QUESTION
Council Member Brooks Powers Probes Use of Noncompetitive Small Purchase Method to Engage MWBEs
1:45:58
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3 min
Council Member Brooks Powers probes into the use of the noncompetitive small purchase (NCSP) method within Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Design and Construction (DDC). This chapter examines the average contract values registered using the NCSP method, the impact of increasing the contract value threshold from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000, and the strategic adjustment of project bundling to include more Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) in contracts.
Speaker 1
1:45:58
One finding of the comptroller's report is that agencies included in DDC are not making full use of the noncompetitive small purchase method to engage MWDs.
1:46:10
In terms of DOT specifically, I wanna acknowledge that the Comptroller reported that DOT registered significantly more NCSP contracts in fiscal year 23 compared to 22 and hope that they continue the improvement.
1:46:26
But the average contract value remains low among our infrastructure agencies.
1:46:32
Despite increases in the maximum contract value permitted.
1:46:37
What is the average contract value that DDC registers using this method in fiscal year 23.
Speaker 4
1:46:50
We'll get that information for you, but I can tell you that as far as DDC's concern, the $1,000,000 threshold was challenging because the value of our contracts tend to be very large.
1:47:04
So even for the mentor program, what we found our selves doing was was debundling the projects so that we can specifically use some certain scopes of service for the mentor program.
1:47:19
The 1 the increase to the 1.5 is actually very significant for DDC because one of the things that we realize is that at 1,500,000 dollars, we can use the non competitors small purchase for our design services because there are a number of design contracts that would be valued at 1.5 or below.
1:47:43
So that's the plan that we have.
1:47:45
So it does make a difference for us.
1:47:47
The the increased from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000.
1:47:51
And we'll get you the information about the average size.
Speaker 1
1:47:55
And and for DOT, what is the average contract value DOT registered using the NCSP method in 23?
Speaker 13
1:48:02
Yeah.
1:48:04
Yeah.
1:48:05
It's 800,000 council member, and we expect that number to go up because the $1,500,000 threshold was just implemented.
1:48:14
I would say though it is slightly easier for an agency like DOT to use that amount because we also have expense contracts supposed to DC that only has capital.
1:48:25
And as Maggie said, capital projects tend to be larger, so we are taking full advantage of that.
1:48:29
But I do wanna acknowledge sort of the the challenge that that a capital agents a purely capital agency like DDC will have.
Speaker 15
1:48:36
And so far for fiscal year 24 in this method we spent $10,000,000.
Speaker 6
1:48:45
If I could add a wrap up on the not competitive small purchase council member Rivera to answer your question.
1:48:50
There were 887 noncompetitive small purchases below $1,000,000 leading up to that change in the law.
1:48:58
So 887 individual AM72 procurements, as I call them, in fiscal year 23, below $1,000,000.
Speaker 2
1:49:07
May I just add
Speaker 16
1:49:08
I because I I have the commptroller's report from earlier this month, and so he
Speaker 2
1:49:12
is today, today at 11.
Speaker 16
1:49:17
It feels like February 32nd.
1:49:19
But and so there are numbers here And so I'm just curious as to how those match ups.
1:49:25
So thank you for that.
1:49:26
The breakdown will be welcomed.