QUESTION
Council Member Brooks Powers Questions MWBE Contract Disparities
1:59:43
·
143 sec
Council Member Brooks Powers addresses concerns regarding data from the Comptroller's report indicating limited MWBE participation in city contracts, particularly affecting women of color and black and brown business owners. The discussion probes into the process of bolstering diversity within MWBEs based on the report's findings, with a response highlighting the use of Local Law 1 and 1 NYC metrics to measure MWBE success and engagement despite discrepancies with the report's data.
Speaker 1
1:59:43
According to the Comptroller's most recent annual report on MWE Procurement, which was published today, MWE's continue to win a small share of city contracts even relative to smaller number of MWDs compared to non certified firms.
1:59:58
In fiscal year 2023, MWDs accounted for only 5.3% of the value of all new city contracts and purchase orders.
2:00:08
And 9.8% of city contracts and purchase orders subject to MWE participation goals under local law 174.
2:00:17
Recent WWE data indicates that even as the city's WWE utilization inches upward, The number of contracts and contract value are skewed very hard against women of color and black and brown business owner is how do we improve the pipeline to bolster the diversity within diversity based on the control of this assessment?
Speaker 6
2:00:42
Okay.
2:00:42
Sure.
2:00:42
Absolutely.
2:00:43
So in terms of the controller's report, which as you said, I believe it was released today, I'm not sure at 10 or at 11.
2:00:48
Obviously, none of us here on the panel have had a chance to read that.
2:00:51
However, we were able to get a preview from the controller's office of some of their top line findings a couple weeks ago.
2:00:57
And to be clear, we disagree.
2:00:59
We disagree with their data findings.
2:01:00
We don't know their methodology.
2:01:02
I'm personally very curious to see how they got there.
2:01:04
So we disagree with their findings.
2:01:05
We disagree with their data.
2:01:07
What is clear is that by local law 1 metrics, which is what's been designated that we have to follow for MWDB program.
2:01:14
That number's up 5%.
2:01:16
Fiscal year 22 to 23.
2:01:18
The disparity within the disparity numbers are trending upwards in the positive sense.
2:01:22
What we're seeing in terms of mg@wBE utilization, we're seeing everything trending up words.
2:01:27
So although I'm interested and certainly appreciate their their their analysis, we also were curious about the difference between those numbers.
2:01:35
Crucially, again, we look at 2 numbers.
2:01:37
Local L1, which both enables and constrains us, That's a number that is has specific inclusions and exclusions, and then one NYC, which allows us to be more holistic about everything the city is doing.
2:01:49
But you must be very rigorous in those numbers both of those metrics were seeing huge success with the disparity.
2:01:53
With the disparity, we're seeing success.
2:01:55
And when we say, even outside of local o one in that area, emergency contracts and the like we're seeing success.
2:02:01
So we look forward to responding to it further and look forward to reviewing their underlying data.
2:02:05
And