NARRATIVE CAPABILITY STATEMENT

This was the capability statement submitted to HUD for its Tenant Opportunity Program (TOP) by JD's Professional Assistance in 1996 to accompany Consultant/Trainer Checklist, OMB form #2577-0087.

Mr Donahue has extensive capability in the resource skill areas of Community/Resident Organization and Leadership Training, in Program Development, and in Agency Operation and Management. Generally, much of this was developed while working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs for 25 years at all levels. This is particularly true for the agency operation and management, organizational development, and contract negotiations. It is also true for the ability to work with Native Americans and with small communities, organizations, and Tribes. Mr. Donahue has worked with numerous Alaska Native organizations both in the government and as a private consultant. He has traveled to over half of the communities in Alaska (over 300 such communities exist).

Mr. Donahue has provided extensive assistance to the Seldovia Tenant Council (STC) in fulfilling its two-phased TOP grant. This Tenant Council is composed of mixed HUD projects and residents (low-income elderly and Mutual Help), with divergent interests. The Council and community are also multi-cultural populations of Alaska Native and Caucasian. The assistance included strategic planning and development of a Comprehensive Plan; leadership training, and community organizing. In providing this training and technical assistance, Mr. Donahue also assisted in resident Needs Assessments and training; business planning, development and training, and grant writing training for residents. He also provided assistance in developing organizational documents, policies, vision and mission statements, and goal setting.

In addition, Mr. Donahue is assisting STC in providing the planning, technical assistance and leadership training to get the statewide Alaska Resident Organization fully functioning. This organization, currently composed of 66 Resident Organizations from throughout the state, is only in its second year of existence. Mr. Donahue has provided the Board training and technical assistance to complete an RO Needs Assessment, a Comprehensive Plan, and policy development. Assistance was given in review of Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, policies and agreements. He is currently completing an extensive basic leadership training course of study for the Board.

Mr. Donahue has provided Drug Elimination Technical Assistance to three Alaska communities under DETA grant funded contracts with HUD. In Dillingham, New Stuyahok, and Newhalen he helped do Drug and Alcohol survey assessments, community organizing and planning (including Comprehensive Plans), leadership training, and project planning to overcome drug problems. In all these cases, getting resident involvement, community organizing and strategic planning were necessary. In Dillingham a significant mixed or multi-cultural population exists with the summer fishing industry influx of mixed cultures and the nearly equal Alaska Native and Caucasian resident populations. New Stuyahok and Newhalen residents are nearly all Alaska Natives.

In addition to working with Residents, Resident Organizations, and Housing Authorities, Mr. Donahue does extensive work with Alaska Native Tribes, Cities, Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Village Corporations, and non-profit organizations. This includes training and technical assistance in community organizing, strategic planning, business planning, leadership development, and grant writing for Alaska Native Tribes, profit corporations, and non-profit organizations. He has assisted Alaska cities and communities with Comprehensive Plans and Business Planning. For the second year he is conducting seminars for the Alaska Municipal League's annual conference. He also assisted in developing training and processes for community resolution (City & ANCSA Village Corporation negotiation) of ANCSA 14(c)(3) municipal lands identification for the Alaska Native Foundation (ANF).

He authored and conducted training on all aspects of Federal Indian land law for real estate specialists from many communities in the Alaska Village Council Presidents (AVCP) region for the non-profit AVCP. He has also developed training manuals and conducted training and provided assistance to Tribes and non-profits on Indian Self Determination Act contracting, compacting, and granting. He assisted the ANF with its initial technical assistance and grant writing training manuals for its contract with the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) and conducted grant writing training and assisted in grant writing.

Mr. Donahue has developed his own materials for training, including workbooks, handouts, role playing case studies, forms, surveys, and manuals. His extensive experience in BIA agency, area and national offices included supervision and management, developing policies and guidelines, and providing assistance to the agency in fulfilling its trust responsibilities to Tribes and Individual Indians and Alaska Natives. This experience, and the communicative ability necessary to meet with village residents and Secretarial and Congressional offices and all levels in between, is used in developing uniquely valuable training and technical assistance materials and teaching skills. Specialized hands-on training delivery techniques have been successfully used by Mr. Donahue in community work.

A list of clients, names and phone numbers for references are available for use if desired. These are not included herein for the sake of brevity. The Region 10 HUD office lists Mr. Donahue as one of its consultants for TOP grant assistance, and the national level DISC office and DETA offices also show him as a consultant for DETA grants. All reports, contracts, subcontracts, and work with these offices has been satisfactory and there are no outstanding or unresolved issues. Any HUD or DOI offices at any level that have worked with Mr. Donahue may be called for references.

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at jdonahue@alaska.net