9/11 Public Assistance Support

Situation:

Fluor and IBM sought out Hagerty to provide technical and management support to FEMA’s Public Assistance program after the terrorist attack of 9/11.

Need:

The clients were under pressure to resolve a vast number of claims in an efficient, cost-effective, and compliant manner. They wanted all grants awarded within a two-year period.

Solution:

The Hagerty team worked to find creative solutions to meet the clients’ demands, including:

  • Developed and implemented a strategic plan to obligate all public assistance grants in less than 24 months.
  • Developed and implemented internal controls to minimize fraud, waste, and abuse.
  • Developed and implemented a Quality Control Plan that ensured that all awards complied with the Stafford Act, 44 CFR, FEMA-State Agreements, and OMB Cost Code Principles.
  • Developed innovative methods to streamline funding to applicants yet still comply with all federal regulations.
  • Re-engineered the closeout process to programmatically close out all grants within six months while complying with federal rules and regulations.
  • Developed and implemented operational plans that included organizational structure, business processes, performance measures and targets, issue resolution, etc.

Outcome:

1,500 assistance grants totaling $7.4 billion were awarded within 24 months. Grants covered debris removal, emergency protective measures and infrastructure repairs.

Addendum:

To date, there have been no known adverse findings by FEMA’s Office of Inspector General regarding any of the grants.