King County (“County”) is conducting a disparity study to ensure that minority and woman owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) have equal access to contracting opportunities and that the current initiatives remain legally defensible and administratively successful.
A disparity study involves compilation of evidence to determine whether M/WBEs have equal opportunities on County projects. The study will determine the County’s utilization of M/WBEs and the availability of M/WBEs as a percentage of all firms in the market area and relevant industries. The study will analyze whether there are disparities, if any, between the availability of M/WBEs and their utilization on County contracts and related subcontracts, and throughout the Puget Sound and Washington State economies as a whole.
The study will further examine factors necessary for entrepreneurial success, such as access to business capital, bonding, networks, suppliers, etc. It will also gather anecdotal evidence of any continuing effects of past or present race and sex discrimination, and the impact of current County initiatives. Another important component is recommendations for future programs and enhancements.
The contract for this study has been awarded to Colette Holt & Associates (“CHA”), a nationally recognized expert team on disparity studies and M/WBE programs. The firm has worked with several agencies in Washington State over many years. CHA is partnering with local DBEs Yates Consulting and WindGypsy Consulting to assist with community engagement and anecdotal and contract data collection for the study.
How can you be involved? The participation of business owners and industry and community partners is critical to the study’s outcomes in two important ways.
First, the study team will contact businesses to confirm information on specific contracts and/or to receive additional contract information that is currently not available or accessible to the County. Like most government agencies, the County has not collected all of the specialized contracting records necessary for the study, so the consultant must rely on prime firms to supplement missing data. This information is critical to developing an accurate analysis of the utilization of M/WBEs on County projects. With the support and assistance of business owners, the study will present a complete picture of the County’s contracting activities. CHA will work with the firms contacted to make the process as easy as possible.
Second, the consultant will meet with Industry and Community Partners to obtain their feedback and expertise about the experiences and needs of their member.
Third, interested parties can be part of the process for anecdotal data collection in several ways. CHA will distribute an electronic survey to business owners and conduct stakeholder and business owner small group interviews to obtain information about firms’ experiences with the County and throughout the Puget Sound and Washington State economies. CHA will also solicit written comments on these topics. The information generated from these data collection methods will be an important component of the analysis of whether M/WBEs enjoy equal contracting opportunities. To learn about sessions pertinent to your business or organization, or to submit written comments, please email CHA at kingcounty-study@mwbelaw.com.