Review of Equity in Contracting at COO
September 2021 – February 2022
COO Areas of Strength COO employs several best practices in their approach to contracting for equity. There are also other best practices associated with King County and Best Starts for Kids that are relevant are worth mentioning as they impact COO. These are some of the key areas identified:
People •
COO Program Managers have the best pulse on what is happening for organizations. Community partners have deep trust in them.
Assessment •
This review of equitable contracting is an applied best practice.
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COO and BSK have compelled Public Health, DCHS and King County Procurement to really think about contracting processes.
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Staff are constantly taking into consideration feedback from King County departments as well as from suppliers and contractors.
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There are written procedures and desk manuals.
Contract structure •
COO Procurement and Operations Manager has established a solid foundation for equitable contracting within the initiative and has built significant relationships with procurement teams. These systems can be replicated by other King County departments and used as best practices during the King County equitable contracting assessment.
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COO’s approach embeds the best practice of having goals for including organizations/small businesses led by Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC).
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Community partners feel they have designed deliverables in partnership with COO. Community partners feel there is commitment by COO to support BIPOC organizations and businesses and specific geographic areas with higher disparities. COO and BSK use best-value contracts for both community-based organizations and consultants. Generally, throughout King County, unless they are for purchasing objects that can be best evaluated by price alone, contracts are best-value oriented. Price is a component, but the goal is more about people’s ability to be the best agency to deliver the service within the budget. Through the Small Business Accelerator, King County reserves certain contracts for competition among certified Small Contractor and Supplier (SCS) consultants and service providers.
Capacity building •
COO offers many capacity building and technical assistance opportunities.
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In BSK 2.0, capacity building is a separate line-item strategy. It used to be 1% of each item. This provides more funding and allows for more flexibility.
Contacto Consulting for King County Communities of Opportunity
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