Providing Timely and Effective Disaster Assistance
The primary challenge facing SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA) will be to maintain and build on the progress that has been made over the past 2 years in disaster planning and preparedness. SBA and ODA have taken a number of steps to address planning and preparedness limitations that compromised the agency's ability to provide timely disaster financial assistance to the victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005. SBA actions included
- expanding and stress testing the maximum concurrent user capacity of the Disaster Credit Management System (the system that is used to process disaster loan applications),
- incorporating catastrophe models into the disaster-planning process,
- and better ensuring that qualified disaster response staff will be in place and housed in appropriate facilities to carry out their responsibilities.
^ Back to topWhat Needs to Be Done
Though SBA has taken positive steps to improve its response to a major disaster, continued progress will require an ongoing commitment by SBA. It will be incumbent upon SBA's new leadership to ensure that appropriate disaster planning and resource commitment remain a high priority, including during periods when disasters are not as frequent.
Highlights of GAO-07-114 (PDF)
^ Back to topKey Reports
- Small Business Administration: Additional Steps Needed to Enhance Agency Preparedness for Future Disasters
- GAO-07-114, February 14, 2007
- Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 46 pages) Accessible Text Recommendations (HTML)
- Small Business Administration: Actions Needed to Provide More Timely Disaster Assistance
- GAO-06-860, July 28, 2006
- Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 56 pages) Accessible Text Recommendations (HTML)
