Elizabeth's Training Suggestions for Small to Medium Sized Companies

4 simple steps to help you tackle your company's training needs!

Most companies are comprised of team members with all levels of Section 42 compliance experience. This makes the task of getting everyone the training they need daunting. By following Elizabeth's 4 steps, you can take the guess work out of training and be assured you have a well-trained team.

Step #1... Assess Each Team Member's Current Knowledge

The most important thing to do first is understand what type of training each team member needs. Because of the different levels of experience and knowledge, putting everyone through the same courses can be a waste of time, cause frustration and disgruntled employees. Certainly not conducive to getting your people up to speed quickly and efficiently! Remedy this by having all compliance and property management staff take the Compliance Assessment which will pinpoint exactly where each of your team member's current compliance knowledge is at.

Now, understand, the Compliance Assessment is not a course. Rather a tool to help you determine your staff's current compliance knowledge. This assessment is comprised of a series of questions divided into 5 sections with each section assessing the understanding in a specific area of compliance that must be mastered in order to protect your portfolio from noncompliance. The 5 compliance areas assessed are (1) general compliance understanding; (2) income eligibility and income/asset calculations; (3) eligibility and special program rules; (4) income limits, rents and utility allowances; and (5) fair housing.

Each of the 5 sections represents the concepts taught in a specific Online Training Center course...

• Section 1 = Housing Credits 101: Compliance Basics
• Section 2 = Housing Credits 103: Income & Assets
• Section 3 = Housing Credits 204: Unique Program Rules
• Section 4 = Housing Credits 205: Income Limits, Rents, and Utility Allowances
• Section 5 = Fair Housing 101: A Fair Housing Primer

so by completing the section, you will not only have a clear picture of each of your team member's current knowledge, you will know what class or classes in which to register them to improve their knowledge level.

Once all 5 sections of the Compliance Assessment are completed, direct each person to print their transcript which indicates the score the person earned in each section. Either you or the individual can then compare these section scores to the proficient chart which looks like the following:

Proficiency Chart
Knowledge Range	Training Recommendations
Scores 80% or higher	Understands the concepts assessed in this section. No further training is warranted.
Scores between 65% - 79%	Understands many but not all of the concepts assessed in this section. Should enroll in the corresponding course as a review of the material is warranted.
Scores less than 64%	Further study in the concepts assessed in this Section is definitely needed. Should enroll in the corresponding course to learn these concepts.

So for example, if one person's results looked like this...

• Section 1 = 100%
• Section 2 = 85%
• Section 3 = 77%
• Section 4 = 92%
• Section 5 = 52%

the person should be enrolled in Housing Credits 204: Special Program Rules and Fair Housing 101: A Fair Housing Primer.

The Compliance Assessment is ONLY: $49/person

ADD COMPLIANCE ASSESSMENT TO SHOPPING CART
(When registering multiple individuals for the Compliance Assessment, you will need to go through the shopping cart purchasing process separately for each individual.
If you have a large group, contact our office at customersupport@housingcredits.com to determine how we can help you enroll everyone all at once.

Step #2... Determine Which of the Suggested Courses You Should Enroll Each Team Member

Once your employees have completed the Compliance Assessment and you have compared their results with the Industry Proficiency Chart, you have a clear plan of attack.

Now BEFORE you begin registering individuals for courses, STOP for a moment and think about each person's level of responsibility, current position within the company, length of time with the company, and the long-term goals you have for this person as far as compliance goes. You probably aren't going to want to register everyone for all the courses. Quite frankly, some just don't need that comprehensive of an education to function well at their job. For example, if the team member is only responsible for taking in applications and determining initial eligibility, it is probably not necessary for them to take Housing Credits 205: Income Limits, Rents & Utility Allowances, especially if there is another person within the company that oversees this. However, if the team member is a supervisor or has a decision making role for a property, you will want to ensure they have a comprehensive knowledge and enroll them in all of the courses suggested by the Industry Proficiency Chart. Also, don't forget education is often a great way to keep your prized team members happy and keep them from getting antsy in their current position.

Once this decision is made, you can register your employees for individual classes or, if you have employees that are new to the program or you feel need an overall compliance education, save money and sign them up for the Course Package Plan. Courses taken individually range from $249 to $299 per person. The Course Package Plan is a comprehensive bundle of courses designed to provide the individual with all the fundamentals they need to master site compliance and is $799 per person.

GO TO COURSE CATALOG where you can view course descriptions and added selected courses to shopping cart

LEARN MORE about the Course Package Plan

ADD COURSE PACKAGE PLAN to shopping cart

Step #3... Get Selected Team Members Compliance Certified

Once your individual team members have completed the courses you have selected for them, you should determine which of them should become compliance certified. Any team members that completed the Course Package Plan or any that scored 80% or higher on EACH of the sections in the Compliance Assessment, is certainly ready to take the Site Compliance Exam which when passed will give them their nationally recognized Site Compliance Specialist or SCS designation.

It is highly recommended you have at least 2 people compliance certified at a minimum. The actual number will be based on the size of your portfolio and how you have compliance monitoring set up at your company. If compliance is decentralized, meaning each property is responsible for compliance and its oversight individually, you should have at least one compliance certified person per property and possibly even 2 for a back up. If compliance is centralized, meaning you have a compliance department in charge of overseeing compliance on the entire portfolio, you will want at least 2 people compliance certified. Quite frankly, more is better here as it shows your State Monitoring Agencies and investors that you are concerned with maintaining compliance and have the existing knowledge to do a great job. And also, assisting team members in becoming compliance certified is a great company benefit that is often overlooked! I know many a company that has their entire compliance and management team certified in compliance!

To become compliance certified, you will want your selected team members to take the Site Compliance Exam which can be taken online at the Housing Credit Online Exam Room conveniently and securely. Once this exam is passed, the individual is compliance certified and is awarded with their Site Compliance Specialist (SCS) designation.

Now it should be noted, the SCS designation is a site compliance certification focusing on day-to-day compliance. You may also want to consider having selected individuals in supervisory roles certified in advanced compliance. Advanced compliance goes beyond day-to-day site compliance and moves into development and allocation, finance, and complex compliance concepts. Such concepts include, but are not limited to, understanding...

• How tax credits are calculated and how that calculation affects compliance;

• The applicable fraction, noncompliance, and recapture;

• How the decisions made at allocation and throughout development and financing affects compliance and the property's overall operating success;

• Advanced compliance concepts such as acquisition/rehabs, mixed income properties, and subsidy-layered properties.

If you desire to have any of your team members certified in advanced compliance, you will want them to take Housing Credits 445: National Compliance Professional. Once this is completed, you will want that person to take the National Compliance Exam which can also be taken online at our Housing Credit Online Exam Room. Individuals who go down the path to obtain our advanced compliance designation must meet both an Education and Experience Requirement before the full blown designation known as the National Compliance Professional (NCP or NCP-E) can be earned. Individuals who successfully meet these requirements and become an NCP or NCP-E are considered the elite of the industry!

LEARN MORE
about becoming certified in compliance

(This link will take you to a page within this website that will explain how to become certified in compliance,
the difference between site level and advanced level compliance certifications,
the steps you must complete to earn both types of certifications,
and allow you to register for the specified exams.)

 

Has your company just gotten involved with the Tax Credit Program forcing you to learn ALL the rules fast? Check out our Master of Compliance Program... Learning BOTH the site compliance rules as well as the advanced compliance and management requirements can be daunting especially if you need to do it FAST! To help you accomplish this task, we have put together a truly special package containing everything you need to master both the site and advanced compliance requirements. The Master of Compliance package contains: The Course Package Plan + Site Compliance Exam (Normally $899) Housing Credits 445: National Compliance Professional + National Compliance Exam (Normally $899) NCP Membership Gold (Normally $849) which includes... Current year membership into NCP Membership Group at the Gold level Current year subscription to The Compliance Monitor newsletter Current year access to The Compliance Monitor Online Article Archive Current year access to the NCP Professional Development Center A copy of Elizabeth's recently updated reference guide Practical Solutions for Managing Tax Credit Developments.   If you are interested in truly becoming a compliance force to be reckoned with contact our office for a special price quote Email: customersupport@housingcredits.com or Call toll-free 1-800-644-0390

Step #4... Annually Refresh and Update Your Team's Knowledge 

Now after this process is complete, you will have a team that has the education level required to successfully meet their job responsibilities. That is great but you cannot rest on your laurels. This program changes constantly and the compliance rules are full of interpretations that are constantly being tweaked as time passes. It is crucial as part of designing a training program for your team, you keep in mind the need for continuing education. Most State Monitoring Agencies today require it as do investors. Also, it is just a smart way to do business and keep your properties in compliance. The good news is this is easier than ever.

• FIRST, I highly recommend you have each team member sign up for our FREE Industry Information Network which includes regular emailed Industry Updates.

• SECOND, I recommend you have them subscribe to the longest running compliance and management newsletter -- The Compliance Monitor as it is an excellent resource to everything that is going on in the industry and is like a training session in each issue.

• And THIRD, I recommend each team member take a refresher course at least annually.

Now as far as training courses are concerned, of course, you should consider having your team members attend your State Monitoring Agency's training but you should also consider having them take one of our online courses to keep refreshed and current. When selecting what course or courses to have your team members take, don't forget about the Compliance Assessment tool as it is a great way to determine and show your staff the holes in their knowledge. Consider having them take the assessment annually and then register them for the courses recommended. If they have already taken a course and are balking at the idea of repeating a course, be sure to explain to them that this program is quite complex and each course addresses numerous concepts. By repeating a course, I can GUARANTEE they will learn something new. Also, understand, if there are changes made to the rules or within the industry, I will update each of the affected courses, so by repeating them on an annual basis, your team will be assured they have the most current information and knowledge!

ADD INDIVIDUAL COURSES TO SHOPPING CART
(This link takes you to the Course Catalog where you can add your selected courses to the shopping cart.)

 

CLICK HERE to learn how you can receive $1,889 worth of training and tools for ONLY $999/person GIVING YOU A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO... Master the site compliance rules; Earn 3 different compliance designations; Join the NCP Membership Group; Pick up our newsletter The Compliance Monitor; and most importantly... become COMPLIANCE CONFIDENT!!