Discover how the author transformed a massive government department in just a few years and fixed seemingly unfixable problems
In Transforming a Federal Agency: Management Lessons from HUD’s Financial Reconstruction, finance and strategy expert Irving (Irv) L. Dennis delivers an insightful and eye-opening exploration of the lessons he learned in bringing private sector experience to the transformation of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s financial systems.
Pulled out of retirement after a 37-year career at Ernst & Young (EY), the author’s tenure at HUD involved a rapid and surgical rejuvenation of their financial infrastructure. The book details the ten management areas he focused on and also includes:
- The transformation process and the barriers and roadblocks the author encountered on his journey
- Ensuring an enduring transformation even after changes in administration
- Functional differences between the private sector and governmental organizations
- How the author approached his first 100 days as Chief Financial Officer of the Department
- Insights into the innerworkings of the Executive Branch of government
Perfect for government employees, finance professionals in the public and private sectors, and business students, Transforming a Federal Agency is a simultaneously fascinating and instructive journey through the remediation of seemingly intractable financial mismanagement.
Table of Contents
Foreword from Former Secretary of HUD, Dr. Ben Carson xi
Introduction: What the Reader Can Expect xvii
Part I The Beginning
1 The Nomination Process 3
2 About HUD 21
3 HUD’s State of Affairs 43
Part II The Evaluation Process
4 My First Hundred Days 55
5 Evaluation of Governance, People, Processes, and Technology (GPPT) 75
6 Understanding How It Got This Bad 87
7 Barriers to Success 95
Part III The Transformation Process
8 Building the Platform for Success 113
9 Financial and IT Modernization 139
10 Coordination with Critical Service Providers 161
11 The Results - Where We Were in 2020 173
12 Making HUD’s Transformation Sustainable 201
Part IV Observations And Reflections
13 Differences Between the Private and Public Sectors 211
14 Final Thoughts - An Experience of a Lifetime 227
Acknowledgments 251
About the Author 255
Appendix 257
Appendix A Acronyms and Definitions 259
Appendix B History of HUD 267
Appendix C Summary of HUD’s 2020 Enacted Budget 271
Appendix D CFO Letters in the Agency Financial Report 273
Appendix E My Resignation Letter 289
Appendix F List of HUD’s Accomplishments in 2018 and 2019 291
Index 311
