaska?B. Interviews and Focus Groups
C. Workshop
7How can community and Tribal metrics of effectiveness be incorporated into the design and implementation of federal assistance programs for climate adaptation and resilience?B. Interviews and Focus Groups
C. Workshop