Revised City of South Bend Disparity Study Report

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City of South Bend Disparity Study 2020 business. Partnering with these types of programs will al low the City to lever- age their expertise, knowledge and experience in assisting these types of busi- nesses. To further address these critical needs, the City should partner with other Indi- ana governments, such as the State of Indiana, the City of Indianapolis and other local agencies interested in ensuring equal opportunities and supplier diversity. The Indiana Department of Transportation, for example, receives federal funds to support the growth and development of disadvantaged busi- ness enterprises in the construction industry. South Bend should explore link- ing DBEs to its contracting opportunities. 6. Provide Training for all City Staff with Contracting Responsibilities or Vendor Interface These significant changes will require a City-wide roll out of new initiatives, as well as training of all South Bend personnel with contracting responsibilities and vendor management. In addition to providing technical information on compliance, it is also an opportunity to reaffirm the City's commitment to sup- plier diversity and encourage all departments to buy into these values and objectives. 7. Adopt a Small Business Enterprise Target Market An effective approach would be to set aside some smaller contracts for bidding only by small, local firms as prime contractors, if permitted under Indiana law. If implemented on a fully race- and gender -neutral basis, this is a constitution- ally acceptable method to increase opportunities for all small firms. Small Busi- ness Enterprise ("SBE") setasides are especially useful for those industries that do not operate on a prime vendor -subcontractor model, such as consulting services. It will reduce the need to set contract goals to ensure equal opportu- nities, and is an approach specifically approved by the courts. The City would have to determine the size limits for contracts (e.g. contracts under $50,000 or those subject to informal procurement policies) and the types of contracts to be included (such as only single scopejobs or lower dollar value multiple scope projects). For example, maintenance contracts might be successfully procured using this method. It will be critical to keep complete race and gender information on bidders to evaluate whethes'this is an effec- tive race- and gender -neutral measure to reduce barriers. An SBE element could also include additional assistance for SBE and M/WBE vendors, such as quick pay (e.g., invoicing every two weeks); reduced experi- ence requirements; no holding of retainage, etc. 98 0 2020 Colette Holt & Associates, All Rights Reserved.