Discretionary Purchase Solicitation for External Quality Assessment for Compliance with Global Internal Audit Standards

Kathy Hochul, Governor RuthAnne Visnauskas, Commissioner/CEO
Discretionary Purchase
Solicitation
for
External Quality Assessment for Compliance
with Global Internal Audit Standards
Request for Proposals Issuance Date: April 16, 2026
RPropeosaql Suubmeissison tD eafdloiner: P r oMpayo 12,s 20a26, l12sPM ,f EDoT r
SOLICITATION No.: DHCR_SOLICITATION_260416
Temporary Staffing Services
NEW YORK STATE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND
COMMUNITY RENEWAL
Hampton Plaza | 38-40 State Street | Albany, NY 12207
641 Lexington Avenue|5th Floor | New York, NY 10022
Request fwowwr. hPcr.nry.ogovp osals for
NEW YORK STATE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND
TempCoOrMarMyU NSItTaYf RfiEnNgEW SAeLr vices
Hampton Plaza | 38-40 State Street | Albany, NY 12207
641 Lexington Avenue|5th Floor | New York, NY 10022
www.hc r.ny.gov

Discretionary Purchase Solicitation for External Quality Assessment
for Compliance with Global Internal Audit Standards
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................4
1.1 New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal ("DHCR") .............................. 4
2. Purpose ..........................................................................................................................................5
3. RESERVED ..................................................................................................................................5
4. RESERVED ..................................................................................................................................5
5. Calendar of Events and Milestones...............................................................................................5
6. Scope of Services ("Scope of Work") ..........................................................................................6
6.1 Qualifications and Experience ..................................................................................................... 6
6.2 Audit Requirements ..................................................................................................................... 7
6.3 Audit Deliverables ...................................................................................................................... 7.
Contents of Proposals ........................................................................................................... 8
7.1 TAB 1: Proposal Coversheet, Cover Letter & Proposal Certification ......................................... 9
7.2 TAB 2: Technical Proposal ........................................................................................................ 10
7.3 TAB 3: FORM A: Cost Proposal Form (Budget) ...................................................................... 12
7.4 TAB 4: Administrative Proposal ............................................................................................... 12
8. Proposal Submission Instructions ...............................................................................................16
9. Proposer Inquiries/Revisions to this Solicitation ........................................................................17
10. Evaluation and Selection Process ...............................................................................................18
11. Notification of Selection .............................................................................................................18
12. Debriefing and Protest Procedures ..............................................................................................19
13. Information Relating to EEO .......................................................................................................... 21
13.1 Equal Employment Opportunity Requirements ......................................................................... 20
14. Restriction of Communication ................................................................................................... 22
15. Ethics...........................................................................................................................................22
15.1 Public Officers Law ................................................................................................................... 22
15.2 Ethics Requirements .................................................................................................................. 23
15.3 Vendor Responsibility Determination ....................................................................................... 23
16. Sales Tax Certification ................................................................................................................24
17. Iran Divestment Act ("Act") ...................................................................................................... 25
18. Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy Certification .................................................................. 26
19. Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification ......................................................... 27
20. Freedom of Information Law ("FOIL") ..................................................................................... 27
21. Negative Findings ...................................................................................................................... 28
22. Reservation of Rights ................................................................................................................. 29
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23. Contract Award ...........................................................................................................................30
23.1 Schedule of Appendices ............................................................................................................. 31
23.2 Schedule of Forms ..................................................................................................................... 31
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NEW YORK STATE
DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL
DISCRETIONARY PURCHASE SOLICITATION FOR EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT FOR
COMPLIANCE WITH GLOBAL INTERNAL AUDIT STANDARDS
IMPORTANT NOTICE: A Restricted Period under the Procurement Lobbying Law (State Finance
Law 139-j and 139-k) is currently in effect for this procurement and will remain in effect until final
award and approval of the Contract by DHCR and, if applicable, the Office of the State Comptroller
("OSC"). Proposers are prohibited from certain Procurement Lobbying Law Contacts related to this
procurement with any New York State employee other than the Designated Contact listed below.
Designated Contact: Jason Parpas
New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal
641 Lexington Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10022
Jason.Parpas@hcr.ny.gov
If you have inquiries regarding this Solicitation or would like to contact the New York State Division
of Housing and Community Renewal regarding issues relating to permissible Procurement Lobbying
Law Contacts, please forward inquiries via electronic email to ContractUnitInfo@hcr.ny.gov.
1. Introduction
New York State Homes and Community Renewal ("HCR") consists of all the major housing and
community renewal agencies of the State of New York ("State" or "NYS"), including the New York
State Division of Housing and Community Renewal ("DHCR," "Division" or "Agency"). HCR
includes other agencies not involved in this Discretionary Purchase Solicitation ("Solicitation")
process.
1.1 New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal ("DHCR")
DHCR is responsible for the supervision, maintenance, and development of affordable low-and
moderate-income housing in the State. DHCR performs a number of activities including, but not
limited to, (i) oversight and regulation of the State's public and publicly assisted rental housing, (ii)
administration of the State's rent regulations and protection of rent regulated tenants, and (iii)
administration of housing development and community preservation programs, including State and
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Federal grants and loans to housing developers to finance construction and renovation of affordable
housing.
Visit HCR's website at www.hcr.ny.gov for more information about DHCR and its HCR affiliated
agencies.
2. Purpose
The purpose of this Solicitation is to seek qualified proposals from eligible proposers to conduct a one-
time external quality assessment ("EQA") of the Agency's internal audit function in accordance with
Global Internal Audit Standards ("Standards"). This Assessment aims to evaluate whether the
internal audit activity was appropriately designed and functioning effectively to provide reasonable
assurance of adherence to Global Internal Audit Standards ("GIAS") during the period April 1, 2024,
through March 31, 2026 (the "EQA Period").
In accordance with Article 15-A of the New York State Executive Law and Article 3 of the New York
State Veterans' Law, this Solicitation opportunity is limited to responses from NYS certified
minority and/or women-owned business enterprises ("MWBEs") and/or NYS certified Service
disabled veteran owned business ("SDVOBs") (SDVOBs and MWBEs collectively hereinafter
referred to as "Proposer(s)" or "Firm(s)"). Proposers are required to submit certificate(s) from
NYS Empire State Development (for MWBE Certified) and/or NYS Office of General Services (for
SDVOB Certified) as evidence that they are certified.
This Solicitation outlines the terms and conditions, and all applicable information required for
submission of a proposal. To prevent possible disqualification and to ensure compliance with the
requirements of this Solicitation, Proposers should pay strict attention to the Calendar of Events and
Milestones section of this Solicitation and follow the format and instructions contained herein.
3. [RESERVED]
4. [RESERVED]
-REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY-
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5. Calendar of Events and Milestones
It is anticipated that a Contract will be awarded in response to this Solicitation process based on the
following schedule:
Event Date
Issuance of Solicitation April 16, 2026
Deadline for Solicitation Questions April 30, 2026, 12PM, Eastern Daylight
Time ("EDT")
Deadline for Responses to Solicitation Questions May 5, 2026
Proposal Submission Deadline May 12, 2026, 12PM EDT
Anticipated Notification of Selection* Week of June 1, 2026
Anticipated Date for Execution of the June/July 2026
Contract(s)
The Agency reserves the right to modify this schedule at its discretion.
Notification of changes in connection with this Solicitation will be made available to all interested
parties via the Agency's website at: https://hcr.ny.gov/procurement-opportunities. It is the
responsibility of the Proposer to check the web site for notifications relating to this Solicitation.
6. Scope of Services ("Scope of Work")
The DHCR and Housing Trust Fund Corporation ("HTFC" and HTFC collectively with DHCR
referred to hereinafter as "DHCR/HTFC") Office of Internal Audit ("OIA") is inviting proposals
from qualified Proposers to conduct a one-time EQA of the Agency's internal audit function. The
EQA will adhere to all the requirements set forth by the Institute of Internal Auditors ("IIA")
Standards. The EQA will include a comprehensive review of the adequacy of the internal audit
functions. The scope will cover the time period agreed upon by the Contractor and the OIA. DHCR
will award one contract, and the anticipated term will commence on September 14, 2026, and conclude
by January 29, 2027.
6.1 Qualifications and Experience
In accordance with Standard 8.4 of the Standards, the Proposer conducting the EQA must possess the
following qualifications:
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* At least one member of the external assessment team must be a Certified Internal Auditor;
* Experience with and knowledge of the Standards and leading internal audit practices;
* Experience as a chief audit executive or in a comparable senior level of internal audit
management;
* Experience in the organization's industry or sector;
* Previous experience performing EQA's;
* Completion of EQA training recognized by the IIA;
* Attestation by assessment team members that they have no conflicts of interest, in fact or
appearance;
* At least three years of experience in the above qualifications and/or experience.
6.2 Audit Requirements
The successful Proposer ("Contractor") shall conduct an EQA of the OIA for the agreed upon scope.
This one-time EQA of the internal audit function will be conducted in accordance with the Standards.
The EQA will be conducted as a comprehensive review of Conformance with the Standards: Overall
ethics and professionalism, governance of the internal audit function, management of the internal audit
function and performance of the internal audit services.
6.3 Audit Deliverables
Ongoing communication is required between the Contractor and the OIA regarding progress towards
completion and results of the review. The Contractor must issue a Final Report ("Report") and a Gap
Assessment. The templates issued by IIA are suggested for use; however, an outcome similar in nature
outlining each element of the standards, achievement conclusion, gaps, opportunities, and strengths
would be accepted. The results of the EQA are to be reported as outlined by the IIA using their four-
point quality rating and conclusion model. The two passing ratings are:
* Full Achievement/Full Conformance; and
* General Achievement/General Conformance.
The two non-passing ratings include:
* Partial Achievement/Partial Conformance; and
* Nonachievement/Nonconformance.
The Report which will present the full results of the EQA will not be issued until after a closing
conference is held with the OIA. Feedback from the closing conference is to be included into the final
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Report. The Report will also state the objectives and scope of the assessment, the qualifications and
independence of the assessment team or individual, the conclusions of Contractor, and action plans to
address the issues of nonconformance with the Standards or opportunities for improvement as noted
in the IIA Quality Assessment Manual, 2024 edition.
The Contractor shall meet with the Commissioner of DHCR and the HTFC Audit Committee/Board
as necessary. The Contractor must be present at the annual January 2027 HTFC Board and Audit
Committee meetings in which the EQA results will be presented to the HTFC Audit Committee and
Board for approval. The Contractor can present the EQA results at the December 2026 HTFC Audit
Committee and Board meetings, if the work is concluded in advance of December 2026 meetings.
The Contractor will present the HTFC Audit Committee and Board with the required
communication(s) by the IIA including, but not limited to, the items in the Report as described in this
Section 6. The Report may be shared with any HCR and HTFC Senior Management if it is so directed
by the HTFC Board.
7. Contents of Proposals
A complete proposal for this Solicitation is comprised of four (4) separate tabs: (i) Tab One:
Application Cover Sheet, Cover Letter and Proposal Certification; (ii) Tab Two: Technical Proposal;
(iii) Tab Three: Cost Proposal; and (iv) Tab Four: Administrative Proposal.
The Proposal must be complete and prepared in the format consistent with the instructions provided
in this Solicitation. In all instances, the Agency's determination regarding a proposal will be final.
Proposers should not refer to other parts of the proposal, to information that may be publicly available
elsewhere, or to the Proposer's or other websites in lieu of answering a specific question.
The Proposer must submit a proposal that clearly provides all the information required in this
Solicitation. Emphasis should be made on conformance to the Solicitation instructions, responsiveness
to the requirements, and clarity of content. The Proposer is advised to thoroughly read and follow all
instructions contained in this Solicitation. Proposals that do not comply with these instructions, or do
not meet the full intent of all the requirements of this Solicitation may be subject to scoring reductions
during the evaluation process or may be deemed non-responsive.
The Agency does not require, nor desire, any promotional material that does not specifically address
the response requirements in this Solicitation. Proposals must demonstrate that the Proposer is
qualified to perform the Scope of Work based upon relevant professional experience as defined in the
subsection of this Solicitation titled "Qualifications and Experience" in the section of this Solicitation
titled "Scope of Services."
Each Proposer is required to submit the information and documentation listed below in the order in
which it is requested. A proposal that does not include all required information and completed forms
may be subject to rejection.
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The completed proposal will include Tabs One through Four, as described in the Proposal Submission
Requirements section of this Solicitation. Each Tab must be bookmarked as "Tab 1," "Tab 2," "Tab
3," and "Tab 4" and must be presented in the exact order requested in this Solicitation. The content
in Tab 2 must be limited to twenty (20) letter-size pages (single-spaced, minimum 12-point font, and
at least one-inch margins). The twenty-page limit in Tab 2 does not include resumes, references,
organizational chart, etc. The proposal must include a table of contents that clearly identifies the
location of all material within the Proposal Submission by Tab, Section and Page number.
The Proposer's proposal must contain responses to the items listed below.
7.1 TAB 1: Proposal Coversheet, Cover Letter and Proposal Certification
Proposer shall submit, as part of its Proposal Submission, the Proposal Coversheet, Cover Letter and
Proposal Submission Certification (collectively titled as "Attachment I" of Tab 1), as indicated in the
section of this Solicitation titled "Schedule of Attachments."
7.1.1 Proposal Coversheet
Proposer shall complete and submit a Proposal Coversheet which contains identifying information for
the Proposer. The Coversheet must be submitted utilizing the template provided in Attachment I.
7.1.2 Cover Letter with Executive Summary
The Proposer's Cover Letter must not exceed three (3) pages and must include:
A. The Proposer's name, address, telephone number, fax number, email address and web site
address, if applicable;
B. The location of the Proposer's main office. If there are other locations of the Proposer that will
be involved in the assessment, identify these other location(s) and include names/telephone
numbers/email addresses of contact persons in these locations; and
C. A statement citing the total number of years of experience that the Proposer has accumulated
in providing the services described in the Scope of Services section of this Solicitation; and
D. A short narrative stating the governing bodies which oversee regulations for the Proposer field
or industry.
7.1.3 Proposal Certification
Proposer shall complete and submit with its Proposal Submission a signed certification ("Proposal
Certification") which affirms that the information contained in the proposal is true and accurate and
that the person signing the Proposal Certification is authorized to submit the proposal on behalf of the
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Proposer. The Proposal Certification must be submitted utilizing the template provided in Attachment
I of Tab 1.
7.2 TAB 2: Technical Proposal
This section of the Solicitation provides instructions to Proposers regarding information that is to be
included in the Technical Proposal. Proposals must be complete, factual and as detailed as necessary
to allow the Agency to adequately evaluate capabilities and experience.
The purpose of the Technical Proposal is to provide the Proposer an opportunity to demonstrate its
qualifications, experience, competence and capacity to undertake the services described in the Scope
of Services section of this Solicitation, in a manner which complies with the requirements. Proposals
must specifically detail a Proposer's qualifications and experience in providing services sought by the
Agency. Your response must include responses to the items listed below.
7.2.1 Qualifications and Experience
Provide the qualifications and experience indicated in the Scope of Services section of this Solicitation
titled "Qualifications and Experience" that includes:
* Identifying at least one member of the external assessment team that is Certified Internal
Auditor;
* Description of the experience with, and knowledge of, the Standards and leading internal
audit practices;
* Description of the experience of the chief audit executive or in a comparable senior level of
internal audit management;
* Description of the experience in the organization's industry or sector;
* Previous experience performing EQA's;
* Completion of EQA training recognized by the IIA;
* Attestation by assessment team members that they have no conflicts of interest, in fact or
appearance;
* At least three years of experience in the above qualifications and/or experience.
7.2.1.1 Provide a summary of the Proposer's expertise that describes its unique capabilities
including demonstrated experience in, and knowledge of, IIA Standards and performing a
comprehensive review of the adequacy of the internal audit functions. The narrative should
discuss the Proposer's ability to meet the requirements and deliverables in the Scope of
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