Municipal Development and Management

TCGI was a subcontractor to the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) during its 5-year contract with USAID’s Office of Environment and Urban Programs. The contract provided for training and technical assistance in support of municipal development programs. TCGI provided support services as well as managed international development associates who work for USAID and ICMA. TCGI tracked and reviewed the performance of associates and periodically assessed staffing needs. In addition to associates based in Washington, DC, TCGI has also recruited, placed, and supervised short- and long-term associates in USAID's Regional Urban Development Offices in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Housing Sector Studies

As a subcontractor to Soza & Company, Ltd in 1999, TCGI conducted three of six Panama housing sector studies for the Inter-American Development Bank, addressing Rent Control, the Preferential Interest Rate System, and Women in the Housing Market. Specifically the studies examined legislation and administrative procedures related to the former two and participation, access to credit and property rights issues related to the latter. All provided recommendations designed to support the IDB housing sector policy for Panama. Finally, TCGI assisted Soza with the policy components of the Condemned Housing study.

Housing Privatization and Housing Assistance to the National Housing Corporation USAID Tanzania and Office of Environment and Urban Programs

TCGI (then known as Community Consulting International or CCI) provided assistance in property database and management information systems and the development of basicaccounting programs as a subcontractor to PADCO, Inc. under a project of the USAID Mission in Tanzania and the USAID Office of Environment and Urban Programs. TCGI's experience in Tanzania illustrates the applicability of its U.S.-based approach to the privatization of both the management and development of publicly owned housing in developing countries. Prior to TCGI's intervention, NHC served as landlord and management agent to approximately 23,000 residential and commercial units. TCGI began with the computerization of NHC's central operations, and within a six month period the operations were brought current for the first time in years, if not decades. Because the Authority was then able to charge interest and late fees at its better properties, the results was a substantial improvement in cash flow and income.

As part of a multi-organizational team, TCGI also assisted the NHC in designing and implementing a sales program to sell approximately one-third of its units. This program is now generating working capital for NHC to capitalize new development, and it is also creating a private market for ownership of single family and multi-family housing. The third and final stage of assistance to NHC will focus on the development of public-private partnerships for new construction projects, and greatly improving management operations, especially maintenance, telecommunications, and the computerization of remote areas.

Housing Privatization Training, USAID Mongolia and USAID Thailand

In November 1992, as a sub-contractor to Abt Associates, Inc., TCGI (then Community Consulting International or CCI) designed, organized and conducted a series of training workshops as part of a technical assistance package for a USAID-sponsored housing privatization project in Mongolia, administered by the USAID Mission in Mongolia and USAID's Regional Housing and Urban Development Office in Thailand. Participants included staff from 12 housing authorities, the Mayor's Office of Ulaanbaatar, and the State Privatization Commission. TCGI performed all stages of training coordination while in-country, including 1) a needs assessment to determine the level and type of training appropriate for the participants; 2) training materials development; and 3) conducting training sessions, which included the use of computer-generated and computer-run slide shows.

TCGI developed three workshops for the Mongolia Housing Privatization Project: Housing Privatization provided participants with an overview of the principles and characteristics of private ownership and of the practical considerations and necessary steps for implementation of a privatization program.

Community Associations introduced participants to the basic types of private ownership of housing property and offered general information on all aspects of community associations. Management and Maintenance introduced participants to the basics of private property management, including the financial and organizational strategies that a company can use to ensure that it meets its goals. The course also covered general asset management and included information on insurance, the investment of reserves and long-range financial planning.