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Independent Verification and Validation Case Study

HUD National Manufactured Housing Program: Independent Verification and Validation of Building Systems and Regulatory Programs

Challenge:

About 250 factories across the nation produce approximately 25 percent of all new single-family homes in the United States. In 1974, when Congress passed the Manufactured Home Act, HUD needed a monitoring agent to carry out field verification and to assist assessment of the compliance levels to be sure construction standards were being met. Because the program was national in scope, the monitoring needed to be uniform, credible, and fair.

IBTS Solutions:

  • Prepared procedures to collect the data objectively and consistently.
  • Conducted over 400 field visits per year and performed record reviews and audits to independently verify compliance with requirements and quality assurance programs.
  • Collected information related to the corrective actions various third parties had taken, and provided the government with field reports, analyses and follow-up action reports to assist in monitoring and enforcement.
  • Provided recommendations and assisted the third parties in improving their performance.
  • Assisted HUD in resolving technical and management issues.
  • Continue to help in the collection and distribution of fees.
  • Continue to issue and track about 400,000 home labels each year.

Benefits:

  • Since 1974, more than ten million labels have been tracked for fee collection and distribution at an accuracy rate of 99.4%.
  • HUD rated IBTS' performance as "Excellent" in all performance areas.
  • IBTS was effective in improving the compliance level and performance of the third parties in a cost-effective manner.
  • IBTS' findings assisted HUD in various enforcement actions.

Testimonial:

"IBTS' management of our current contract, and previous contracts, has been excellent. [They] have been especially helpful in controlling cost and maintaining an excellent quality of service during a time of reduced contract resources. They coordinate with federal program staff on a monthly basis to determine workload and priorities and to ensure that costs do not exceed the level agreed to for the period of time discussed."

--Elizabeth Cocke, Director, Office of Manufactured Housing, HUD