Reconnaissance phone calls

The Neighborhood Stabilization Program Tracking Panel:

OMB Clearance Package

Appendix A: Reconnaissance Protocol

Final

October 31, 2011

NSP-Grantee Executive Director Call Protocol

Contact Information

Title ________________________________________________________________________

Organization: ___________________________________________________________________

Organizational Mailing Address: _________________________________________________________________

Organizational Email Address: ___________________________________________________

Organizational Phone: _______________________________________________________

[Interviewer: Please review available information about the grantee prior to contacting the Executive Director—e.g., HUD administrative data (DRGR)]

Introduction

Hi my name is [INSERT NAME] and I’m a researcher at Abt Associates. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. As you know, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has contracted with Abt Associates to conduct an evaluation of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, focusing on the second round of funding (or NSP-2). As part of our work with HUD, we’re contacting grantees nationwide to discuss the project and briefly learn about their NSP2-related activities. In particular, we’re interested in learning about (1) the NSP2 activities that have been conducted thus far, (2) the NSP2 activities that are planned for the near future, and lastly (3) what kinds of data are being collected by grantees. Based on these discussions, HUD will invite a small group of grantees to participate in the study. So, this initial conversation is simply exploratory and designed to help HUD identify grantees for inclusion in the study. And most importantly, I want to emphasize that our discussion and any others we might have with you or your staff will be used to support the evaluation of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and are not part of a HUD monitoring activity or an audit.

Do you have any questions about this?

IF YES  THANK FOR THE QUESTIONS, REPLY AS APPROPRIATE, THEN CONTINUE.

IF NO  CONTINUE

Project Background

Can I begin by telling you more about the NSP-2 evaluation or do you already have the information you need?

IF YES  SEE APPENDIX WITH PROJECT BACKGROUND

IF NO  OK, Let me ask you a few ask a few questions about your organization’s NSP-2 activities. [CONTINUE TO NSP ACTIVITIES]

NSP2 Activities

The NSP-2 grantees are engaged in a wide variety of activities, including land banking, acquisition and rehabilitation, redevelopment, and demolition. We are interested in the kinds of activities you may have in progress or have planned for the future.

Q1. What types of NSP2 activities are you currently engaged in? And about what percent of your current NSP2 properties do you affect though these activities?

INDICATE ACTIVIY PERCENTAGE OF NSP PROPERTIES _______________________________ ____ %

_______________________________ ____ %

_______________________________ ____ %

_______________________________ ____ %

_______________________________ ____ %

Q2: And about how many properties in total are you currently serving through NSP-2 activities?

INDICATE NUMBER (OR NUMBER RANGE): _____________________________________

Q3: Do you have any additional NSP2 activities planned for the future?

INDICATE ONE: ______ YES ______ NO

IF YES 

Q3.1. What are they, and is it very likely, somewhat likely, or not likely that they will happen during the NSP2 period?

PLANNED ACTIVIY (VERY LIKELY=V, SOMEWHAT LIKELY=S, NOT LIKELY=N)

_______________________________ CIRCLE ONE: V S N

_______________________________ CIRCLE ONE: V S N

_______________________________ CIRCLE ONE: V S N

_______________________________ CIRCLE ONE: V S N

_______________________________ CIRCLE ONE: V S N

Q4. Does your organization collect property-level data related to your NSP-2 activities? For example: dollars per property, per activity; or dates of acquisition, rehab, or demolition?

INDICATE ONE: ______ YES ______ NO ______ DON’T KNOW

IF YES 

Thanks for that information. As part of our work with HUD, we are talking with grantees to gain more detailed information about the types of property-level NSP-2 data being collected. I’d like to identify a point-person within your organization whom I can contact to talk about these data. The data point-person is someone with detailed knowledge of the types and quality of property-level data being collected as well as how and where the data are stored.

Q5. Who should I contact about these data?

IF THE ED IS THE BEST SOURCE 

Okay, the questions I have regarding your property-level data will take about 30 – 45 minutes. Would you like to go through this now, or would you rather set up another time for us to discuss your data further?

IF LATER 

When would be some good times for you?

INDICATE POSSIBLE TIMES: ______________________________________ _______________________________________

_______________________________________

Great. I’ll take a look at my calendar and follow up with you by email about which of these will work. [CONTINUE TO WRAP UP]

IF NOW 

Great. I will send you an email right now with a worksheet that we’ll walk through together. We’ll use the worksheet to go over the types of data you may be collecting.

[EMAIL DATA WORKSHEET, THEN MOVE TO SCREENING PROTOCOL]

IF THEY RECOMMEND SOMEONE ELSE 

I’d like to gather their contact information from you. [CONTINUE]

IF THEY REFUSE CONTINUE TO WRAP-UP

Point Person Contact Information

Organization: ___________________________________________________________________

Title: __________________________________________________________________________

Organizational Mailing Address: _________________________________________________________________

Organizational Email Address: ________________________________________________

Organizational Phone: _______________________________________________________

[CONTINUE TO WRAP UP]

Wrap-up

Thank you very much for taking the time to talk with me today and for being part of the NSP study. Do you have any further information you’d like to share with me about your NSP-2 activities? Is there any information I can provide that would be helpful to you?

IF YES  THANK FOR THE QUESTIONS, REPLY AS APPROPRIATE, THEN CONTINUE.

IF NO  CONTINUE

It’s been good talking to you – again, I appreciate your time!

Reference for Interviewer: Project Background

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has commissioned a study of NSP, focusing on the second round of funding that was authorized in 2009. HUD wants to understand how NSP-2 functions within different types of housing markets. Thus, the purpose of the study is to evaluate the effects of NSP-2 by tracking outcomes in neighborhoods where NSP-2-assisted activities occur. The study will have lasting implications for how Federal and local policy interventions to arrest neighborhood decline are crafted, and thus has the potential to shape the direction of community development efforts for many years to come. HUD has invited your organization to be part of this important study. Twenty-one counties will be selected for the study, representing 27 NSP-2 grantees located throughout the country and in diverse types of housing markets. The study has several elements, including site visits from HUD’s research team, information gathering on NSP activities, and a visual tracking survey.

The study will answer four key questions:

1. How is NSP-2 being implemented? Understanding grantees’ implementation strategies will provide a context for assessing the impacts of NSP-2 and identifying the factors that influence program outcomes.

2. What outcomes are realized through the NSP-2 program? Assessing the outcomes associated with NSP-2 is critical to understanding whether the program achieved its intended goals. The key outcomes include home values, vacancy and crime rates, and changes in housing tenure.

3. How would neighborhoods likely have progressed in the absence of the NSP-2 program? The study will attempt to disentangle why some neighborhoods may recover without NSP-2 while others’ recovery is more dependent on NSP-2 funds. It will also attempt to isolate the effect of NSP-2 on neighborhoods.

4. What factors are associated with program success? Identifying the factors that influence program outcomes is an important part of the study that will likely be shaped by the unique features of each housing market, the types of NSP2 activities pursued, and the capacity of the various stakeholders.

Instructions for Completing the Data Worksheet
Section 1: Grantee Information
Please provide the NSP2 grantee name, address, primary contact, and contact information in the spaces provided below.
Section 2: Availability and Quality of Property-Level Data
Please complete the 5 columns as best as possible using the following guidance:
Column 1: This column contains specific information that will inform the evaluation of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). All of the information in Column 1 is at the NSP property-level.
Column 2: This column asks whether the NSP property-level information listed in column 1 is routinely collected. Answer "yes" if you collect this information; "no" if you do not collect it.
Column 3: If you responded "yes" to column 2, please indicate whether, in general, the quality of the data across all NSP properties is excellent, good, fair, or poor. Use the following guidance to help you assess the quality of your data:
Excellent = information is accurate and complete on all NSP properties.
Good = information is accurate on approximately 90 percent of NSP properties.
Fair = information is accurate on approximately 75 percent of NSP properties.
Poor = information is accurate on less than 75 percent of NSP properties.
Column 4: If you responded "yes" to column 2, please indicate whether the data are stored in spreadsheets, Word documents, an electronic database, or in some other format.
Column 5: If you responded "yes" to column 2, please indicate whether the data are stored in one location (e.g., the lead agency), or whether the data reside in multiple locations (e.g., across the various partner agencies).

Appendix A-2: NSP Data Protocol with Grantee

1. Grantee Information
Name of NSP Grantee:
Street Address:
City:
Zip Code:
Title of Contact Person:
Organizational Telephone Number:
Organizational Email Address:

2. Availability and Quality of Property-Level Data
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4	Column 5
Property-Level Data	1. Are data collected (Yes or No)?	(IF YES) 2. Across all property records, is the quality of data excellent, good, fair or poor?	(IF YES) 3. Data storage format (spreadsheet, Word document, database, paper, other)?	(IF YES) 4. Are data centralized (stored by one organization) or decentralized (stored by several organizations)?
Financing Activities
Address of target property (at least street address and city)
Closing date on financing
Amount of NSP financing provided
Type of financing provided (e.g., soft second, first mortgage, down payment)
Acquisition and Rehabilitation
Address of property acquired (at least street address and city)
Acquisition price
Date of acquisition
Type of acquisition (e.g., short sale, foreclosure, arm's-length transaction)
Previous owner type (public agency, non-profit, private)
NSP amount spent on rehabilitation
Date rehabilitation started
Date rehabilitation was completed
Characteristics of property (e.g., single-family, lot size, age, number of units)
Date property was sold after rehab
Property sold to: owner-occupant or investor (non-profit, public, etc.)
Property held by grantee and units rented out
Sale price after rehab
Land Banking
Address of property acquired (at least street address and city)
Acquisition price
Date of acquisition
Size of lot/property
Redevelopment
Address of property acquired (at least street address and city)
Acquisition price
Date of acquisition
Type of acquisition (e.g., short sale, foreclosure, arm's-length transaction)
Previous owner type (public agency, non-profit, private)
NSP amount spent on redevelopment/construction
Date redevelopment/construction started
Date redevelopment/construction was completed
Characteristics of property (e.g., single-family, lot size, age, number of units)
Date sold or rented
Demolition
Address of property acquired (at least street address and city)
Acquisition price
Date of acquisition
Type of acquisition (e.g., short sale, foreclosure, arm's-length transaction)
NSP amount spent on demolition
Date demolition started
Date demolition was completed
Lot size

3. Notes

NOTES: If necessary, please provide comments regarding the availability and quality of property-level information.