Department: County Administration
Department Head/Elected Official: Diana Ramirez, County Administrator
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Discussion Item
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for discussion and possible action on a program proposal for the Harris County M/WBE Scorecard to assess implementation of the Minority & Women-Owned-Business Enterprise (M/WBE) program across Harris County departments.
end
Background and Discussion:
On January 29, 2019, the Commissioners Court established the Harris County Department of Economic Opportunity and Equity, which was later renamed the Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity (DEEO). This department was tasked with managing the Countywide M/WBE Program, initiated in response to the findings of a disparity study released on June 30, 2020.
The M/WBE Program Policy outlines 16 roles and responsibilities for County User Departments involved in the awarding and monitoring of County contracts. Key responsibilities include designating individuals to monitor and report M/WBE compliance to DEEO, collaborating with DEEO to anticipate upcoming solicitations, identifying M/WBEs for specific contract opportunities, and assisting in the development, monitoring, and implementation of M/WBE contract goals and commitments. DEEO is committed to overseeing the M/WBE Program and seeks to collaborate with County agencies and departments to achieve Harris County’s aspirational goal of 30% participation of M/WBEs in total County contract spending.
On June 4, 2024, Commissioners Court directed the Office of County Administration (OCA) to collaborate with US, DEEO, Purchasing, and the Auditor’s Office to:
- Review M/WBE utilization and all other relevant data pertaining to the implementation of Harris County’s M/WBE policies at the department level.
- Develop a comprehensive M/WBE scorecard design and template.
- Present grading criteria options for Commissioner Court review and approval to assign A, B, C, D, or F grades based on Harris County Department outcomes.
- Provide a recommendation on a regular release and update cadence for the M/WBE scorecard.
- Ensure that the M/WBE scorecard is easily accessible to the public.
To support this initiative, OCA’s Technical Assistance and Performance division (TAP) collaborated with the key stakeholders listed above. Feedback was also gathered from County departments such as HCTRA, Flood Control, Engineering, Harris County Public Library, OCA’s Research and Analysis Division, and OCA’s Chief Equity Officer. Furthermore, TAP engaged with the NYC Comptroller’s “Making the Grade” program team, which offered a valuable model for this proposed project.
This proposal developed by DEEO presents two options for the design of the Harris County M/WBE Scorecard program. We are requesting the Court's feedback on these options to aid in the final design and implementation of the M/WBE Scorecard program.
Expected Impact:
The scorecard would provide a higher level of accountability for implementation of Harris County’s M/WBE
program and a transparent way to measure the success of the program through a letter grading system.
• Transparent Evaluation: By evaluating current practices and outcomes openly, the Scorecard will provide valuable insights to support and enhance the M/WBE program across the County.
• Empowering Departments: The Scorecard will equip departments and DEEO with essential data to inform policy, programmatic, and structural changes, helping to identify and address any inadvertent barriers that may hinder M/WBE participation in the procurement process. This initiative will empower departments to proactively identify and request the resources they need to effectively fill any gaps.
• Enhancing Understanding and Awareness: The Scorecard will improve the understanding of Harris County’s M/WBE program within County departments and the broader Harris County community, thereby increasing awareness of engaging M/WBEs through the procurement lifecycle.
• Improving Visibility: By offering clearer visibility into Harris County’s M/WBE spending, the Scorecard will help identify opportunities for improvement and support the County’s annual aspirational goal of achieving 30% M/WBE participation in total contract spending. The Scorecard granular analysis by department will complement the “big picture” results published biannually in DEEO’s M/WBE Utilization Report.
The fiscal impact of this request depends on the program design to be implemented -
• Option A: Scorecard Publication without Department Support (Labor Costs: $276,763)
o Project Manager (1 FTE, $147,788): The Project Manager is responsible for managing the development, implementation, and ongoing enhancement of performance scorecards across the County. This role will lead the design of the metrics, the analysis of the data, and the coordination with the participating departments to collect feedback to refine the Scorecard.
o Data Reporting Analyst (1 FTE, $128,975): The Data Reporting Analyst will provide critical capacity to the Project Manager in the matters related to data collection, maintenance, analysis, and reporting. It will also assist the Project Manager in aligning the data systems with the Scorecard requirements to ensure that the necessary data for the Scorecard implementation is available. This role will be responsible for transforming raw data into meaningful insights, enabling departments to understand key performance indicators and make data-driven choices.
• Option B: Scorecard Publication with Department Support (Labor Costs: $534,715)
o Project Manager (1 FTE, $147,788): The Project Manager is responsible for managing the development, implementation, and ongoing enhancement of performance scorecards across the County. This role will lead the design of the metrics, the analysis of the data, and the coordination with the participating departments to collect feedback to refine the Scorecard.
o Data Reporting Analyst (1 FTE, $128,975): The Data Reporting Analyst will provide critical capacity to the Project Manager in the matters related to data collection, maintenance, analysis, and reporting. It will also assist the Project Manager in aligning the data systems with the Scorecard requirements to ensure that the necessary data for the Scorecard implementation is available. This role will be responsible for transforming raw data into meaningful insights, enabling departments to understand key performance indicators and make data-driven choices.
o M/WBE Business Development Analyst (2 FTEs; $257,951): The M/WBE Business Development Analyst will play a key role in supporting internal departments to identify and integrate M/WBE businesses into the County’s supply chain and daily operations. The role focuses on analyzing departmental needs, sourcing M/WBE business vendors, and ensuring compliance with organizational spend targets for M/WBE business utilization.
Alternative Options:
The Court can approve Option A (the plan with no additional staff to support departments) or Option B (the plan with additional staff to support departments). Or the Court may decline to approve this program design and DEEO would not move forward with the project.
Alignment with Goal(s):
_ Justice and Safety
X Economic Opportunity
_ Housing
_ Public Health
_ Transportation
_ Flooding
_ Environment
X Governance and Customer Service
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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6/4/2024 |
397 |
Request and possible action that relevant departments and the Harris County Auditor collaborate to develop a scorecard that measures the level of implementation of the Minority & Women-Owned-Business Enterprise (M/WBE) program within Harris County departments using criteria approved by the Commissioners Court. |
Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Option A: $170,316 Option B: $329,055 |
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Option A: $170,316 Option B: $329,055 |
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Option A: $170,316 Option B: $329,055 |
Option A: $276,763 Option B: $534,715 |
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Option A: 2 Option B: 4 |
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Anticipated Court Date: 10/29/2024
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date):
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department:
Estella Gonzalez, Executive Director, Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity
Maya P. Thornton, Director of Inclusive Procurement, Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity
Rachel O’Connell, Sr. Project Manager, Office of County Administration
Attachments (if applicable): M/WBE Scorecard Program Proposal, Fiscal Review Request Form