SBA’s IT Investment Governance Framework

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is issuing this management advisory to bring to your attention concerns regarding how the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) manages its Information Technology (IT) systems. OIG has reported on significant IT investment internal control issues over the last 6 years, which the agency has also identified without taking meaningful action to resolve. These issues include:

• The governance board did not meet as required to oversee IT investments,
• Performance against established baselines was not reported,
• Critical system capabilities were missing, and
• Corrective actions were not taken for underperforming investments.

These issues require immediate attention as a strong IT governance framework enables the agency to achieve mission goals and objectives while safeguarding taxpayer funds. An efficient IT framework will help the agency better deliver SBA programs and services, particularly in times of crisis.

SBA management agreed with five recommendations and partially agreed with one. To address these recommendations, the agency is planning to implement corrective measures, including updating applicable policies, procedures, and evidentiary documentation.