Information Paper

Background

Since the program was inaugurated on June 15, 1976, HUD has relied on the National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards (NCSBCS) to assist the Secretary in monitoring of the Design Approval Primary Inspection Agencies (DAPIA), and the Production Inspection Primary Inspection Agencies (IPIA). As the Secretary’s agent, NCSBCS has helped to determine whether the PIAs are fulfilling their responsibilities under the Manufactured Home Procedural and Enforcement Regulations. The function has been carried out through joint monitoring teams. NCSBCS, through its Housing and Building Technologies Division (HBT), has monitored the DAPIAs and the IPIAs to ensure that they are carrying out their required functions of plan review and production inspection.

The most recent contract, signed in October, 1993, is still in effect, having been extended beyond its original four-year term. The contract is on a six-month extension which began on November 11, 1999. In October 1999, HUD announced a decision to separate the monitoring contract into five components. On January 7, 2000 in a joint letter to HUD, MHI and MHARR congratulated the Secretary for the decision to divide the contract into logical components, but cautioned that only limited portions of the divided contract could logically be awarded under 8(a) for business development program only (Small Business Set Aside) participation.

Requests for Proposals for Five Subdivisions of the Current Monitoring Contract

IPIA/SAA Monitoring Contractor

On March 17 HUD issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the first of five contracts. The contract is to engage an IPIA/SAA monitoring contractor to monitor IPIA and SAA performance and to account for certification label distribution. The IPIA monitoring tasks include observing the performance of the IPIAs in their in-plant inspections, evaluate plant quality control procedures, and conduct retailer lot audits. The retailer lot audits are a new function not covered under the current contract and is not covered under the current regulations.

The SAA monitoring tasks will be to assist HUD in handling consumers’ complaints in all 50 States and to verify that 36 participating States are adequately handling their consumer complaints. The HUD labels-accounting task is to assist HUD in accounting for the HUD labels, and to maintain an invoicing system to the IPIAs. The closing date was May 3, 2000. The new contract is planned to commence on July 15, 2000 for a period of two years. HUD has the option to extend the contract by one or two additional years, one year at a time.

DAPIA Monitoring Contractor

The second contract, to engage a DAPIA monitoring contractor, is to provide the function of reviewing a portion of the designs that have been approved by third-party DAPIAs, as well as to assist HUD in evaluating the performance of the DAPIAs. The contractor will visit the headquarters of the DAPIAs to perform periodic audits and make recommendations to HUD on their findings. The contract will have a base of 24 months, with two one-year option periods. The contractor will be required to purchase and utilize a CD-Rom library of current DAPIA-approved design packages. It will also maintain all standards, regulations, interpretations and determinations made by HUD and be prepared to conduct special investigations or to evaluate new or disputed issues. The closing date for proposals is June 13, 2000. An award date for this contract has not been released.

SAA Enforcement Contractor

The request for proposals, issued on April 28th and closing June 13, 2000, is for a contractor to provide assistance to the 36 participating State Administrative Agencies (SAAs) in handling consumer complaints. The second major objective for the contractor is to make itself available to assist consumers in the (remaining) 14 non-SAA States. The contractor will also perform other monitoring services in non-SAA States. To be known as the SAA Enforcement Contractor, it will also assist HUD and the States, individually and collectively, to prepare and speak at training workshops.

Electronic Data Management (EDM) Contractor

The request for proposals was issued on April 28th and closes on June 23th. The EDM contractor will update new software programs for program participants and obtain and distribute hardware to the 36 SAAs. The contractor will also be responsible for maintaining a number of existing software programs administered by the Secretary, including a national database, imaging and the retrieval, the label program, subpart tracking, design review citations and inspection result summaries, citing only a few. This will be an 8(a) Small Business Set Aside contract, with a base period of 24 months with two one-year option periods.

Technical Training Contractor

The fifth contract, announced on May 19 and closing on July 5, will be for a training contractor to organize and schedule trainings, meetings, and workshops for parties carrying out the monitoring and enforcement tasks. There will be two national workshops, four regional training seminars per year, annual training of field auditors, 11 regional inspector training seminars and training on electronic data management (EDM). The contractor shall fund transportation, per diem and meeting room and presentation costs. This will be an 8(a) Small Business Set Aside contract and will have base period of 24 months, with two one-year option periods.

Summary

The five new contracts to replace portions of the single contract, will be individually awarded in summer 2000. Two contracts - Electronic Data Management and Technical Training Coordinator are scheduled to be Small Business Set Asides. The remaining RFPs, to monitor IPIA, DAPIA and SAAs, help HUD handle some consumer complaints, and perform SAA services in the non-SAA states, are soliciting proposals from a broad cross section of the private sector. So far, the HUD contracting office has identified 30 companies and organizations that have expressed interest in the IPIA/SAA monitoring contract. The full text of the each "request for proposals" is available from the HUD website at http://www.hud.gov./cts/ctsoprty.html.