We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to obtain technical assistance concerning the disaster recovery program requirements, including related Federal Register requirements. Specifically, the technical assistance should include guidance on how to satisfy the requirement regarding maintaining an internal audit function and Web site maintenance.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to update its Web site to include current quarterly performance, budget, and progress reports.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to revise its monitoring policy to include the role of the internal auditor once implemented, and finalize and fully implement or revise its fraud, waste, and abuse detection policy to reflect current procedures.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to implement an internal audit function that satisfies program requirements.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to maintain program files with all required documentation for each activity.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to support the cost reasonableness or repay its program from non-Federal funds $58,873 paid to its surveyor contractor for the sole-sourced contract without an adequate cost analysis.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to support the cost reasonableness or repay its program from non-Federal funds $30,702 paid to its construction contractor for cost increases without adequate cost analyses.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to support the cost reasonableness or repay its program from non-Federal funds $362,319 paid to its consultant contractor without an independent cost estimate.

We recommend that the Director of HUD’s New Orleans Office of Community Planning and Development require the Parish to develop and implement a HUD approved written plan and checklists; and take actions that will correct and prevent the deficiencies outlined in the finding, improve program administration effectiveness, ensure compliance with HUD regulations and the policies and procedures it submitted and certified to HUD, and ensure it has the continuing capacity to carry out its activities, as required.

Ensure that CPD personnel that plan for, award, and manage grants and other forms of financial assistance receive formal risk analysis training.