Introduction to Tenant Focused Housing Services
Tenant Focused Housing Services involves tenants’ participation and as such, it is a situation where tenants are engaged by the landlords in order to help in the process of making decisions concerning housing services as well as the way their homes are managed by the landlords. This process, according to a research conducted by Uguris (2004), involves the sharing of information as well as ideas.
Contemporarily, many housing companies have realized the importance of such programs and therefore, they have come up with strategies for tenants’ participation.
Tenant Focused Housing Services strategies are established to inform tenants about various things among them being; how to become engaged in the making of housing decisions; how the housing company intend to inform and engage the tenants with regard to the future plans; how the company intend consult and communicate with the tenants; and how the tenants will get involved (Uguris 2004).
Engaging the tenants is an essential aspect for any housing company and as such, it is part of the customer service. In addition to this, the engagement of tenants ensures that important feedback concerning the kind of services offered by the housing groups is provided.
The opinions of the tenants ought to be taken into account since they can cause a significant change to the provision of housing services. Moreover, the opinions and perceptions of the tenants plays an important role in that they lead to improved housing services as well as better local environment (Samson 2007).
Thesis Statement
With reference to invitation for application of tender with regard to Tenant Focused Housing Services Program evaluation, this paper will aim at applying for the position as a consultant to conduct the evaluation process of the program for the GWS Housing Group.
Response to the tender invitation
Understanding of the brief
This tender invitation by the commissioner of GWS Housing Group seeks to identify an individual or a corporate with the required experience as well as qualifications regarding the evaluation of tenant focused housing services programs.
Once identified, the consultant will be given the responsibilities of undertaking the interim evaluation of the Company’s Tenant Focused Housing Service Program (Pawson 2011).
Precisely, the tender seeks to appoint a consultant on the basis of the preferred evaluation approach, which is capable of selecting the most viable techniques as well as processes for comprehensive and effective evaluation of the company’s program.
In addition to this, the preferred approach should signify that the appointed consultant is not only knowledgeable and conversant with the context as well as the background of the tenant focused housing services but also understands it in a comprehensive manner. The commissioner of GSW also seeks to identify a consultant who is willing and able to commence the evaluation process of the program in August 2012.
Moreover, the identified consultant must be able to conduct the evaluation of the program and deliver the results by the December 2012 in form of written evaluation report (Balchin & Rhoden 2002).
Importance of Tenants Involvement
Tenant focused housing services is a program that aims at empowering the tenants such that they will challenge the performance of the housing providers as well as the delivery of the services in an effective manner. Engaging the tenants is an essential aspect for any housing company and as such, it is part of the customer service.
The importance underlain is the ability of tenants to hold the landlords to challenge as well as to account them on the basis of their performance should be emphasized.
By involving the tenants, it follows that the service providers will deliver the best services since the tenants will continuously and confidently seek to scrutinize and then challenge the provider’s services. In addition to this, by involving the tenants, the service provider will be able to establish the reasonable house prices by taking in the views and perceptions of the tenants.
According to a research by Mullins & Murie (2006), tenants, when involved, they act as checks and balance for the service provided by the landlords. As such, an indecent course of action is easily detected and since the service provider has the obligation to maintain the best attitudes from the tenants, he immediately straightens up the wrong.
When a tenant panel is used as far as redesigning as rent statements are concerned, the amount of queries to the service providers by the tenants is greatly reduced. In addition to this, by a service provider resorting to respond to the concerns raised by the tenants with regard o anti social behavior in an estate, it follows that vandalism as well turnover in that estate is significantly reduced (Balchin & Rhoden 2002).
Further, when tenants are involved in housing association boards, engagement in local democracy is increased significantly. Moreover, it results to improved skills and in some circumstances, the tenants identified as active are given new jobs.
A further importance exists such that design faults within newly established schemes are avoided. This occurs only whenever plans are tested while involving tenants (Pawson 2011).
In addition to this, the engagement of tenants ensures that important feedback concerning the kind of services offered by the housing groups is provided. The opinions of the tenants ought to be taken into account since they can cause a significant change to the provision of housing services.
Moreover, the opinions and perceptions of the tenants plays an important role in that they can lead to improved housing services as well as better local environment while taking the tenants into consideration.
History of the Program
According to the GWS commissioner, this program started in the year 2009 and was constituted of 5 GWS staff and 3 tenants. Each tenant chosen represented one location each. The main aim of this program was to change the face of the housing services to reflect the priorities of the tenants as well as the value for money.
The prioritized tenant involvement as stipulated in the plan includes; production of information for the online choice based lettings process; the appointment of contractors required to repair the company’s estates; and benchmarking between locations (Vedung 2010).
The information provided by the brief history of the Company’s program is essential for the evaluation process. As such, the prioritized tenants’ involvement will act as standards against which the actual performance of the program will be measured.
Techniques to be used to evaluate
Online Choice Based Lettings process
Online Choice Based Lettings is a term commonly used to describe an internet based system used by both the registered social landlords as well as councils in an effort towards letting properties which are vacant (Vedung 2010).
Methods to be used
First, presentations as well as detailed explanations concerning the online choice based letting system will be used. The rationale of using this technique is that it ensures that a common comprehension of the online system as well as the processes involved is enhanced.
Secondly, desktop research will be utilized and as such, the search will involve searching for the available information. The rationale for using this technique is that; information as well as feedback from partners and tenants will be retrieved (Vedung 2010).
Another viable technique to be used for evaluation of this system is learning from other evaluations, especially of other online choice based lettings made available by several other local authorities. The rationale for selection of this technique is that; significant range information, which exists disguised and capable of influencing the outcome of the evaluation, will be established.
Appointment of contractors on estates
Estate contractors are individuals appointed to oversee the construction of residence houses within an estate. The contractors are also involved in maintaining and repairing these houses. The first technique to be used is through the contract administration.
This technique is essential as significant information concerning the performance of contractors is identified. For instance, one will come to establish whether the contractor responded to the company’s correspondence within the specified time. In addition to this, information with regard to the unnecessary changes in cost or price of the proposal is also established (Mullins & Murie 2006).
The second technique to be used is the compliance with the technical requirements. The rationale of using this technique is that, the evaluator will come to establish if the contractor met all the requirements.
Moreover, the evaluator will identify the extent to which the contractor met the objectives as stated in the contract. Further, this technique is viable since the company will come to establish whether the underlying problems were resolved.
Another viable technique is key personnel consideration. The rationale for this technique is that, the company will come to establish whether the personnel had the mandatory expertise as well as knowledge needed to perform the technical requirements.
Moreover, the company will come to know if there were any changes made to the contractor’s body, and if any, the regularity to which the changes were made is established.
The choice of methods in relation to the objectives
The chosen evaluation techniques are viable because, they concern the involved stakeholders, that is, the contractors as well as the tenants. In addition to this, the techniques are viable as they are according to the overall objectives of the program.
For instance, by evaluating appointment of the contractors based on the views of the tenants, the company will identify the best contractor who he will act such that, he takes the best will of the company into consideration. With this regard, the tenant can be said to have controlled the type, cost as well as the quality of the housing services stipulated as the objectives of the Company’s program.
Benchmarking between estates
Benchmarking between estates is a service that the company has set as a priority and is stipulated in the service program as one of the three prioritized services.
According to the information given by the company’s commissioner in the tender notice, while benchmarking between estates will be evaluated at a later stage once online choice based lettings process as well as appointment of contractors for repair of the company’s estates have been evaluated, the views of the prospective consultants concerning the separation of this service evaluation will be taken into account. Consequently, the tender may be adjusted entering into the next phase of the tender process (Gray 2009).
Basic information
The basic information given by the company’s commissioner in the tender is useful as it contains significant information for the evaluation (Gray 2009). Foremost, the consultant is able to identify the different locations of the estates owned by the company. In addition to this, the consultant is able to know the number of houses that each estate contains as well as the number of tenant in those estates.
The basic information also indicates when the estates were either established or upgraded. Further, the consultant, from the information given, is able to establish the number of tenants in each estate who are working and those who have attained a pensionable age but not working (Mullins & Murie 2006).
All this information is significant in the evaluation process since a consultant will be able to identify the estate in which the established tenant focused housing service program has been implemented and works the best. Further, the evaluator is also able to establish the preferences as signified by the numbers living in different locations.
Additional Information Needed
It would be vital if the Company’s commissioner included in the tender, further details concerning the costs incurred by the company by appointing contractors to either upgrade or construct estates.
In addition to this, it is essential that the commissioner also included the perceptions of the tenants concerning the viability of the housing program as implemented. The process of evaluation will be simplified further if details concerning how differences between the tenants and the company are resolved were provided in the tender (Balchin & Rhoden 2002).
Linking the program objective and the evaluation process
The identified program objectives of the company are essential and as such, they form part and parcel of the evaluation process. Since evaluation is aimed at establishing whether the desired results were achieved or not, there should be a standard to which the actual results are measured.
The main objective of this tender is to invite applications from consultants and as such, the most ideal consultant will be identified. The consultant will be required to conduct an evaluation of the tenant focus housing program and without standards; the evaluation will not be successful.
Therefore, the identified consultant will use the objectives as standards and as such, he will establish whether the actual results met the desired objectives or were lacking.
How the interim evaluation will inform the Final Evaluation of the Program
In preparation of the final evaluation, the results of the interim evaluation process will be presented in form of a report as spelled out in the tender invitation by the Company’s commissioner. As aforementioned, the interim information will be constituted of;
Additional information needed
Further details concerning the costs incurred by the company by appointing contractors to either upgrade or construct estates, the perceptions of the tenants concerning the viability of the housing program as implemented and how differences between the tenants and the company are resolved were provided in the tender.
Methods used to obtain data
The main methods that will be used to collect data will include; questionnaires and company’s record. Before the issuance of questionnaires to both the tenants as well as the GSW housing group staff, consent forms will be sent.
The purpose of these consent forms will be to explain in details what the consultant intends to do with the information obtained. In addition to this, the consent forms will be used to request both the tenants as well as the company staff to state the most ideal time when the interview would commence.
After the tenants and the staff read and understand the information entailed in the consent forms, they will sign and this will signify that they are ready to provide the information, which will be important as it will form the background data and thereby commencing the evaluation process (Samson 2007).
Criteria for identifying the stakeholders associated with the Tenant Focused Housing Services Program
Two criteria will be used to identify the stakeholders associated with the Tenant Focused Housing Services Program, that is, the inclusion as well as the exclusion criteria.
Inclusion criteria; the individuals explicitly mentioned within the program will be identified and included as stakeholders and therefore will be part of the evaluation process (Mullins and Murie, 2006).
Exclusion criteria; the individuals mentioned implicitly within the program will not be recognized as stakeholders of the programs (Mullins & Murie 2006).
Concluding remarks
If identified as the most appropriate consultant to undertake the program evaluation process, we will commence the process in time and also deliver the results within the specified time. Moreover, we will not act in any way that would lead to manipulation of the results as we will ensure that the appropriate evaluation techniques are used. Once the evaluation process is over, the information regarding the company that we as program evaluators will come to establish will not be leaked out since we are aware of the dangers that would face the company due to the leaked information. In addition to this, the information will not be leaked since if is against the profession code of ethics, which we are bound to respect.
Main Conclusion
Tenant Focused Housing Services is an important program whereby the tenants are involved and as such, delivery of the housing services by the landlords becomes superior.
GSW Company made a noble decision to establish a Tenant Focused Housing Services Program. Such a program is ideal in that it promotes the involvement of tenants such that they participate in every sphere of housing services (Pawson 2011).
With reference to the company’s adopted program, the inclusion of three tenants in the program’s board is an ideal decision since the views as well as the perceptions of other tenants will be represented.
In addition to this, the inclusion of the company’s staff is also a viable decision since they will represent the ideas and perceptions of the company. With these two views represented, it follows that the best resolutions will be established. As such, the two groups will raise ideas and negotiate a balanced idea without hurting the interests and preferences of any party (Uguris 2004).
While the commissioner of the company has provided unimportant information, it is necessary that further information concerning the costs incurred by the company by appointing contractors to either upgrade or construct estates and the perceptions of the tenants concerning the viability of the housing program as implemented among other details be included for an effective and comprehensive evaluation of the program (Samson 2007).
By a company inviting tender applications, it should not restrict the application process. As such, a consultant can either be an individual or a corporate. There are registered companies whose purpose is to evaluate other companies’ performance (Balchin & Rhoden 2002).
The consultant that should be identified to undertake the program evaluation ought to exhibit high levels of knowledge and experience and expertise.
In addition to this, the consultant ought to apply different techniques or approached depending on the information availed. Further, the consultant ought to work within the specified time and should not manipulate the evaluation process in an effort towards favoring the company or even himself (Uguris 2004).
However, the extent to which the tenants are involved should be limited. If allowed to exercise limitless participation, the tenants will seemingly overlook landlord’s orders whenever the tenants default of breach the housing contract (Balchin & Rhoden 2002).
Therefore, as much as the tenants are encouraged to participate, their participation limits should be explained to them. On the other hand, the authority from the house owners should also put in check since some house owners exercise unnecessary authorities over the tenants thus making the housing industry unbearable on the part of the tenants.
To cap it all, tenant focused housing is an ideal program which all landlords should adopt and as such, the housing industry will run effectively with views and perceptions of both parties taken into account (Balchin & Rhoden 2002).
References
Balchin, P & Rhoden, M 2002, Housing Policy: An Introduction to the Public Policy Process, Routledge, London.
Gray, DE 2009, Designing Evaluations, in Doing Research in the Real World, Sage, London.
Mullins, D & Murie, A 2006, Housing Policy in the UK, Macmillan, London.
Pawson, H 2011, Evaluation of the London Accessible Housing Register, Housing Efficiency, Vol. 5(1), pp. 34-44.
Samson, A 2007, Developing Robust Approaches to Evaluating Social Programmes, Evaluation, Vol. 13(3), pp. 477-497.
Uguris, T 2004, Space, Power and Participation: Ethnic and Gender Divisions in Tenants. London: Routledge.
Vedung, E 2010, Four Waves of Evaluation Diffusion, Evaluation, Vol. 13(3), pp. 263-277.