Mass. Launches Effort to Help Small, Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses

(Updated May 23, 2008)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a new initiative that focuses on improving its transparency and accountability to make sure that all individuals - regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or physical disability status - have an equal opportunity to work and contract with state government.

Announced May 22, 2008, the initiative reaffirms Gov. Deval Patrick's and the Commonwealth's committment to ensuring equal opportunity and promoting diversity in all aspects of state government, including hiring practices and opening up competition for state contracts, according to a press release from Gov. Patrick's office.

Leslie Kirwan, the state's Secretary of Administration and Finance, has appointed Ron Marlow as Assistant Secretary for Access and Opportunity to lead the efforts and ensure accountability.

Marlow - who served as director of the Governor's Development Cabinet - will oversee the activities of nearly a dozen state agencies that coordinate employment hiring and contracting goals.

The agencies that Marlow will oversee, according to press officer Rebecca Deusser, who spoke to EthnicNewz.org on May 23, are:

• Operational Services Division (OSD)
• Affirmative Market Program (AMP)
• Human Resources Division (HRD)
• Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO)
• State Office of Women and Minority Business Assistance (SOWMBA)
• Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance
• Massachusetts Office of Disability (MOD)
• Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council.

In addition, Marlow will connect the Executive Office of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Community Development for construction projects - that is, to ensure that minority- and women-owned small businesses have access to the bidding process for construction contracts with the state.

Marlow will work with the Governor's Office of Civic Engagement to organize statewide community meetings with residents on access- and opportunity-related issues. An annual report produced by Marlow will then assess the success of this effort.

"I am honored that Secretary Kirwan has appointed me to serve the residents of the Commonwealth in this important effort," said Marlow in a press statement. "It's my goal to maximize both procurement and personnel opportunities; and, for the first time, responsibility for coordination will rest in a single point of contact and entry."

Marlow will work to ensure that small businesses - particularly minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) - can compete for state contracts. The work will focus on improving small businesses' access to the state-contracts system by increasing oversight and coordination among agencies.

As one example, the Administration would help ensure that proposals to bundle construction contracts would guarantee that M/WBEs be able to compete with large and longstanding companies for state contracts.

In addition, the Administration will identify existing state programs, activities and/or policies that may unintentionally limit efforts of individuals to advance economically - and make recommendations to remove such barriers.

For example, the state's workforce development programs may not offer all the resources necessary to help place people with limited skills or limited income into employment.

"The people of Massachusetts deserve transparency and accountability from their government," said Gov. Patrick in a press statement. "By helping to ensure that rights, protections, privileges and responsibilities of citizenship are accessible to all whom live here, this effort will help us to continue to build a better Commonwealth."

source: EthnicNewz.org, with press material from Gov. Patrick's office

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SEE ALSO:

"State Business Program Helps Minority Entrepreneurs in Mass.," Bay State Banner

"Minority Business May Get a Boost in Boston," Bay State Banner