Client:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Bridgeport
Housing Authority
Project Name:
Board of Commissioner's Training for Housing Authority of the city Bridgeport
Market:
Federal Government
Project Description:
The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport (BHA) contracted North American Management to conduct Board of Commissioners’ Training for its newly appointed members. Responsible for management oversight and by-law interpretation and enforcement, the Board was in need of a training seminar to highlight those areas of concern most salient to its role so as to empower it with the understanding it needed to ensure BHA progress would continue.
North American Management assembled a team of consultants experienced in conducting training seminars in general, and specifically, Housing Authority Board of Commissioners’ Training. A manual was provided to the board members detailing those items to be discussed. The seminar began with a discussion of the roles and responsibilities of Boards of Commissioners, followed by an overview of the topics to be covered over the course of the weekend.
Specific focus was aimed at providing the board members the understanding it needed to ask salient questions regarding BHA’s finance and accounting procedures. The Board’s responsibilities regarding procurement were discussed. An overview of 24CFR Part 85, as it pertains to Board oversight of the procurement process, was provided. Specific attention was paid to the Board’s role in monitoring the solicitation process.
Connecticut State Housing Law was discussed and reviewed. Board members were reminded they are custodians of public funds and that in being so must perform duties on behalf of BHA accordingly. As the central contracting document committing BHA to fulfill its responsibilities, the ACC must be readily understood by the Board. The training seminar provided them with this understanding.
The missions of HUD and BHA were reviewed. Conflicts of interest and ethical standards of conduct were evaluated. The oversight role of the Board was reiterated and effective monitoring techniques were discussed. The Board was informed that through statistical analysis of socioeconomic data, it could quantify their understanding of demographic trends for a more directed and substantive fiduciary request. Mapping U.S. Census data was illustrated for just this reason.
For more information:
Division Director, Housing & Community Revitalization