(4) Office of the Deputy Administrator, Community Development. Headed by the Deputy Administrator, Community Development, this office is responsible to the Under Secretary, Rural Development, for coordinating and overseeing all functions in the Community Outreach (now called Community Resource Development) and Empowerment Programs areas. The office assists in providing leadership and coordination to National and local rural economic and community development efforts. The office directs the following two divisions:

(i) Empowerment Programs Division. Headed by the division director, this division is responsible for formulating policies and developing plans, standards, procedures, and schedules for accomplishing RBS activities related to ‘‘community empowerment programs’’, including EZ/EC, AmeriCorps, and other initiatives. The office develops informational materials and provides technical advice and services to support States on community empowerment programs. It also generates information about rural conditions and strategies and techniques for promoting rural economic development for community empowerment programs.

(ii) Community Outreach Division (Now called Community Resource Development Division). Headed by the division director, this division is responsible for designing and overseeing overall systems and developing resources to support State and community level implementation activities for RBS programs. The office designs program delivery systems and tools, removes impediments to effective community level action, supports field offices with specialized skills, and establishes partnerships with National organizations with grass roots membership to assure that programs and initiatives are designed and implemented in a way that empowers communities. It develops methods for working with rural business intermediaries to assist them in providing technical assistance to new, small business, and provides Internet-based services to 1890 Land-grant universities, EZ/EC, and AmeriCorps volunteers, linking RBS information support to communities with high levels of need.