Skip to main content

Community Development: Oversight of Block Grant Monitoring Needs Improvement

RCED-91-23 Published: Jan 30, 1991. Publicly Released: Jan 30, 1991.
Jump To:

Highlights

GAO reviewed how three Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) field offices monitored entitlement grantees of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG).

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Housing and Urban Development To improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of on-site monitoring of CDBG grantees, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should direct the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) to revise the CPD Monitoring Handbook to require staff to include in their files on individual grantees adequate working papers that clearly show the scope and work performed during on-site reviews.
Closed – Implemented
HUD issued Notice CPD-91-21, which includes guidance on monitoring documentation.
Department of Housing and Urban Development To improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of on-site monitoring of CDBG grantees, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should direct the Assistant Secretary for CPD to revise the CPD Monitoring Handbook to instruct staff on what constitutes adequate working papers and how to prepare them.
Closed – Implemented
HUD issued Notice CPD-91-21, which includes guidance on monitoring documentation.
Department of Housing and Urban Development To improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of on-site monitoring of CDBG grantees, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should direct the Assistant Secretary for CPD to revise the CPD Monitoring Handbook to provide guidance to supervisors on reviewing working papers and supervising site visits.
Closed – Implemented
HUD issued Notice CPD-91-21, which includes guidance on supervisory review of monitoring.
Department of Housing and Urban Development To improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of on-site monitoring of CDBG grantees, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should direct the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development (CPD) to distribute to all field offices copies of all OIG systemic audit reports that identify emerging patterns of deficiencies in grantees' management practices or HUD oversight.
Closed – Implemented
According to the Director of the Office of Management, the Office of Block Grant Assistance has developed a system for the review of grantee level audits and surveys containing significant findings and trends. This system utilizes CPD notes and CC mail newsbriefs to notify the field of audits of nationwide interest, and is an ongoing process.
Department of Housing and Urban Development To improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of on-site monitoring of CDBG grantees, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should direct the Assistant Secretary for CPD to provide field offices with summaries of OIG audits of individual grantees, including findings that CPD and OIG believe may indicate new areas for HUD monitoring to emphasize or areas in which grantees' performance could improve.
Closed – Implemented
According to the Director of the Office of Management, the Office of Block Grant Assistance has developed a system for the review of grantee level audits and surveys containing significant findings and trends. This system utilizes CPD notes and CC mail newsbriefs to notify the field of audits of nationwide interest, and is an ongoing process.
See All 5 Recommendations

Full Report

Full Report (18 pages)

Office of Public Affairs

Topics

Housing
Block grantsCommunity developmentCommunity development programsFederal aid for housingFinancial recordsGrant monitoringHousing programsInternal controlsAudit reportsHousing