Small Business Administration: Preliminary Views on Increasing
Collaboration with Department of Agriculture Rural Development
Offices (14-NOV-07, GAO-08-278T).
The Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development offices share a mission of
attending to underserved markets, promoting economic development,
and improving the quality of life in America through the
promotion of entrepreneurship and community development. In the
past, these agencies have had cooperative working relationships
to help manage their respective rural loan and economic
development programs. At this subcommittee's request, GAO has
undertaken a review of potential opportunities for SBA to seek
increased collaboration and cooperation with USDA Rural
Development (Rural Development), particularly given Rural
Development's large and recognizable presence in rural
communities. In this testimony, GAO provides preliminary views on
(1) mechanisms that SBA and USDA have used to facilitate
collaboration with other federal agencies and with each other;
(2) the organization of SBA and USDA Rural Development field
offices; and (3) the planned approach for GAO's recently
initiated evaluation on collaboration between SBA and Rural
Development. GAO discussed the contents of this testimony with
SBA and USDA officials.
-------------------------Indexing Terms-------------------------
REPORTNUM: GAO-08-278T
ACCNO: A78133
TITLE: Small Business Administration: Preliminary Views on
Increasing Collaboration with Department of Agriculture Rural
Development Offices
DATE: 11/14/2007
SUBJECT: Business assistance
Business development loans
Community development
Community development programs
Cooperative agreements
Economic development
Federal agencies
Federal agency reorganization
Federal/state relations
Interagency relations
Rural economic development
Small business assistance
Rural Business Investment Program
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GAO-08-278T
* [1]Background
* [2]SBA and USDA Rural Development Have Used a Variety of Mechan
* [3]SBA and Rural Development Both Have a Field Office Network,
* [4]Our Ongoing Work Will Study the Potential for Increased Coll
* [5]Contact and Acknowledgments
* [6]Order by Mail or Phone
Testimony
Before the Subcommittee on Rural and Urban Entrepreneurship, Committee on
Small Business, House of Representatives
United States Government Accountability Office
GAO
For Release on Delivery
Expected at 10:00 a.m. EST
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Preliminary Views on Increasing Collaboration with Department of
Agriculture Rural Development Offices
Statement of William B. Shear, Director
Financial Markets and Community Investment
GAO-08-278T
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Fortenberry, and Members of the Subcommittee:
I am pleased to be here today to discuss our preliminary views on the
potential for increased collaboration between the Small Business
Administration (SBA) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural
Development offices. Given the downsizing that has occurred at SBA
district offices and related changes in roles and responsibilities, this
is an opportune time to examine the potential for collaboration between
SBA and USDA Rural Development (Rural Development). Collaboration that
cuts across more than one federal agency is one way for agencies to
deliver results more efficiently and in a way that is consistent with
multiple demands and limited resources.^1
Over 80 programs administered by several different federal agencies target
rural economic development.^2 Of these, SBA and Rural Development share a
mission of attending to underserved markets, fostering economic
development, and improving the quality of life in America through the
promotion of entrepreneurship and community development. Both agencies
offer business loans and grant programs for rural development and play a
vital role in spurring economic growth in rural areas. In the past, these
agencies have developed cooperative working relationships to help manage
their respective rural loan and economic development programs.
Additionally, Congress created the Rural Business Investment Program
(RBIP) in 2002, which authorized USDA to enter into a joint agreement with
SBA to create investment companies that would provide equity investments
to rural small businesses.^3 At this subcommittee's request, we are
exploring possible opportunities for SBA to seek increased collaboration
and cooperation with USDA Rural Development, particularly considering
Rural Development's large and recognizable presence in rural communities
across the country.
^1Collaboration can be broadly defined as any joint activity that is
intended to produce more public value than can be produced when the
agencies act alone. It can include interagency activities that others have
previously defined as cooperation, coordination, integration, or
networking.
^2See GAO, Rural Economic Development: More Assurance Is Needed That Grant
Funding Information Is Accurately Reported, [7]GAO-06-294 (Washington,
D.C.: Feb. 24, 2006).
^3Section 6029 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, Pub.
L. No. 107-171, 116 Stat. 134, 387 (2002), codified at 7 U.S.C. SS 2009cc
et seq., amended the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act by
requiring the Secretary of USDA to establish the Rural Business Investment
Program (RBIP).
In my testimony, I will provide preliminary views on (1) mechanisms that
SBA and USDA have used to facilitate collaboration with other federal
agencies and with each other; (2) the organization of SBA and USDA Rural
Development field offices; and (3) the planned approach for our recently
initiated evaluation on collaboration between SBA and USDA Rural
Development undertaken at your request, including how we plan to apply the
best practices for effective collaboration that we identified in prior
work.
In conducting this work to date, we met with SBA and USDA officials;
obtained information on SBA and Rural Development loan and business
programs; and reviewed information from previous GAO reports on the two
agencies as well as on practices that can help enhance collaboration among
federal agencies.
In summary:
o While SBA and Rural Development are not currently involved in a
collaborative working relationship, SBA and Rural Development have
used a number of different mechanisms, both formal and informal,
to collaborate with other agencies and each other. For example,
both agencies have used the Economy Act--a general statutory
provision that permits federal agencies, under certain
circumstances, to enter into mutual agreements with other federal
agencies to purchase goods or services and take advantage of
specialized experience or expertise.^4 SBA and USDA used the act
to enter into an interagency agreement to create rural business
investment companies to provide equity investments to rural small
businesses. For this initiative, Congress also authorized USDA and
SBA to administer the RBIP to create these investment companies.
However, funding for this program was rescinded at the end of
fiscal year 2006. SBA and Rural Development have also used other
mechanisms to collaborate, including memorandums of understanding
(MOU), contractual agreements, and other legal authorities. For
instance, Rural Development has collaborated with the Federal
Emergency Management Agency in providing assistance to the victims
of Hurricane Katrina using the disaster provisions under its
multifamily and single-family rural housing programs. To
collaborate with each other, in the past SBA and Rural Development
have established MOUs to ensure coordination of
programs and activities between the two agencies and improve
effectiveness in promoting rural development.
^431 U.S.C. SS 1535, 1536.
o Both SBA and Rural Development have undergone restructuring that
has resulted in the downsizing and greater centralization of each
agency's field operations. Currently, SBA's 68 field offices--many
of them in urban centers--are still undergoing the transformation
to a more centralized structure. Rural Development has largely
completed the transformation but continues to have a large
presence in rural areas through a network of hundreds of field
offices. The program's recognized presence in rural areas and
expertise in the issues and challenges facing rural lenders and
small businesses may make these offices appropriate partners to
help deliver SBA services.
o We have recently begun a review of the potential for increased
collaboration between SBA and Rural Development. In general, the
major objectives are to examine the differences and similarities
between SBA loan programs and Rural Development business programs,
any cooperation that is already taking place between SBA and Rural
Development, and any opportunities for or barriers to
collaboration. Among other things, we plan to review relevant
laws, regulations, and policies to determine what opportunities or
barriers exist to cooperation and collaboration between SBA and
Rural Development; evaluate each agency's field structure to
determine what opportunities, if any, exist for increased
collaboration; contact SBA and Rural Development staff in
headquarters and visit selected field offices to determine what
cooperation is already taking place between SBA and Rural
Development; and interview select lenders that participate in SBA
loan programs and Rural Development business programs to obtain
their perspectives on SBA loan programs and Rural Development
business programs.
We are continuing to design the scope and methodology for our
work, and we expect to complete this design phase by February
2008. We discussed the contents of this testimony with SBA and
USDA officials.
Background
USDA is, by law, charged with leading and coordinating federal
rural development assistance.^5 USDA Rural Development administers
the greatest number of development programs for rural communities
and directs the highest average amount of federal program funds to
these communities. Most of Rural Development's programs and
activities provide assistance in the form of loans, loan
guarantees, and grants. Three offices are primarily responsible
for carrying out this mission: the Rural Business-Cooperative
Service (RBS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and Rural Utilities
Service (RUS).^6 RBS administers programs that provide financial,
business planning, and technical assistance to rural businesses
and cooperatives that receive Rural Development financial
assistance. It also helps fund projects that create or preserve
jobs in rural areas. RHS administers community facilities and
housing programs that help finance new or improved housing for
moderate-, low-, and very low-income families. RUS administers
electric, telecommunications, and water programs that help finance
the infrastructure necessary to improve the quality of life and
promote economic development in rural areas.
^5The Rural Development Policy Act of 1980 designated USDA as the lead
federal agency for rural development.
Since its beginning in 1953, SBA has steadily increased the amount
of total assistance it provides to small businesses, including
those in rural areas, and expanded its array of programs for these
businesses. SBA's programs now include business and disaster
relief loans, loan guarantees, investment capital, contract
procurement and management assistance, and specialized outreach.
SBA's loan programs include its 7(a) loan guarantee program, which
guarantees loans made by commercial lenders to small businesses
for working capital and other general business purposes, and its
504 loan program, which provides long-term, fixed-rate financing
for major fixed assets, such as land and buildings. These loans
are generally provided through participating lenders, up to a
maximum loan amount of $2 million. SBA also administers the Small
Business Investment Company (SBIC) program--a program that
provides long-term loans and venture capital to small firms.
In September 2007, SBA announced a new loan initiative designed to
stimulate economic growth in rural areas. The Rural Lender
Advantage program, a part of SBA's 7 (a) loan program, is aimed at
encouraging rural lenders to finance small businesses. It is part
of a broader initiative to boost economies in regions that face
unique challenges due to factors such as declining population or
high unemployment.
^6The Office of Community Development (OCD) is also part of USDA's rural
development mission area. OCD implements a range of special rural
development initiatives and provides support for rural development
activities through the field offices.
SBA and USDA Rural Development Have Used a Variety of Mechanisms to
Collaborate with Other Federal Agencies and with Each Other
Generally speaking, collaboration involves any joint activity that
is intended to produce more public value than could be produced
when the agencies act alone. ^7 Collaboration efforts are often
aimed at establishing approaches to working together; clarifying
priorities, roles and responsibilities; and aligning resources to
accomplish common outcomes. On the federal level, collaboration
efforts tend to occur through interagency agreements, partnerships
with state and local governments and communities, and informal
methods (e.g. networking activities, meetings, conferences, or
other discussions on specific projects or initiatives). Agencies
use a number of different mechanisms to collaborate with each
other, including MOUs, procurement and other contractual
agreements, and various legal authorities.
Both SBA and USDA have used the authority provided by the Economy
Act to facilitate collaboration. The Economy Act is a general
statutory provision that permits federal agencies to enter into
mutual agreements with other federal agencies to purchase goods or
services and take advantage of specialized experience or
expertise. It is the most commonly used authority for interagency
agreements, allowing agencies to work together to obtain items or
services from each other that cannot be obtained as conveniently
or economically from a private source.
SBA has also used contractual work agreements to collaborate with
other federal agencies. For example, SBA has an agreement with the
Farm Credit Administration (FCA) to examine SBA's Small Business
Lending Companies (SBLC). SBA oversees SBLCs, which are
nondepository lending institutions that it licenses and that play
a significant role in SBA's 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program. However,
SBLCs are not generally regulated or examined by financial
institution regulators. SBA entered into a contractual agreement
with the FCA in 1999 that tasked FCA with conducting safety and
soundness examinations of SBA's SBLCs.^8 Under the agreement, FCA
examined 14 SBLCs during a 1-year period. The exams were conducted
on a full cost recovery basis and gave both agencies the option to
terminate or extend the agreement after a year. The agreement
allowed SBA to take advantage of FCA's expertise in examining
specialized financial institutions and offered FCA the opportunity
to broaden its experience through exposure to a different lending
environment.
^7See E. Bardach, Getting Agencies to Work Together: The Practice and
Theory of Managerial Craftsmanship (Washington, D.C.: Brookings
Institution, 1998).
^8FCA is the regulator of the Farm Credit System.
Additionally, using the disaster provisions under its traditional
multifamily and single- family rural housing programs, Rural
Development collaborated with FEMA in providing assistance to
hurricane victims. Through this collaborative effort, Rural
Development assisted victims of Katrina by (1) making multifamily
rental units available nationwide; (2) providing grants and loans
for home repair and replacement; and (3) providing mortgage relief
through a foreclosure moratorium and mortgage payment forbearance.
Rural Development also shared information with FEMA on USDA-owned
homes for lease, developed an Internet presence to inform victims
of available housing, and made resources available at Rural
Development state offices to assist in these efforts.
While SBA and Rural Development are not currently involved in a
collaborative working relationship, both agencies have some
experience collaborating with each other on issues involving rural
development. Specifically, on February 22, 1977, SBA and Rural
Development established an MOU for the purpose of coordinating and
cooperating in the use of their respective loan-making
authorities. Under the general guidelines of the agreement,
appropriate SBA and Rural Development officials were to establish
a liaison and periodically coordinate their activities to (1)
define areas of cooperation, (2) assure that intended recipients
received assistance, (3) enable both agencies to provide
expeditious service, and (4) provide maximum utilization of
resources.
Again on March 30, 1988, SBA and Rural Development agreed to enter
into a cooperative relationship designed to encourage and maximize
effectiveness in promoting rural development. The MOU outlined
each agency's responsibilities to (1) coordinate program delivery
services and (2) cooperate with other private sector and federal,
state, and local agencies to ensure that all available resources
worked together to promote rural development. SBA and Rural
Development officials told us that the 1977 and 1988 agreements
had elapsed and had not been renewed.
Finally, in creating the RBIP in 2002, Congress authorized Rural
Development and SBA to enter into an interagency agreement to
create rural business investment companies. Under the program, the
investment companies would leverage capital raised from private
investors, including rural residents, into investments in rural
small businesses. The legislation recommended that Rural
Development manage the RBIP with the assistance of SBA because of
SBA's investment expertise and experience and because the program
was modeled after SBA's SBIC program. The legislation provided
funding to cover SBA's costs of providing such assistance. A total
of $10 million was available for the RBIP in fiscal years 2005 and
2006.
Rural Development and SBA conditionally elected to fund three
rural business investment companies. However, according to SBA
officials only one of these companies has been formed because of
challenges in finding investment companies that can undertake such
investments. Section 1403 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005
rescinded funding for the program at the end of fiscal year 2006.
In March 2007, Rural Development began the process of exploring
ways to continue the RBIP, despite the rescission.
SBA and Rural Development Both Have a Field Office Network, but Rural
Development Appears to Have a More Recognized Presence in Rural Areas
Both SBA and Rural Development have field offices in locations
across the United States. However, Rural Development has more
state and local field offices and is a more recognized presence in
rural areas than SBA. Prior to its 1994 reorganization, which
resulted in a more centralized structure, USDA had field staff in
almost every rural county.^9 Consistent with its reorganization,
and as we reported in September 2000, USDA closed or consolidated
about 1,500 county offices into USDA service centers and
transferred over 600 Rural Development field positions to the St.
Louis Centralized Servicing Center.^10 What resulted was a Rural
Development field office structure that consisted of about 50
state offices, 145 area offices, and 670 local offices. As part of
the reorganization, state Rural Development offices were given the
authority to develop their own program delivery systems. Some
states did not change, believing that they needed to maintain a
county-based structure with a fixed lo cal presence to deliver
one-on-one services to rural areas. Other states consolidated
their local offices to form district offices. For example, when we
performed our audit work in 2000 we found that Mississippi, which
maintains a county-based field structure, had more staff and field
offices than any other state. Today, Mississippi still maintains
that structure and has a large number of field offices, including
2 area offices, 24 local offices and 3 sub-area offices. The Maine
Rural Development office changed its operational structure, moving
from 28 offices before the reorganization to 15 afterward. In
2000, it operated out of 3 district offices and currently has 4
area offices.^11
^9Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994, Pub. L. No. 103-354, 108 Stat. 3178 (1994).
^10See GAO, Rural Housing: Options for Optimizing the Federal Role in
Rural Housing Development, [15]GAO/RCED-00-241 (Washington, D.C.: Sept.
15, 2000).
^11Rural Development field offices are responsible for ensuring adherence
to program plans approved for the state and for providing staffing support
to state offices.
SBA currently has 68 district offices, many of which are not
located in rural communities or are not readily accessible to
rural small businesses. For several years, SBA has been
centralizing some of the functions of its district offices to
improve efficiency and consistency in approving, servicing, and
liquidating loans. Concurrently, SBA has also been moving more
toward partnering with outside entities such as private sector
lenders to provide services. SBA's district offices were initially
created to be the local delivery system for SBA's programs, but as
SBA has centralized functions and placed more responsibilities on
its lending partners, the district offices' responsibilities have
changed. For example, the processing and servicing of a majority
of SBA's loans--work once handled largely by district office
staff--have been moved from district offices to service centers.
Moreover, as we reported in October 2001, there has been confusion
over the mission of the district offices, with SBA headquarters
officials believing the district office's key customers are small
businesses and district office staff believing that their key
customers are the lenders who make the loans.^12 Currently, SBA is
continuing its workforce transformation efforts to, among other
things, better define the district office role to focus on
marketing and outreach to small businesses.^13
We plan to evaluate the extent to which Rural Development offices
may be able to help market SBA programs and services by making
information available through their district offices. It appears
that Rural Development has an extensive physical infrastructure in
rural areas and expertise in working with rural lenders and small
businesses. Our ongoing work will explore these issues in more
depth, including looking at any incentives that exist for Rural
Development and SBA to collaborate with each other.
^12GAO, Small Business Administration: Current Structure Presents
Challenges for Service Delivery, [16]GAO-02-17 (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 26,
2001).
^13GAO, Small Business Administration: Progress Made, but Transformation
Could Benefit from Practices Emphasizing Transparency and Communication,
[17]GAO-04-76 (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 31, 2003). SBA's resource partners
include organizations such as Small Business Development Centers and
Women's Business Centers, which provide management and technical
assistance, and the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) chapters,
which provide volunteer business executives to counsel small businesses
and potential entrepreneurs.
Our Ongoing Work Will Study the Potential for Increased Collaboration
between SBA and Rural Development
You requested that we conduct a review of the potential for
increased collaboration between SBA and Rural Development, and we
have recently begun this work. In general, the major objectives of
our review are to determine:
1. The differences and similarities between SBA loan
programs and Rural Development business programs,
2. The kind of cooperation that is already taking
place between SBA and Rural Development offices, and
3. Any opportunities or barriers that may exist to
cooperation and collaboration between SBA and Rural
Development.
To assess the differences and similarities between SBA loan
programs and Rural Development business programs, we will review
relevant SBA and Rural Development documents describing their loan
and business programs. We will examine relevant laws, regulations,
policies, and program rules, including eligibility requirements
and types of assistance, funding levels, and eligible use of
program funds. We will obtain data on both agencies' loan
processes and procedures, including any agency goals for awarding
loans, documentation requirements, and loan processing times.
To determine what cooperation has taken place between SBA and
Rural Development, we will examine previous collaboration efforts
and cooperation between the agencies in providing programs and
services. We will also review documents such as MOUs, informal
interagency agreements, and other documentation and will conduct
interviews with SBA and Rural Development staff at headquarters
and field offices to obtain a fuller understanding of these
initiatives.
To determine what opportunities or barriers exist to cooperation
and collaboration between SBA and Rural Development, we will
review relevant laws, regulations, and policies. We will review
data from SBA and Rural Development on each agency's field
structure, including office space and personnel, and interview
relevant parties on the advantages and disadvantages to
co-locating offices. We plan to interview headquarters and field
office staff at each agency about past collaboration efforts and
any plans to work collaboratively in the future. We also plan to
obtain the perspectives of select lenders that participate in SBA
loan programs and Rural Development business programs.
We reported previously in March 2007 and October 2005 that
effective collaboration can occur between agencies if they take a
more systematic approach to agreeing on roles and responsibilities
and establishing compatible goals, policies, and procedures on how
to use available resources as efficiently as possible.^14 In doing
so, we identified certain key practices that agencies such as SBA
and USDA could use to help enhance and sustain their efforts to
work collaboratively.^15 These practices include (1) defining and
articulating a common outcome; (2) establishing mutually
reinforcing or joint strategies; (3) identifying and addressing
needs by leveraging resources; (4) agreeing on roles and
responsibilities; (5) establishing compatible policies,
procedures, and other means of operating across agency boundaries;
(6) developing mechanisms to monitor, evaluate, and report on
results; (7) reinforcing agency accountability for collaborative
efforts; and (8) reinforcing individual accountability for
collaborative efforts. As part of our ongoing work, we plan to
review the extent to which the eight key practices relate to
possible opportunities for SBA to increase collaboration with
Rural Development. For example, we plan to explore the extent to
which these practices are necessary elements for SBA to have a
collaborative relationship with Rural Development.
We are continuing to design the scope and methodology for our
work, and we expect to complete this design phase by February
2008. At that time, we will provide details of our approach as
well as a committed issuance date for our final report.
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Fortenberry, and Members of the
Subcommittee, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be
happy to respond to any questions that you may have.
^14GAO, Financial Market Regulation: Agencies Engaged in Consolidated
Supervision Can Strengthen Performance Measurement and Collaboration,
[18]GAO-07-154 (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 15, 2007)
^15GAO, Results-Oriented Government: Practices That Can Help Enhance and
Sustain Collaboration among Federal Agencies, [19]GAO-06-15 (Washington,
D.C.: Oct. 21, 2005).
Contact and Acknowledgments
For additional information about this testimony, please contact
William B. Shear at (202) 512-8678 or [8][email protected] . Contact
points for our Offices of Congressional Affairs and Public Affairs
may be found on the last page of this statement. Individuals
making key contributions to this testimony included Paul Schmidt,
Assistant Director; Michelle Bowsky; Tania Calhoun; Emily
Chalmers; and Ronald Ito.
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Highlights of GAO-08-278T, a testimony before the Subcommittee on Rural
and Urban Entrepreneurship, Committee on Small Business, House of
Representatives
November 14, 2007
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Preliminary Views on Increasing Collaboration with Department of
Agriculture Rural Development Offices
[20]transparent illustrator graphic
The Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Rural Development offices share a mission of attending to
underserved markets, promoting economic development, and improving the
quality of life in America through the promotion of entrepreneurship and
community development. In the past, these agencies have had cooperative
working relationships to help manage their respective rural loan and
economic development programs. At this subcommittee's request, GAO has
undertaken a review of potential opportunities for SBA to seek increased
collaboration and cooperation with USDA Rural Development (Rural
Development), particularly given Rural Development's large and
recognizable presence in rural communities.
In this testimony, GAO provides preliminary views on (1) mechanisms that
SBA and USDA have used to facilitate collaboration with other federal
agencies and with each other; (2) the organization of SBA and USDA Rural
Development field offices; and (3) the planned approach for GAO's recently
initiated evaluation on collaboration between SBA and Rural Development.
GAO discussed the contents of this testimony with SBA and USDA officials.
While SBA and Rural Development are not currently involved in a
collaborative working relationship, SBA and Rural Development have used a
number of different mechanisms, both formal and informal, to collaborate
with other agencies and each other. For example, both agencies have used
the Economy Act--a general statutory provision that permits federal
agencies, under certain circumstances, to enter into mutual agreements
with other federal agencies to purchase goods or services and take
advantage of specialized experience or expertise. SBA and USDA used the
act to enter into an interagency agreement to create rural business
investment companies to provide equity investments to rural small
businesses. For this initiative, Congress also authorized USDA and SBA to
administer the Rural Business Investment Program to create these
investment companies. However, funding for this program was rescinded at
the end of fiscal year 2006. SBA and Rural Development have also used
other mechanisms to collaborate, including memorandums of understanding
(MOU), contractual agreements, and other legal authorities. For instance,
Rural Development has collaborated with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency in providing assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina using
the disaster provisions under its multifamily and single-family rural
housing programs. To collaborate with each other, in the past SBA and
Rural Development have established MOUs to ensure coordination of programs
and activities between the two agencies and improve effectiveness in
promoting rural development.
Both SBA and Rural Development have undergone restructuring that has
resulted in downsizing and greater centralization of each agency's field
operations. Currently, SBA's 68 field offices--many of them in urban
centers--are still undergoing the transformation to a more centralized
structure. Rural Development has largely completed the transformation and
continues to have a large presence in rural areas through a network of
hundreds of field offices. The program's recognized presence in rural
areas and expertise in the issues and challenges facing rural lenders and
small businesses may make these offices appropriate partners to help
deliver SBA services.
GAO has recently begun a review of the potential for increased
collaboration between SBA and Rural Development. In general, the major
objectives are to examine the differences and similarities between SBA
loan programs and Rural Development business programs, any cooperation
that is already taking place between SBA and Rural Development, and any
opportunities for or barriers to collaboration.
References
Visible links
7. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-294EUR
8. mailto:[email protected]
9. http://www.gao.gov/
10. http://www.gao.gov/
11. http://www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm
12. mailto:[email protected]
13. mailto:[email protected]
14. mailto:[email protected]
15. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO/RCED-00-241
16. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-02-17
17. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-76
18. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-154
19. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-15
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