Revised City of South Bend Disparity Study Report

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City of South Bend Disparity Study 2020 mating, accounting, safety, marketing, legal compliance, etc., could be made available in conjunction with existing efforts of South Bend area organizations such as chambers of commerce, professional associations, community-based organizations, etc. For example, the City should consider working with St. Mary's College's SPARK program offering community education and business assistance programs designed to assist women. Partnering with these types of programs will allow the City to leverage their expertise, knowledge and experi- ence in assisting these types of businesses. Consider partnering with other Indiana governments: The State of Indiana, the City of Indianapolis and other local agencies are interested in ensuring equa6l opportunities and supplier diversity. The Indiana Department of Transporta- tion, for example, receives federal funds to support the growth and develop- ment of disadvantaged business enterprises in the construction industry. South Bend should explore assisting local firms to access contracting opportu- nities and supportive services provided by these agencies. Provide Training for all City Staff with Contracting Responsibilities or Vendor Interface: With the City-wide roll out of the new program, all South Bend per- sonnel with contracting responsibilities and responsibility for the program and vendor management will require training. In addition to providing technical information on compliance, the training will serve as an opportunity to reaf- firm the City's commitment to supplier diversity and to encourage all depart- ments to buy into these values and objectives of the program. Adopt o Small Business Enterprise Target Market: Set aside some smaller con- tracts 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 constitutionally acceptable method to increase opportunities for all small firms. Small Business 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 opportunities, and is an approach specifically approved by the courts. The City would have to determine the size limits for contracts and the types of contracts to be included. It will be critical to keep complete race and gender information on bidders to evaluate whether this is an effective 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 experience requirements; no hold- ing of retainage, etc. 2. Implement Race- and Gender -Conscious Measures The study's results support the determination that the City has a strong basis in evidence to implement a race- and gender -conscious M/WBE Program. The 14 0 2020 Colette Holt & Associates, All Rights Reserved.