For Fiscal Year 2017, SBA’s small business goaling scorecard awarded 21 agencies grades of “A+” or “A” for their small business contracting and subcontracting. Two agencies received a “B” and a single, lonely agency brought up the rear with a “C.” Not one agency received a grade below “C,” even agencies that missed most of their small business goals.
It was a “record breaking” performance, to hear SBA tell it. But these inflated grades do a disservice to the public and government alike. So long as almost everyone is going to get a top grade anyway, I say we just replace next year’s SBA goaling grades with agency participation trophies.