Report 2020-611 Recommendation 4 Responses

Report 2020-611: California Department of Housing and Community Development: It Failed to Expedite Access to Federal Funding to Address the Impact of the COVID‑19 Pandemic on California's Homeless Population (Release Date: August 2021)

Recommendation #4 To: Housing and Community Development, Department of

To ensure that the contractor it hired to manage the ESG-CV program effectively performs the numerous critical tasks contained in its contract, the department should immediately develop a formal plan and processes to track the contractor's progress and to verify that the contractor's work products comply with ESG-CV federal requirements.

To ensure the contractor performs tasks contained in its contract, HCD have dedicated key staff to work closely with and monitor the performance of the ICF team under the contract. Key staff from HCD include the HCD Branch Chief, HCD Contract Manager, HCD Grant Administrator Manager, and a HCD Specialist. The HCD Branch Chief provides project oversight, support, and leadership on ESG-CV program implementation and operations. The HCD Contract Manager is responsible for monitoring progress of work to ensure that the services are performed according to the quality, quantity, objectives, time frames and manner specified in the contract. The HCD Grant Administrator Manager works with the Grant Administration team to ensure tasks are carried out in accordance with HCD policies and expectations. The HCD Specialist is responsible for providing the first level of review and approval for Request for Funds and coordinating between the ESG-CV and ESG teams. HCD has established various methods to ensure compliance with task deliverables in the contract.

Please see e-mailed document response for more detailed implementation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Fully Implemented

In addition to working closely with its contractor, the department established a formal process to track the contractor's progress on tasks assigned. Additionally, the department developed policies and procedures to ensure the contractor's work products comply with federal and state regulations and meet the department's needs. Diligently adhering to its process, policies and procedures will help ensure that its contractor effectively performs the numerous tasks contained in its contract and that the contractor's work products comply with ESG-CV federal requirements.

All Recommendations in 2020-611

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.