Jersey City

Supplier Diversity Study

2019 SUPPLIER DIVERSITY STUDY

The City of Jersey City has contracted Rutgers Business School-Public Private Community Partnerships, to conduct a research study to identify disparities in government contracts awarded to businesses owned by people of color, women, veterans, and LGBT identifying individuals. The 2019 Supplier Diversity Study builds upon the foundations of a traditional purchasing disparity study, required by City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co. (1989).

The Study examines Jersey City government procurement between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2018. Research will take place during 2019 and a final report will be completed in the beginning of 2020. In-depth work specifications and timeline for the project can be found here.

Results from this research study will allow the City to update existing policies, create new programs, and implement processes that will ensure equal opportunity for participation in Jersey City’s public contracting process.

STATUS UPDATE

Project Management	ON-GOING
Community Engagement	STARTED
Legal Analysis and Framework	ON-GOING
Review of Contracting	STARTED
Utilization Analysis	STARTED
Availability Analysis	STARTED
Disparity Analysis	FRAMEWORK
Explorations of any Disparities	FRAMEWORK
Analyses of Marketplace Conditions	FRAMEWORK
Recommendations	FRAMEWORK
Reports and Presentations	FRAMEWORK

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A purchasing disparity study determines whether a government entity, has previously or currently engages in exclusionary practices in the solicitation and award of contracts to minority, and women-owned, and disadvantaged business enterprises (MWDBEs) in its established market area. A study is required to determine whether or not a government entity is justified in implementing a minority/women set-aside program.

Disparities will be calculated in the form of an index. The “disparity index” is the ratio of the percentage of utilization and the percentage of availability of MWDBEs

% MWDBE utilization / % MWDBE availability
If Disparity Index Is:
Equal to 100, MWDBE utilization is level to MWDBE availability
Less than 80, MWDBE utilization is significantly low in the market area
Between 80 and 100, MWDBE is close to full participation but still indicates non-significant underutilization

Yes, the City of Jersey City conducted a purchasing disparity study in 2007. The final report, presented in 2011, made recommendations based on analysis of Jersey City purchasing from 2001 through 2008.

Since 2011, the City has taken several steps to improve its utilization of minority and women owned business enterprises in public contracting. These efforts include creating the Office of Diversity & Inclusion which oversees supplier diversity, hosting a biannual Doing Business with Jersey City workshop, and assisting minority and women owned business enterprises with obtaining certifications.

The 2019 study expands upon the previous study by including information about the participation of veteran-owned and LGBT-owned businesses in the City’s public contracting. This additional data will allow the City to ensure that its purchasing policies and procedures are inclusive to all members of the Jersey City community.

The final study report will provide the City with an independent, objective review of small, minority-, woman-, veteran-, and LGBT-owned business participation in Jersey City’s contracting process and recommendations for improvement. This information will allow the City to update supplier diversity goals, fine-tune implementation of supplier diversity programs, and increase opportunities for MWDBE utilization.

GET INVOLVED

The City welcomes all residents and business owners interested in the 2019 Supplier Diversity Study to get involved in one of the following ways:

Study Participation (Business Owners Only)
Sign up here to share your story with the Supplier Diversity Study Research Team.

Follow the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at @jerseycityodi to receive live updates on the study and other opportunities!