The Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS), in partnership with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) and the Governor's Office, have announced that the state will be conducting a disparity study into the State's contracting practices and procedures. Specifically, the study will examine the State's utilization of small and diverse businesses in public procurement to determine whether such businesses are underutilized relative to their availability, and, if so, what can be done to remedy this underutilization.
The last disparity study the State conducted was over two decades ago, and the new study will provide much-needed data on small and diverse business contracting by the government. Currently, Connecticut operates a small and minority business (SBE/MBE) program with an annual set-aside goal of 25 percent. The findings of the study may form part of the legal basis for revising that goal or proposing new means of utilizing SBE/MBEs to their fullest extent.
"Ensuring equitable outcomes is paramount to my administration's work, whether it be in education, workforce training, economic development, or access to assistance or contracting," said Governor Ned Lamont in a statement.
Read the press release from DAS at https://portal.ct.gov/das/knowledge-base/articles/dasblog/disparity-study-launch.
Read the press release from the Governor's Office at https://portal.ct.gov/office-of-the-governor/news/press-releases/2022/04-2022/governor-lamont-announces-awarding-of-disparity-study-contract.
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