A REVIEW OF THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS PROGRAM

Members of the General Assembly requested that we conduct an audit of the Small Business Development Centers program. We planned to review the accuracy of the program’s reporting of its effectiveness, expenditures, and structure. The audit objectives were listed as follows: Determine if the SBDC program’s reporting, including the program’s effectiveness, is in compliance with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s guidelines and is accurate and complete ; Determine if the current structure of the SBDC is the most beneficial to the small business clients, provides appropriate oversight to SBDC staff, and allows for necessary sharing of best practices throughout all SBDC offices ; Review a sample of SBDC’s use of funding to ensure that the program is efficiently handling federal, state, and other funds for expenditures, including technology upgrades and training conferences.