Implementing Race-Neutral Measures in State Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Programs (2011) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix B - Survey Responses
Appendix B - Survey Responses
Pages 38-52
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From page 38... ...
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND TRAINING 2. Following are some common supportive services and training strategies used to encourage DBE participation in highway contracting and meet federal DBE participation goals.
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From page 39... ...
2.1% 1 12.8% 6 17.0% 8 14.9% 7 6.4% 3 46.8% 22 47 Collecting data on DBE participation that exceeds contract goal requirements or that is achieved on contracts with no DBE participation goals. 2.2% 1 15.2% 7 39.1% 18 15.2% 7 17.4% 8 10.9% 5 46 Streamlining the DBE certification process 2.1% 1 23.4% 11 27.7% 13 6.4% 3 6.4% 3 34.0% 16 47 Limiting certain small contracts to proposals by small firms only 2.2% 1 6.5% 3 6.5% 3 8.7% 4 76.1% 35 46 Item 1 Not at all effective 2 Somewhat effective 3 Effective 4 Very effective 5 Extremely effective Have not used Total Branding, marketing, and publicizing the state's DBE programs; creating a DBE directory; and/or providing information through outreach events, publications, Web sites and other vehicles.
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From page 40... ...
Project specific Match Makers that are geared to DBEs, but also allow other small businesses to attend. The Department has also used numerous other strategies that are not defined specifically as race-neutral because they are geared just for DBEs, such as grading our prime contractors/consultants on their DBE utilization.
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From page 41... ...
Giving consideration to prime contractors who utilize DBE firms on projects without DBE contract goals to encourage consistent use of DBE firms and not just when there is a DBE goal on the project. Hosting construction conferences geared to primes and DBEs that discuss the general direction of construction industry.
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From page 42... ...
ESBE contract goals are established so that, over the period to which the overall DBE goal applies, they will cumulatively result in meeting the overall goal through the use of race-neutral means. All DBEs are considered to be ESBEs for the purposes of goal setting.
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From page 43... ...
We maintain a database with all federally funded projects and track DBE participation for each. This helps identify contractors and projects with below-average DBE usage and allows the DBE coordinator to take proactive steps to correct the deficiency.
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From page 44... ...
Lack of commitment from leadership leads to a lack of commitment from prime contractors in utilizing DBEs. Most paving contracts have little opportunities for DBE participation and find it difficult to achieve DBE participation.
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The regulations are outdated and need to be revised with an approach to be more flexible. For instance, Appendix A, the good faith effort, suggests that primes advertise in various publications for DBE participation.
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From page 46... ...
Rather than compete for work on all contracts they wanted to keep contract goals so they knew prime contractors had to use them on individual projects. We conduct needs assessment surveys on a regular basis, and we specifically ask which of our supportive services have been most helpful.
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From page 47... ...
Our DBEs can offer a full range of highway construction related services and we promote these services to prime contractors as a way to achieve their goals. Stakeholder meetings; joint conferences of prime and DBE firms; networking activities at all pre-bid meetings; creation of practical guide for Good Faith Effort including DBE and prime input.
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From page 48... ...
Reporting DBE participation throughout the contract. Anecdotally, DBEs indicate the compliance issue is prompt payment.
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USING 100% RACE-NEUTRAL MEASURES 22. Does your state use 100% race-neutral measures to meet DBE goals, either because you are subject to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision or because your state has independently decided to do so?
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From page 50... ...
Encouraging the use of DBEs on projects and having DBEs serve as prime contractors. None of the methods we have used have had any impact on our state in meeting our DBE participation goal.
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From page 51... ...
If the low bidder did not follow the special provision their bid is rejected and award goes to the next lowest responsive bidder, or all bids are rejected. Our prime contractors were willing to attempt to implement a race-neutral DBE program even if it meant more effort for them and potentially requiring them to use more DBE firms.
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From page 52... ...
You need to assist prime contractors by providing them with the means to find DBEs suitable for their project, providing a clear database, cross reference information, and suggestions when needed. You need to educate the DBEs how to use the state bidding information to solicit business from primes that have taken out proposals for projects.
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