Export Assistance Centers. Of the 28 customers who acknowledged receiving services from a second USEAC agency, 11 (40 percent) indicated that they had found the second agency by themselves, rather than through their USEAC contact. For example, we learned that individuals at certain USEACs were reluctant to recommend the services of another agency, even to clients who expressed a need, because they were unfamiliar with that agency’s performance in delivering the service. USEAC-Wide Client Tracking System

To further improve the quality of services to customers, USEAC directors and staff acknowledged their need for a USEAC-wide, computer-based client tracking system. Eximbank staff used an off-the-shelf computer program for maintaining information on customers. Commerce, Eximbank, and SBA officials recently told us that they have agreed to allocate expenses based on a formula that reflects the limited capabilities of ITA’s financial accounting system. The agencies recently told us that they are currently piloting a separate financial management system for the USEACs. Recommendations

Based on our review, we recommend that the Secretary of Commerce, working with the Chairman of the Eximbank and the Administrator of SBA give all USEAC directors the authority to contribute to the performance appraisals of all USEAC staff with regard to intra-USEAC cooperation and teamwork (including development of an appropriate performance factor for staff appraisals and performance measures), establish a USEAC-specific customer tracking system that contains information on clients and services provided to them, and set up an accounting system that accurately tracks the full costs of creating and operating the USEAC network and, as part of that process, incorporate ways to give USEAC directors greater authority over USEAC expenditures. Scope and Results of U.S. The overwhelming majority of USEAC staff believed that the establishment of the USEAC had increased cooperation among the USEAC agencies (82 percent “to a great/very great extent”) and substantially increased customer access to federal export promotion services (80 percent).
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO discussed opportunities to improve U.S. Export Assistance Centers' (USEAC) operations.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) staff and customers at the four USEAC surveyed believed that collocating agency staff and nonfederal partner organizations improved export delivery services by increasing customer access to federal export promotion services; (2) although customers were highly satisfied with individual agencies' services, they believed that cooperation among agency staffs could be improved; (3) 40 percent of the customers who used a second USEAC agency found the agency on their own without help from their USEAC contact, even though some of these customers expressed a need for another agency's services; (4) some USEAC staff were reluctant to recommend other agencies' services because they were not familiar with those agencies' performance in service delivery; (5) to improve teamwork, USEAC directors believed that they needed to have input to staff performance appraisals with regard to intra-USEAC teamwork, a USEAC-wide client tracking system, adequate authority over USEAC expenditures, and a USEAC-wide accounting system; (6) three federal agencies were considering ways to give USEAC directors input to staff appraisals and plan to install an off-the-shelf client tracking system; and (7) the three agencies have agreed to allocate USEAC expenses based on a formula that reflects the limited capabilities of the International Trade Administration's accounting system, but they are working on a separate financial management system for USEAC.