GAO Report: Indian Affairs Workforce Capacity Strained by IRA Funding

Detected February 18th, 2026

Summary

A GAO report found that the Department of the Interior's Indian Affairs regional offices experienced strained workforce capacity due to increased demands from Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. The report highlights that while overtime and contractors were used, more sustainable solutions like streamlining administrative requirements were not pursued, impacting both the workforce and Tribes.

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What changed

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report detailing the impact of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding on the Department of the Interior's Indian Affairs workforce. The report indicates that while $385 million in IRA funding was allocated to support Tribes, the implementation of 143 projects totaling approximately $360 million has significantly increased workloads and strained an already limited regional workforce. The GAO found that Indian Affairs relied on overtime and contractors to manage these demands but has not yet developed a plan to streamline administrative requirements, a measure that could reduce worker burden and benefit Tribes.

This report suggests that regulated entities, specifically government agencies involved in tribal programs and funding, should review their internal processes for managing large federal funding initiatives. The GAO recommends developing and implementing a plan to streamline policies, processes, and requirements. While this is a GAO report and not a direct regulatory mandate, agencies should consider these findings to improve efficiency, manage workforce capacity, and ensure effective program delivery to Tribal nations. The report also notes delays and potential cost increases due to pauses in fund disbursement and ongoing reviews of IRA-funded projects, highlighting the dynamic nature of federal funding implementation.

What to do next

Review internal processes for managing large federal funding initiatives.
Develop and implement a plan to streamline policies, processes, and requirements related to IRA funding.
Assess workforce capacity and explore sustainable solutions beyond overtime and contractors for managing increased demands.

Source document (simplified)

Fast Facts

The Inflation Reduction Act included $385 million in funding for programs to support Tribes. This Q&A looks at how the Interior Department's Indian Affairs regional offices implemented the act.

Implementation increased overall workload and strained an already limited regional workforce. Offices used overtime and contractors to meet the increased demands. But Indian Affairs hasn't attempted a more sustainable solution—reducing the burden on workers by, for example, streamlining administrative requirements. Doing so would also benefit Tribes.

We recommended developing and implementing a plan to streamline policies, processes, and requirements.

Picture of the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs flag and the American flag.

Highlights

What GAO Found

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided significant supplemental funding for Tribes and programs that serve Tribes. As of December 19, 2025, the Bureau of Indian Affairs—under Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior—had 143 IRA-funded projects totaling about $360 million to support tribal electrification, community resilience, and fish hatcheries across its 12 regions. However, per an executive order, some funds were paused for disbursement in January 2025. This led to schedule delays and potential cost increases for projects, impacting Tribes, according to officials and tribal representatives we interviewed. In December 2025, Interior was conducting a review of all active IRA-funded projects to ensure alignment with administration priorities, according to communications we reviewed.

Status of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Project Awards by Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Region, as of Dec. 19, 2025

In millions of dollars

| BIA region | Total amount in IRA project awards (number of projects) | Total amount initially paused as of Mar. 3, 2025 (percent of total awarded) | Total amount obligated but not yet expended as of Dec. 19, 2025 (percent of total awarded) | Total amount not yet obligated as of Dec. 19, 2025 (percent of total awarded) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alaska | 119.9 (39 projects) | 98.0 (82%) | 39.1 (33%) | 39.6 (33%) |
| Eastern | 20.0 (8 projects) | 13.2 (66%) | 5.1 (25%) | 0.0 (0%) |
| Eastern Oklahoma | 10.9 (3 projects) | 6.7 (62%) | 2.8 (26%) | 0.0 (0%) |
| Great Plains | 25.5 (11 projects) | 8.6 (34%) | 5.5 (22%) | 0.5 (2%) |
| Midwest | 30.2 (9 projects) | 25.9 (86%) | 10.7 (35%) | 5.8 (19%) |
| Navajo | 17.8 (3 projects) | 17.4 (98%) | 8.7 (49%) | 0.0 (0%) |
| Northwest | 43.3 (34 projects) | 11.6 (27%) | 4.5 (10%) | 5.9 (14%) |
| Pacific | 31.2 (19 projects) | 21.8 (70%) | 4.0 (13%) | 12.6 (40%) |
| Rocky Mountain | 12.4 (3 projects) | 2.2 (18%) | 0 (0%) | 0.0 (0%) |
| Southern Plains | 11.2 (3 projects) | 1.5 (13%) | 0 (0%) | 1.5 (13%) |
| Southwest | 19.5 (4 projects) | 14.7 (76%) | 11.9 (61%) | 0.0 (0%) |
| Western | 17.6 (7 projects) | 7.3 (42%) | 1.6 (9%) | 5.0 (28%) |
| Total | 359.5 (143 projects) | 229.0 (64%) | 93.8 (26%) | 70.9 (20%) |
Source: GAO analysis of data from the Department of the Interior’s Indian Affairs. | GAO-26-107940

Note: Amounts are for specific projects and do not include funds for administrative costs or funds not allocated to a specific region. Numbers may not sum to totals because of rounding. Amounts paused as of March 3, 2025, refer to amounts paused after Executive Order 14154 of January 20, 2025, “Unleashing American Energy,” 90 Fed. Reg. 8353 (Jan. 29, 2025). According to BIA officials, previously obligated funds were later released in response to an April 2025 court order. Amounts not yet obligated prior to the executive order were placed under review but could be released on a case-by-case basis, according to officials. As of December 16, 2025, Interior was conducting an expanded review of all active IRA project awards to ensure alignment with administration priorities, according to communications we reviewed.

Federal regional officials told GAO that IRA implementation increased overall workload and exacerbated existing regional workforce capacity challenges, impacting their ability to meet overall workload demands. For example, some regions faced competing priorities and assigned staff outside their area of expertise to implement IRA programs. Additionally, IRA implementation took place in the context of longstanding workforce capacity challenges, such as extended vacancies and a limited talent pool for hiring.

Indian Affairs’ regional workforce has experienced varying degrees of attrition since fiscal year 2022, when the IRA was enacted. On average, Indian Affairs’ regional offices had a 10 percent annual staff attrition rate from fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2024. In fiscal year 2025, several changes to Indian Affairs’ workforce policies and staffing took place as part of government-wide efforts to downsize and restructure the federal workforce. These staffing changes were expected to reduce the regional workforce by at least 23 percent from the beginning of fiscal year 2025 through December 31, 2025, according to GAO’s analysis.

Indian Affairs has taken actions to help meet IRA and overall workload demands, including authorizing overtime, using contractors, and increasing the number of officials certified to award funding to Tribes. However, officials and tribal representatives GAO interviewed identified opportunities for further actions to streamline existing policies, processes, systems, and requirements to reduce administrative burden for Indian Affairs staff and Tribes. Systematically identifying and assessing such opportunities, and developing a comprehensive plan to implement them, could enable the agency to better meet regional workload demands and support Tribes. Additionally, GAO found that assessing Tribes’ technical assistance needs and formally assessing the resources necessary for technical assistance to support expanded use of self-determination contracts and self-governance compacts—which create flexibilities for Tribes to administer federally funded programs—could help reduce regional workload to support long-term tribal development and resilience.

Why GAO Did This Study

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided $385 million to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for programs serving Tribes. Indian Affairs’ 12 regional offices provide services directly to Tribes or funding for tribally administered programs, including natural resources, real estate services, transportation, and tribal services. In November 2024, GAO reported that components implementing IRA programs in Indian Affairs’ Central Offices experienced increased workload that exacerbated existing capacity challenges, making meeting mission needs difficult across competing priorities.

The IRA includes a provision for GAO to support oversight of the distribution and use of IRA funds. This report addresses IRA implementation in Indian Affairs’ regional offices, regional workforce capacity since the IRA was enacted, and opportunities to meet overall regional workload demands to support Tribes.

Recommendations for Executive Action

| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bureau of Indian Affairs | The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs should systematically identify and assess opportunities to streamline existing policies, processes, systems, and requirements; the agency should then develop and implement a comprehensive plan to create operational efficiencies. (Recommendation 1) | Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information. |
| Bureau of Indian Affairs | The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs should systematically assess Tribes' technical assistance needs to expand their use of self-determination contracts and self-governance compacts and formally assess the resources necessary to meet this demand as part of its tribal budget consultation and formulation process. (Recommendation 2) | Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information. |

GAO Contacts

Anna Maria Ortiz Director Natural Resources and Environment ortiza@gao.gov

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Sarah Kaczmarek Managing Director Office of Public Affairs media@gao.gov

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Topics

Natural Resources and Environment Labor force Individual retirement accounts Postal service employees Self-determination Technical assistance Federal hiring Government efficiency Law courts Reorganization Human capital management