OHA selects Quantum performance platform, board forms ad hoc committee to review staff salaries

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs board on Feb. 20 voted to create a short-term ad hoc committee to examine current OHA staff salaries and deliver recommendations for the fiscal 2026–27 biennium budget, and administrators said the agency has selected the Quantum performance management platform and will pilot it this spring.

The board approved formation of the ad hoc group by a 6–1 vote. Trustee Keoni Souza moved the measure; the motion names Trustee Souza as chair, Trustee Carmen Hulu Lindsey as vice chair, and Cory Nakamoto, OHA director of human resources, as the administration representative. The committee’s term ends when it completes the assignment or by May 2, 2025, whichever comes first.

Why it matters: OHA trustees and staff framed the package of work—performance management, clearer expectations, and a compensation review—as linked. Administration officials told the board that a consistent performance system is needed to tie merit increases to documented performance; trustees said they want to participate in setting pay policy and reviewing recommended changes before the board adopts a new salary plan.

Key facts and timeline

- Quantum vendor chosen: administration said it selected the Quantum platform and began configuration work. Cory Nakamoto described a pilot “from March through June” to test the system and allow adjustments before a planned organization-wide rollout in late summer (administration target: training and phased rollout in August/September).

- Typical cycle described: goal-setting and calibration at the start of the year, monthly or regular check-ins captured in the system, a midyear review and a formal end-of-year appraisal that would feed into merit-pay decisions.

- Compensation review: administration said salary adjustments are a separate but paired process; staff will seek to address market relativity, re-level positions where needed and build merit-based increases tied to ratings produced by the new performance system.

- Ad hoc committee charge and members: examine current OHA staff salaries and make recommendations to the board for the FY2026–27 biennium. Trustee Souza (chair), Trustee Lindsay (vice chair), and Cory Nakamoto (HR) were listed as members in the motion.

What trustees said

Trustees emphasized both urgency and process. Several trustees said pay equity, retention and recruitment are the board’s priorities and urged administration and the ad hoc committee to coordinate so the board can review a recommendation in time for the biennium budget process. Some trustees urged caution that the board’s role is governance and that the CEO and HR must continue to lead the technical work; others argued trustee involvement in the salary review would provide transparency and reassure long‑tenured staff.

Administration comments

Stacy (Kapohana/CEO) framed the work as two interlocking efforts: “the performance management system is what creates the clarity” administrators need to assess and reward merit, she told trustees, and emphasized salary and performance work must proceed together. Cory Nakamoto (HR) described the Quantum pilot plan and the platform’s ability to cascade goals and document check‑ins, ratings and development.

What happens next

The ad hoc committee is expected to complete its review and present recommendations to the board in the spring, on a schedule intended to inform the trustees’ biennium budget decisions. Administration said it will continue its vendor configuration, testing and training work and will provide periodic updates to trustees during the rollout.

Ending note

Trustees and staff agreed on the central goal—improve recruitment, retention and clarity of expectations—while debating how best to divide oversight between the board and executive leadership. The ad hoc committee will submit its recommendations ahead of the board’s budget decision deadlines.