An Availability and Disparity study was conducted in Dallas to focus on the needs of minority and women-owned businesses within the city.
The study framework period was from October 2014 through September 2018 and was conducted by The City of Dallas Office of Business Diversity (OBD) and MGT Consulting Group.
According to MGT, disparity studies are commissioned by an agency to determine if there is a disparity between the availability of firms owned by minorities and women in a market area and the utilization of those firms by an agency.
Two public engagement meetings were held in February, in which business owners discussed various topics with MGT.
MGT’s findings showed that OBD met several goals throughout the study. These include implementing a subcontractor utilization payment module, quarterly training meetings, pre-submission meetings, and formation of a Business Diversity Taskforce.
"Addressing disparities and meeting needs for diverse prime and subcontractors helps increase fair and equitable opportunities for our community," City Manager, T.C. Broadnax said in a news release.
The findings also determined that the City should continue with a narrowly tailored M/WBE program.
Going forward, areas of improvement for OBD include enhancing M/WBE compliance efforts and processes, utilizing diverse suppliers, and developing a formal strategy for business relationships with organizations.
City officials said new data and feedback will shape an improved business inclusion policy, creating opportunities for minority and women vendors, building capacity for minority and women vendors, and increasing diversity in contract awards.
The study was completed in the spring.
