Overview
The
Department of Administrative Services (DAS) commissioned BBC Research
& Consulting (BBC) to conduct a disparity study to assess whether
businesses owned by persons of color (POCs), women, and service-disabled
veterans (SDVs) face any barriers as part of the state's contract and
procurement processes. Information from the study will help inform the
state's efforts to encourage the participation of POC, woman, and
SDV-owned businesses in its work.
Study Analyses
The crux of the disparity study was to examine whether there are any disparities between:
- The
percentage of contract and procurement dollars the state spent with
POC-, woman-, and SDV-owned businesses between July 1, 2017, and June
30, 2022; and
- The percentage of dollars POC-, woman-, and
SDV-owned businesses might be expected to receive based on their
availability to perform specific types and sizes of state contracts and
procurements.
The study also provided information related to:
- Legal considerations surrounding POC-, woman-, and SDV-owned business programs and disparity study methodology;
- Marketplace conditions for POC-, woman-, and SDV-owned businesses;
- Contracting practices and business assistance programs the state currently has in place; and
- Recommendations
related to policies and programs the state could consider implementing
to encourage the participation of POC-, woman-, and SDV-owned businesses
in its work.
Study Schedule
BBC initiated the disparity study in October 2022 and completed the study November 2023.
Project Initiation
The
state and BBC initiated the 2023 State of Oregon Disparity Study in
October 2022 with a series of meetings with various state agencies. BBC
met with the state to introduce the study, answer questions, and begin
the process of understanding contracting and vendor data the state
maintains.
Data Collection
BBC
began collecting data on contracts and procurements the state awarded
during the study period as well as information about the vendors that
participated in that work. The analysis of the data was completed
in August 2023.
Stakeholder Engagement Sessions
Between December
2022 and August 2023, DAS and BBC conducted eight stakeholder
engagement sessions, inviting interested stakeholders to participate in
virtual sessions to learn about the study and share verbal or written
insights about their experiences working in the Oregon marketplace.
Final Report
In
November 2023, BBC submitted a final report to the state. The report
presents results from the utilization, availability, and disparity
analyses separately for relevant business groups. The report also
provides recommendations related to policies and programs the state
could consider implementing to encourage the participation of POC-,
woman-, and SDV-owned businesses in its work. The full report can be
found
here.
Frequently Asked Questions
A disparity study examines whether there are differences between:
- The percentage of dollars that person of color- (POC-), woman-, and service-disabled veteran- (SDV-) owned businesses received on an agency's prime contracts and subcontracts during a particular time period (utilization).
- The percentage of dollars those businesses would be expected to receive based on their availability to perform on the agency's prime contracts and subcontracts (availability).
The comparison between the participation of POC-, woman-, and SDV-owned businesses in an agency's contracting and the availability of those businesses to perform that work is referred to as a disparity analysis. In addition to utilization, availability, and disparity analyses, disparity studies typically examine other quantitative and qualitative information about:
- Legal considerations surrounding the implementation of POC, woman, and SDV-owned business programs.
- Conditions in the marketplace for persons of color, women, veterans, and POC, woman, and veteran-owned businesses.
- Contracting practices and business assistance programs the agency currently has in place.
- Potential program measures the agency could consider using to better encourage the participation of POC, woman, and SDV-owned businesses in its work.
The state wanted to assess whether POC, woman and SDV-owned businesses face any barriers as part of its contracting and procurement processes and what policies or programs it could use to better encourage those businesses in its work. In addition, the state wanted to establish a benchmark for the participation of POC, woman, and SDV-owned businesses based on the availability of those businesses for the specific types of contracts and procurements it awards.
The disparity study examined construction, professional services, and non-professional services and goods contracts and procurements that state executive branch agencies awarded between July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2022.
The Procurement Equity Team will soon start collecting supplier registration information. When that happens, we'll be able to provide any self-reported demographic information on suppliers.
Materials
View Disparity Study reports, presentations, and handouts.