	HUD Administers 20 Technical Assistance Programs at an Annual Total Cost of between $108 Million and $181 Million

Between fiscal years 1998 and 2002, five HUD program offices  administered a total of 20 technical assistance programs. As shown in figure 1, between fiscal years 1998 and 2002, the annual  funding for all of HUD’s technical assistance programs ranged from $108  million to $181 million. Not  surprisingly, the two offices that administer the largest number of programs  have the largest share of the overall technical assistance budget. The providers of technical assistance can be HUD officials, but typically  they are entities or organizations that receive funding from HUD to deliver  such assistance. Providers, which also vary by program, include state and  local governments; community-based, for-profit, and nonprofit  organizations; and resident service organizations. The following  cases detail the recipients, providers, and purposes of the technical  assistance provided. Yet, HUD  does not require its program offices to measure the impact of this technical  assistance, has not developed guidance for its program offices to measure  the impact of the assistance, and has no plans to require its program offices  to develop such guidance. Although such measures  may not be practicable for every program, HUD cannot demonstrate the  effectiveness of its technical assistance without some indication of its  impact. Finally, since technical assistance is an important means through which  HUD oversees and influences expenditures of program funds—which are  about 100 times greater than expenditures of technical assistance funds—it  would seem logical for each of its program offices to develop guidance to  ensure that the technical assistance programs are producing the intended  results. Recommendations for Executive Action

To determine whether HUD’s technical assistance programs are helping  HUD programs to meet their goals, we recommend that the Secretary of  Housing and Urban Development require the program offices that provide  technical assistance programs to determine the practicability of measuring  the impact of these services and, where appropriate, establish objective,  quantifiable, and measurable performance goals.
Why GAO Did This Study

Technical Assistance is an important means through which the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can influence how its program funds are spent; this assistance can range from training workshops to one-on-one assistance. GAO was asked to determine how many HUD technical assistance programs Congress has authorized and their cost; why HUD offers technical assistance programs and who provides and receives the services; and whether HUD program offices are overseeing and measuring the impact of their technical assistance programs as required.

What GAO Found

HUD administers 20 technical assistance programs through five program offices. Between fiscal years 1998 and 2002, the annual funding for HUD technical assistance ranged between $108 million and $181 million. The two offices that administer the largest number of programs have the largest share of the overall technical assistance budget. The following figure lists HUD's five program office's number of technical assistance programs or initiatives administered, each program office's definition of technical assistance, their 5-year average total technical assistance funding for fiscal years 1998 through 2002, and the percentage of overall technical assistance funding. The general purpose of HUD's technical assistance is to help program participants carry out HUD program goals. Technical assistance providers could be HUD officials; state or local governments; community-based, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations; or resident service organizations. Recipients of technical assistance could be states and units of local governments, public or Indian housing agencies, community- or faith-based organizations, or the public. Although all five HUD program offices are overseeing technical assistance, HUD does not require them to measure the impact of technical assistance, has not developed guidance for its program offices to measure the impact of the assistance, and has no plans to develop such guidance. HUD cannot demonstrate the effectiveness of the assistance without some indication of its impact.