Procurement Portal
OPENPittsburgh Regional Disparity Study
Post Information
- Posted At:
- Tue, Aug 6, 2024 10:57 AM
- Sealed Bid Process:
- Yes (Bids Sealed / Pricing Sealed)
- Private Bid:
- No
Overview
Summary
The Pittsburgh Regional Disparity Study Consortium (“Study Consortium”), comprised of the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP), Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Parking Authority, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA), and the Stadium Authority, desire to undertake all necessary and reasonable steps to ensure that minority-owned and woman-owned businesses (“M/WBEs”) are afforded equitable opportunities to participate in local government and other contracts within the relevant marketplace from which Study Consortium members routinely purchase significant quantities of goods and services. Study Consortium members are keenly interested in ensuring that their public contracting and purchasing funds are not spent in a manner that in any way contributes to or perpetuates the effects of marketplace discrimination. The Study Consortium is therefore seeking a consultant to conduct various work elements in a business disparity causation analysis study that:
Determines from the most accurate available data sources the relative availability of minority-owned and women-owned businesses that are ready, willing and able to do business with the Study Consortium members within the relevant market area(s);
Identifies the nature of, and determines the extent to which, any barriers may have resulted in disparities in the utilization of available M/WBEs in public and private sector contracts;
Analyzes the contracting and procurement data of each Study Consortium member to determine its respective M/WBE utilization, as well as the Study Consortium’s collective utilization as a whole, of minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises;
Determines the extent to which any identified disparities in the utilization of available minority and women owned businesses by any member of the Study Consortium, and by the Study Consortium as a whole, might be impacted by discrimination;
Identifies and summarizes related findings from previous disparity studies and research encompassing the relevant marketplace from which Study Consortium members routinely purchase goods and services;
Analyzes the effectiveness of various race- and gender-neutral remedies and practices previously undertaken in the relevant marketplace; and
Recommends programs, policies, and practices that are narrowly tailored to remedy the effects of any identified discrimination and to reduce or eliminate any other marketplace barriers that adversely affect the utilization of such minority and women owned businesses by Study Consortium members.
Background
The last disparity study that was conducted by the City of Pittsburgh (and joined by five other governmental entities in the region) was completed over two decades ago in 2000, and included analysis of data within a study period that began on January 1, 1996, and ended December 31, 1998. That study was performed by Mason Tillman & Associates. It contained considerable historical information about Pittsburgh’s procurement laws, policies, and practices, societal discrimination, and racial strife within its labor markets. Moreover, the scope of that previous disparity study was limited primarily to construction, architectural and engineering, and other professional services prime contract activity. That prior study provided no analyses of contracting activity for goods and other non-professional services. Limited subcontracting data was available at that time. Accordingly, this disparity study should be treated as a turn-key first-generation disparity study, and not as a second-generation update to the findings from the last disparity study that was conducted in this region in 2000.
Timeline
This meeting will also be held via Microsoft Teams. Please use the RSVP Manager to sign up for the meeting- you will be sent the Teams Link the morning of the meeting