The Clock is Ticking:
Timeliness Insights for Your
Community Development Program
Shirletta Best
- CDBG Administrator City of McKinney, Texas
McKinney, Texas
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Named One of the Fastest
Growing Cities in the U.S.A.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Named 14th Best City to Live,
Source: Money Magazine
CDBG Entitlement Community
since 2002-03.
Staff of 3, 15 Subrecipients
FY 2009 Allocation, $542,464
The Definition of Timeliness
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How Quickly will You Commit
and Expend funding resources
before the end of the program
year.
Source: CFR 24. 570. 902 (a)(1)
HUD Tracks Your Timeliness
Every Year – Do you Know Your
Date?
Timeliness Insights
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Transparency,
Accountability
Returns the
Emphasis of
Being Timely
HUD/OMB/LG
Expecting Quick
Results, While
Re-evaluating
your Capacity.
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Stakeholders
Are Watching to
See if Grantees
“Walk the Talk.”
Peer-to-Peer
Pressure: You
Don’t Want to
Be on “The List”
The Viewpoint of Timeliness:
Choose Your Side Goal
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Your Timeliness Plan is Your
Admin Plan.
Right Side of Timeliness:
Compliance, Peace of Mind, Being
“Under the “Radar,” Admin
Success. Think Small Business.
Wrong Side of Timeliness:
Potential Loss of Funds,
Stakeholder Frustration, and other
Results That You Don’t Want to
Think About.
Timeliness: Insight & Tips
Your Admin Plan for Success
Technical
Assistance
Grant Administration
Ongoing Review
:
Timeliness: Insight & Tips
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Write the Admin Plan and Make it Plain.
Think about what you want in the plan and
what works. Checklists? Spreadsheets? At
minimum, confirm if can you meet HUD’s
timeliness Test one month BEFORE the actual
test.
Mandatory Technical Assistance. For
subrecipients (and staff) at the start of the year,
including deadline calendars. Require
Quarterly Reports. Monitor Quarterly and
Annually, but Communication Often.
Ongoing Financial Review. Implement
Departmental Monthly Spreadsheets and
Compare with your Finance Department’s
General Ledger. Your Subrecipients Quarterly
Reports and Reimbursement Requests.
Timeliness: Insight & Tips
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Get on Schedule. Drawdown at the end of
Every Quarter. Period. Establish a “Use it
or Lose it” Policy with Subrecipients.
Coordination and Information.
Timeliness must be conducted throughout
the year. Reiterate the importance down to
all your team members and subrecipients.
Year-End Review. Look back and
determine if you need to change a step,
report, etc. in your admin plan. Are you
always chasing the result or working
toward it? Get excited about making this
easier for YOU.
Timeliness Wrap-Up
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Find the Best Practice That Works
for You. Be Clear, Be Consistent.
Ease Your Peace of Mind by
Developing Your Admin Arsenal.
(Spreadsheets, Monitoring, Technical Assistance,
Communication, Ongoing Review)
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Timeliness is Keystone to Program
Financials.
Ready Yourself To Give (or Get)
Training as Needed.
Resources
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CDBG Basics: The Course and Manual can
give you the foundation you need as a
refresher tool.
HUD Timeliness Manual: Refer back this
guide often for motivation and tips. All
expections are right here. (www.HUD.gov)
Your Annual Action Plan: You tell HUD each
year of your commitment, so just follow the
plan!
HUD/Other CD Trainings: We asked for it, we
got it - take advantage, especially the financial
trainings.
Your Peers: Talk to them and ask what works.
Gut Instinct: You know when you’re not being
timely, before anyone contacts you.
Last Word on Timeliness
Your Parents Were Right,
it is Important to Be on Time!
Good Luck!
Shirletta Best
CDBG Administrator
sbest@mckinneytexas.org
972-547-7577