Minority Business: Management Improvements Needed at Minority Business Development Agency
RCED-90-69
Published: Jan 19, 1990. Publicly Released: Feb 12, 1990.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Minority Business Development Agency's (MBDA) operations, focusing on: (1) MBDA review and approval of competitive grant applications; (2) MBDA staffing levels and work load; and (3) client satisfaction with management, marketing, and technical assistance MBDA provided through its network of Minority Business Development Centers.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Commerce | The Secretary of Commerce should instruct the Director, MBDA, to, in his reevaluation of the grant process: (1) determine, in cooperation with other pertinent Commerce officials, whether actions taken to correct problems that have delayed the processing of grant applications are effective, and if not, develop alternative solutions; and (2) develop solutions for other quality control problems that exist with grant applications and problems that continue to contribute to delays in the funding of centers. |
MBDA implemented recommendations from the private consulting firm the agency hired. The hiring of a consulting firm was one of the major corrective actions proposed by MBDA to address GAO findings and recommendations.
|
| Department of Commerce | The Secretary of Commerce should direct the Director, MBDA, as part of his effort to examine agency staffing, to determine how to either: (1) better utilize existing staff resources through the expansion of their roles and responsibilities; or (2) reduce staff to realistically reflect the agency's work load. |
MBDA hired a private consulting firm to examine the agency's utilization of its personnel. The consulting firm has issued a new organizational plan for MBDA and has recommended expansion of existing staffs' roles and responsibilities.
|
Full Report
Topics
Federal grantsGrant award proceduresStaff utilizationInformation centersMinority business assistanceStatistical dataTechnical assistanceWorking conditionsMinority groupsGrant awards