The Small Agency Council is the voluntary management association of sub-Cabinet, independent Federal agencies. Established in 1986, the Council represents about 80 small agencies.

Each agency's principal management official represents that agency on the Council. This official generally oversees agency management functions such as personnel, budget, procurement, finance, and information resources management. The Council meets periodically to discuss management issues of concern to small agencies.

While a typical Cabinet-level Department may have tens of thousands of employees, a "small agency" generally has less than 6,000 employees. Most Council members represent an agency that has fewer than 500 staff. Altogether, however, these agencies in the Council employ about 50,000 Federal workers and manage many billions of dollars.

If your organization meets the requirements for a "Small Agency" (above), and you are a designated Principal Management Official (this person generally oversees agency management functions for two of the five following management responsibilities: personnel, budget, procurement, finance, and information resources management), contact Jeff Rich for more information about joining the Small Agency Council.

Small agencies that have joined the Council are responsible for managing a wide array of Federal programs and implementing various statutes. Members have diverse program responsibilities that include public and private sector employment, commerce and trade, energy and science, transportation, national defense, and finance and cultural issues. Almost half of the Council's members are regulatory or enforcement agencies. The remaining half the Council's membership is divided among grant-making, advisory, and uniquely chartered organizations. The activities of these agencies affect the lives of almost all Americans.

• List of member organizations

The main goals of the Small Agency Council are:

• To help Federal policy oversight agencies develop management policies that affect small agencies.
• To exchange approaches for improving management and productivity in small agencies.
• To share management resources so as to strengthen the internal management practices of small agencies.

With these goals as guideposts, the Council represents the collective management interests of small agencies with several Federal policy oversight organizations and interagency management.