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Recommendations Database

GAO’s recommendations database contains report recommendations that still need to be addressed. GAO’s priority recommendations are those that we believe warrant priority attention. We sent letters to the heads of key departments and agencies, urging them to continue focusing on these issues. Below you can search only priority recommendations, or search all recommendations.

Our recommendations help congressional and agency leaders prepare for appropriations and oversight activities, as well as help improve government operations. Moreover, when implemented, some of our priority recommendations can save large amounts of money, help Congress make decisions on major issues, and substantially improve or transform major government programs or agencies, among other benefits.

As of October 25, 2020, there are 4812 open recommendations, of which 473 are priority recommendations. Recommendations remain open until they are designated as Closed-implemented or Closed-not implemented.

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Results:

Subject Term: Entrepreneurs

4 publications with a total of 11 open recommendations
Download these results in CSV format or XLSX format.
Intellectual Property: Additional Agency Actions Can Improve Assistance to Small Businesses and Inventors
GAO-20-556, Aug 27, 2020
Director: John Neumann
Phone: (202) 512-6888

4 open recommendations
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Recommendation: The Director of USPTO should develop an agency-wide approach to collect information to help evaluate outreach efforts and overall effectiveness of USPTO services aimed at assisting small businesses and inventors that seek to obtain intellectual property protections. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Commerce: Patent and Trademark Office
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: As SBA develops the partnership agreement as required by the Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017, the Associate Administrator for SBA's Office of Entrepreneurial Development should document how SBA and USPTO will coordinate and leverage existing resources. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Small Business Administration
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: As SBA develops the partnership agreement as required by the Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017, the Associate Administrator for SBA's Office of Entrepreneurial Development should develop ways to track SBDC implementation of intellectual property training with USPTO. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Small Business Administration
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: As SBA develops the partnership agreement as required by the Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017, the Associate Administrator for SBA's Office of Entrepreneurial Development should clarify the office's roles and responsibilities in helping SBDCs provide intellectual property training with USPTO. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Small Business Administration
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Small Business Administration: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Engagement with Historically Black Colleges and Universities
GAO-20-41, Nov 13, 2019
Director: Anna Maria Ortiz
Phone: (202) 512-8678

3 open recommendations
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Recommendation: The SBA Administrator should assign and document clear roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines for headquarters offices' implementation of SBA's plan for addressing the White House Initiative on HBCUs in a timely manner. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Small Business Administration
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development should take and document steps to ensure that the office's reporting mechanisms collect the information needed to establish a baseline for, and also inform future monitoring and assessment of, efforts to support HBCUs. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Small Business Administration
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Associate Administrators of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development and Office of Field Operations should communicate planned efforts to support HBCUs, including expectations, goals, and related measures, to the district offices and Small Business Development Centers with HBCUs in their service areas. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Small Business Administration
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Emergency Transportation Relief: Federal Transit Administration and FEMA Took Actions to Coordinate, but Steps Are Needed to Address Risk of Duplicate Funding
GAO-20-85, Nov 13, 2019
Director: Fleming, Susan A
Phone: (202) 512-2834

2 open recommendations
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Recommendation: The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator of FTA to identify and develop controls, such as methods to more easily identify transit expenses within applications submitted by larger entities, such as a city, county, or state government, to address the risk of duplicate funding. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Transportation
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Administrator of FEMA to identify and develop controls, such as methods to more easily identify transit expenses within applications submitted by larger entities such as a city, county, or state government, to address the risk of duplicate funding. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Entrepreneurial Assistance: Opportunities Exist to Improve Programs' Collaboration, Data-Tracking, and Performance Management
GAO-12-819, Aug 23, 2012
Director: Shear, William B
Phone: (202)512-4325

2 open recommendations
Display
Recommendation: The Secretaries of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Housing and Urban Development, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration should consistently collect information that would enable them to track the specific type of assistance programs provide and the entrepreneurs they serve and use this information to help administer their programs.

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Status: Open

Comments: According to HUD, the department implemented improvements to its Integrated Disbursement and Information System in 2012, which were intended to upgrade HUD's ability to track Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grantee progress in implementing activities and gather improved data with regard to performance. In addition, HUD completed an extensive CDBG data clean-up effort in response to a HUD Inspector General audit.
Recommendation: The Secretaries of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Housing and Urban Development, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration should conduct more program evaluations to better understand why programs have not met performance goals and their overall effectiveness.

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Status: Open

Comments: According to HUD, the department implemented improvements to its Integrated Disbursement and Information System in 2012, which were intended to upgrade HUD's ability to track Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grantee progress in implementing activities and gather improved data with regard to performance. In addition, HUD completed an extensive CDBG data clean-up effort in response to a HUD Inspector General audit.