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 In January of 2003, Draper & Associates (D&A) completed a two-year engagement with the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) serving as the Housing Authority's Capital Improvements Department. During the two-year engagement, D&A helped the MHA move from being Modernization Troubled and under the threat of receivership, to becoming an aggressive housing authority working toward becoming a high-performer and pushing the leading edge of several new development initiatives. The Draper Team, consisting of seven D&A consultants and three sub consultants, was responsible for establishing and maintaining the systems and procedures necessary to ensure that all construction projects were properly managed and that all processes including planning, budget appropriation, procurement, invoicing, change order processing and contract closeout documentation were properly coordinated and documented.
The D&A Team's accomplishments included:
- Fully obligating and expending the required funds to close out four active capital fund grants totaling more than $49 million
- Repairing more than 380 vacant units at two properties. The units all contained lead and/or asbestos and ranged from very poor to a severely deteriorated condition.
- Modernizing the MHA's 4 high-rises including HVAC improvements, selective fireproofing and waterproofing, installing a new building façade, and designing elevator
 upgrades and ADA improvements.
- Demolishing 549 units at three different properties and completing 13 demolition/ disposition applications
- Replacing roofs on two family properties and one high-rise, and completing major sewer repair/replacement work on three properties.
- Developing master plans for the redevelopment of five properties including managing the redevelopment design for four of those properties.
- Establishing security enhancements to include constructing fences at four properties and designing automated gates with a card access control system to secure both family and high-rise properties.
- Developing a lead based paint management program including lead testing and risk assessments and developing the remediation work as necessary for both lead and asbestos.
- Procured and managed more than $5.4 million of design projects and $18.6 million in construction projects.
- Institution of systems and procedures to correct issues cited by HUD, resulting in removal of all findings and observations against MHA.
The Capital Improvements Department was responsible for the entire procurement of each project including:
- Researching and writing the scope of work
- Creating the solicitation package, and developing the solicitation timeline
- Scheduling and running pre-bid meetings
- Developing and submitting advertisements, and conducting vendor outreach
- Facilitating bid openings, completing due diligence reviews, and facilitating proposal evaluations
- Facilitating procurement reviews by executive management, HUD and TARC, and developing PHA Board resolutions and board reports,
- Ensuring procurements are conducted in accordance with HUD guidelines and regulations,
- Maintaining thorough and detailed procurement files
Draper's project management responsibilities included:
- Integrating the Capital Plan into the 5-Year Plan
- Completing demolition and disposition applications
- Scope development
- Design facilitation
- Project reporting
- Staff and resident coordination
- Contract administration
- Construction management
- Budget Management
- Quality assurance and control
- Contract closeout
- Liaison with HUD/TARC
- Project documentation and record management
- Project tracking and reporting
Draper also fulfilled the critical responsibility of budget management for the Capital Fund. These responsibilities included:
- Developing and executing capital fund plan for the housing authority
- Obligating and expending funds by HUD established deadlines
- Ensuring MHA staff understand, plan and utilize funds committed to each department
- Purchase control-ensuring only authorized expenditures.
- Day-to-day accounting and real-time reporting on obligations and expenditures.
- Advice on the proper use of capital funds to include assessments of eligible expenses.
- Assisting in monthly reconciliation of the capital budget with the MHA finance office and HUD LOCC.
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