HUD OIG is auditing HUD’s contract administration quality assurance processes over its management & marketing contracts.  HUD awarded seven firm-fixed price contracts totaling $8.98 billion to five different vendors.  The audit objective is to determine whether HUD effectively administered quality assurance surveillance plans for management & marketing contracts to assist in meeting HUD’s mission.

HUD OIG is auditing HUD’s compliance with the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act) as it relates to HUD’s program funds and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding.  OMB requires Federal agencies to report all financial and award data in accordance with DATA Act reporting standards which is displayed on USASpending.gov, a publicly available website.  This audit is statutorily mandated by the DATA Act and is the last of three required audit reports due by November 8, 2021.

To provide the HUD Secretary, senior leadership and Congress with an overview of the current status of Information Technology (IT) at HUD, the challenges they have overcome since the first 2018 IT Brief and the challenges they continue to face.

We will review HUD OCIO’s most recent IT modernization roadmap and strategy along with any other supporting documentation HUD can provide regarding modernization progress and milestones. Specifically, we will identify the various ongoing modernization projects within the roadmap and obtain documentation about the status of the individual projects. We will interview HUD officials knowledgeable about HUD’s modernization plans to confirm our understanding of the documentation we review. 

To determine if HUD has processes in place to efficiently and effectively conduct information technology (IT) acquisitions.

In accordance with the mandated work in FISMA, we are conducting the annual evaluation of information security practices, policies, and procedures established by HUD and the HUD Office of the Chief Information Officer. As part of the evaluation, we will also review 8 sample systems within 7 HUD program offices. Two products will result from our work; the mandated DHS CyberScope FISMA IG metrics report and a narrative report.

In accordance with the mandated work in FISMA, we are conducting the annual evaluation of information security practices, policies, and procedures established by HUD and the HUD Office of the Chief Information Officer. As part of the evaluation, we will also review 8 sample systems within 7 HUD program offices. Two products will result from our work; the mandated DHS CyberScope FISMA IG metrics report and a narrative report.

HUD OIG is evaluating HUD’s hiring efficiency.  HUD included improving hiring and human capital functions as a strategic objective in its Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, and OIG has identified Human Capital as a Top Management Challenge for HUD in FY 2020.

HUD OIG is conducting research to assess the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s information technology (IT) infrastructure’s preparedness and capability to support mass mandatory telework due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). This also included assessing for compliance with HUD information technology policies and Federal information system security requirements.  The CARES Act provided HUD with approximately $12 billion to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis and the ability to waive certain requirements.