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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