Documents/HUDCSP/3: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

SERVICE 2: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Conduct an agency-wide business process reengineering (BPR) effort to improve HUD’s NOFA process.

Other Information:

Overview: The Office of Strategic Planning and Management (OSPM) is leading the effort to conduct an agency-wide business process reengineering (BPR) effort to improve HUD’s NOFA process. There will be a specific focus on the areas in the process which are known to cause delays in processing. The NOFA BPR project will directly support HUD’s strategic Goal 5 – “Transforming the way HUD does business” – by ensuring obligation of NOFA funds no later than 180 calendar days from budget passage. The NOFA BPR kicked-off August 2011 and is scheduled to be completed, including implementation of select recommendations, by March 2012; the full benefit/impact will be realized during FY13 NOFA processing. This major process improvement will materially affect $3.3B being obligated/disbursed in a significantly reduced time frame (180) days or less. Challenges: Considering the initiative is in the early stages there have not been any material implementation challenges identified; however, the team has documented an initial set of potential risks: − Budget constraints, cuts, and lack of funding, which could place the project in jeopardy of non-completion or extension of the project timeline and delay of expected benefits − Resistance to change and/or lack of management buy-in, which will impact full realization of proposed recommendations − Availability of staff resources/ subject matter experts (SMEs), which may impact project and deliverable timelines Featured Actions: Prior to undertaking the BPR, OSPM introduced the process improvements and accountability measures below. The BPR will identify additional improvement opportunities and further standardize the NOFA process agency-wide. − Established 23 critical path milestones throughout the NOFA life cycle to begin standardizing processes across program offices − Instituted standardized time intervals to reach critical milestones to accelerate progression through the NOFA life cycle − Developed criteria to categorize all NOFAs based on the level of change to the NOFA from the previous year and the anticipated complexity of the review process − Developed and implemented the Grants Processing System (GPS) to track the progression of each NOFA through its life cycle It is assumed there are commonalities in processing of NOFAs across the program offices; however it is also assumed there are moderate to substantial variation. The BPR will yield business intelligence for each program office related to: − Detailed description of process activities, including estimated cycle times − Systems used to track grants − Descriptions of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and performance measures currently used − Communication within the program office and with other business units − Other relevant information that impacts or interfaces with the NOFA process

Stakeholder(s):

  • HUD Office of Strategic Planning and Management (OSPM)

  • HUD Competitively Awarded Funds

  • HUD Customers: Key Customer Groups: The improved processes will have direct positive impacts on internal and external customer groups. External Customers: Applicants, grantees, and grant recipients – The entire process will take less time from end to end resulting in appropriated funds being disbursed faster, resulting in them being used for the intended purpose. Internal Customers: HUD program offices (i.e., PIH, CPD, Housing, OSHC, OHHLC, PD&R, FHEO) and supporting business units (i.e., ODGMO, OCIO, OCFO, CIR, OPA, OSEC, OGC) – clear standards and expectations for NOFA processing will be established. Leveraging technology to automate work flows, reduce cycle time, and eliminate redundant work will result in quantifiable cost savings to the agency at large.

  • Applicants

  • Grantees

  • Grant Recipients

  • HUD Program Offices: (i.e., PIH, CPD, Housing, OSHC, OHHLC, PD&R, FHEO)

  • HUD/PIH

  • HUD/CPD

  • HUD/Housing

  • HUD/OSHC

  • HUD/OHHLC

  • HUD/PD&R

  • HUD/FHEO

  • HUD Supporting Business Units: (i.e., ODGMO, OCIO, OCFO, CIR, OPA, OSEC, OGC)

  • HUD/ODGMO

  • HUD/OCIO

  • HUD/OCFO

  • HUD/CIR

  • HUD/OPA

  • HUD/OSEC

  • HUD/OGC

Objective(s):

S 2.1: Feedback
S 2.2: Best Practices
S 2.3: Metrics and Standards
S 2.4: Streamlining
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