History

In November 1995, a Strategic Planning Partnering Conference was held with participation from the Navajo Nation Council, Navajo DOT, BIA Navajo Region, ADOT District Engineering Offices, ADOT Headquarters, ADOT Intermodal Transportation Division, FHWA, and both the Navajo Nation and ADOT Attorney Generals.  Issues that were successfully addressed in that conference included:

• Streamlining of the environmental permitting process
• Training provided to Navajo contractors and subcontractors by the ADOT Affirmative Action Office
• Improved cooperation between ADOT-MVD and Navajo DPS in weight enforcement details on the reservation
• A signed fuel tax agreement between the Navajo Nation and ADOT

Although these were major successes, the on-going continuation of the partnering effort waned and eventually became non-existent due to the broadness of the partnering objectives identified at the time.  Then in March 2004 at the Governor’s Tribal Summit on Transportation Mark Maryboy, Chairman of the Navajo Nation Transportation Community Development Committee, made a request that the State re-establish the partnering effort.  Also, on May 21, 2004 at a State Transportation Board Meeting in Chinle, AZ, the Navajo DOT requested the same.   In response, ADOT utilizing the support of the ADOT Tribal Strategic Partnering Team and the services of two partnering consultants re-established the partnering process with the Navajo Nation. Consequently, a kick-off workshop was held in December 2004 bringing together executive level leadership from each partner agency and key agency personnel.  The major results were a signed charter symbolizing leadership support for the partnership, identification of priority issues, and identification of champions from each partner group to participate on an on-going partnership steering committee.   Thus far the steering committee has developed a partnership strategic plan that is being used to provide guidance on how the priority issues will be addressed.  The steering committee has also established task teams which work to address priority issues and report back to the full committee for follow-up.  Also, progress on the partnership effort is reported and further guidance is obtained through an annual meeting of the partner group’s executive leadership.