Study Milestones

• Project initiation - The Commonwealth and BBC kicked off the disparity study in April 2023 with a series of meetings with various representatives from Commonwealth public agencies. BBC introduced the study, answered questions, and began the process of understanding contracting and vendor data the Commonwealth maintains. Find materials that the study team presented during the project initiation meeting here.
  
• Utilization data collection - BBC began working with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in late May 2023 to collect data on contracts that were awarded during the study period and on vendors that participated in those contracts.
• Utilization data analysis - The study team began examining utilization data in June 2023. BBC’s analysis examines the percentage of total construction, professional services, goods, and other services contract dollars that minority-, woman-, disabled-, veteran-, and LGBT-owned businesses received on prime contracts and subcontracts during the study period.
  
• Availability surveys - The BBC study team attempts to contact all businesses in the “relevant geographic market area” that perform work that is relevant to the Commonwealth’s construction, professional services, goods, and other services contracts. The study team collects information relevant to determining each business’s availability for Commonwealth work, such as primary line of work; geographic scope of services; and qualifications and interest in working for the Commonwealth. The surveys also collect information about business characteristics such as revenue, size, and the disadvantaged business status (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, veteran, disabled, and LGBT) of ownership.

If you have any questions regarding the disparity study, please contact one of the following individuals:

Tina Marks
Disparity Study Project Manager
Diversity, Inclusion, and Small Business Opportunities
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of General Services
(t) (717) 772-0022, (e) tinmarks@pa.gov

Sameer Bawa
Managing Director
BBC Research & Consulting
(t) 303-321-2547, ext. 247, (e) sbawa@bbcresearch.com

Stephanie Ayers
Senior Project Manager
BBC Research & Consulting
(t) 303-321-2547, ext. 249, (e) sayers@bbcresearch.com

You can also e-mail your questions directly to the project team at PADisparityStudy@bbcresearch.com.

2018 Reports

2018 Disparity Study Reports: DGS | PennDOT