Outsourced project management for tribal capital intensive infrastructure projects

The opportunity of a generation

Under the American Rescue Plan (ARP), approximately $31.2 billion of the $1.9 trillion of funding has been set aside for Indian Country. Unlike most of the funding provided under the CARES Act, ARP funding appears to address the necessary infrastructure investments desperately needed across Indian Country, such as critical healthcare, water, sewer, and broadband improvements, and potentially other critical infrastructure needs. The ARP also provides increased flexibility and longer deadlines to incur costs.

Tribes in many areas of the lower 48 and Alaska have had unmet critical infrastructure needs for generations. While this funding presents the opportunity to address these needs, managing large-scale infrastructure projects is a labor intensive task that many may not be set up to manage. This can result in unclear goals, miscommunication between project participants, project delays and cost overages. In addition, tribes may not be aware of other funding sources that they can leverage, such as existing federal programs or New Market Tax Credits that allow more efficient use of funding distributed under the ARP.

Baker Tilly’s tribal services practice leverages in-house experience to support over $3 billion of energy and infrastructure projects that are either in service or under construction. We employ former infrastructure project developers, engineers, architects and finance professionals to support the execution of complex projects for our clients.

Funding within the $31.2 billion of tribal set-asides that may be available on a direct allocation or competitive basis is as follows:

This list of set-asides does not include other funding available on a competitive basis within the overall $1.9 trillion ARP.

How Baker Tilly can help

By applying a process-based plan from our existing project management office (PMO), our approach brings clarity to your project(s). As your trusted advisor, we utilize best practices so that you can confidently move forward with a clear understanding that your end goals will be met. Bringing additional capital sources to the table where available and through collaborating with our clients, we address the following:

Concept

• Vision for the project
• Identify roles/responsibilities
• Development budget and timeline
• Reporting requirements for leadership
• Identify “gates” or goals the project needs to achieve to continue to move forward

Feasibility

• What does “feasible” mean to stakeholders?

Detailed design

• Compile firm bids and refine numbers
• Rerun financial analysis
• Complete/remove any other project fatal flaws from the equation

Project finance

• Internal formula driven funding from the ARP
• Additional competitive grants
• New market tax credit financing
• Debt financing

Project execution

• Construction cost monitoring/auditing
• Construction oversight support
• Project closeout/compliance documentation support

See below for the infrastructure project management lifecycle.