Provide more detailed guidance to HUD reviewers and FHEO regional directors on when and under what circumstances to recommend or issue a PIP.

Update HUD Handbook 8024.01, REV-2, and regional intake policies and procedures as necessary to include (1) minimum requirements that all regions follow for documenting in HEMS attempts to reach out to claimants when additional information is needed before closing inquiries; (2) policies and procedures for collecting, recording, and documenting all relevant electronic intake information in HEMS; and (3) clarifying that communications with claimants regarding inquiry closure, requests for additional information, and notices of jurisdiction information clearly inform the claimant of the ability to provide additional information within the statute of limitations.

Develop a process to oversee housing discrimination allegations that FHAP agencies close and do not submit to HUD for dual-filing to ensure that the closure and jurisdictional determinations are consistent with the Fair Housing Act. To help address this recommendation, HUD should consider requiring FHAP agencies to enter data on closed inquiries in HEMS and make updates to FHAP agreements as necessary.

Conduct a departmentwide comprehensive staff capacity assessment to identify resource and skills gaps of staff involved in IT acquisitions.

Develop a departmentwide human capital plan or evaluate and revise existing plans to guide the recruitment, retention, and skill development of staff involved in IT acquisitions. The plan should include related metrics to measure plan implementation and effectiveness.

Evaluate IT acquisition process workflows and identify ways to simplify the processes, facilitate more effective stakeholder coordination across offices, and create efficiencies when possible.

Status

The Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) had agreed to an estimated completion date of March 2024. In November 2024, OCPO submitted additional evidence for closure; however, the evidence did not identify how the revisions to the process will address efficiency issues. The OIG requested further information that identifies improvements in the IT acquisition process.

Analysis

To fully address this recommendation, HUD must provide evidence that it has published its standard operating procedures resulting from its evaluation of workflows and efforts to simplify processes and facilitate more effective coordination.

Implementation of this recommendation will result in defined IT acquisition process workflow procedures to increase efficiency and ensure coordination across program offices.

Establish a centralized acquisition tracking system that allows for input and monitoring by all offices involved with the IT acquisition process by: a. Developing a plan with detailed implementation milestones; b. Obtaining appropriate approvals and funding; and c. Implementing a centralized acquisition tracking system, based on the implementation plan and approvals from 4a and 4b.

Develop a plan for clearly defining, communicating, and enforcing IT acquisition process standards, including acquisition process roles and responsibilities.

Assign independent, contract officers to review and certify the initiating contract buyer’s compliance with policies for initiating and authorizing interagency agreements and later modifications for all amounts in accordance with Acquisition Instruction 13-07, HUD Contracting Officers.

Ensure that contracting officers and OCPO field offices review and follow the records management policies and procedures, including completing and signing Forms 7600A and 7600B, to ensure consistency among contract officers approving interagency agreements in the procurement system of record.

Implement a process to periodically audit or reconcile ARC’s records.

Implement a process to periodically review approving officials’ span of control to ensure that the requirement is not exceeded.

Implement a process with ARC to ensure that cardholders and approving officials are notified before purchase card training is due to allow training to be completed in a timely manner.

Implement a process to ensure that purchase cards are suspended when a cardholder or approving official fails to complete training.

Research why ARC provided incomplete monthly transactional data and identify a solution to ensure the completeness of future transmissions.

Enhance the process to periodically analyze data for split transactions or improper MCCs and follow up on any potential issues identified.

Require ARC to update its MCC tracking log, to include the amount, the date of MCC override removal, and staff assigned, to ensure that an override is removed after the approved purchase is made.

Implement a process with Citibank and ARC to provide global notifications to cardholders and approving officials before autoclosures of credit card statements.

Implement a process to suspend cardholders or approving officials who repeatedly cause HUD to pay interest.

Obtain supporting documentation for the $1,807 spent on two cardholders’ purchase cards or require the vendors or cardholders to repay the funds to the applicable HUD program.