SANDAG Equi t y Pl a n and Bench Program Put DBEs in the Game
SANDAG Diversity and Equity team holding “BENCH” sign in front of the San Diego skyline. From left David Santos, Senior Compliance Analyst; Raychel Jones, Small Business Coordinator; Elaine Richardson, Director of Diversity and Equity; Brittany Yamagata, Small Business Coordinator; Erik Staples, Senior Compliance Analyst; (Not Pictured) Alexia Spivey, Senior Administrative Analyst.
F
or many Disadvantaged Business Enterprise firms, the most challenging part of gaining traction in the transportation industry is securing their first contract. The reason is the proverbial Catch-22; it takes prior experience to win a contract, but it is impossible to get experience until someone provides an opportunity. This situation can leave firms stuck on the outside trying to find a way in, and sometimes leads to DBEs seeking opportunities outside of the transportation sector to fulfil their business goals. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is addressing this dilemma through a program designed to offer a streamlined path into public transportation opportunities; especially for DBEs providing professional services in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction Management fields. The SANDAG Bench Program was created in 2012 to provide DBEs greater opportunity to work on capital development projects.
10
/ spring 2021
SANDAG is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for San Diego County and 19 local governments in Southern California. The agency is one of few MPOs that administers capital development activities for the region, and one of few that administers a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program for projects funded by the USDOT Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration. The SANDAG DBE Program is closely aligned with the agency’s overall commitment to equity and inclusion. The SANDAG Board of Directors has affirmed support of greater Diversity, Equity & Inclusion through adopting a “Commitment to Equity” statement to accompany the agency’s vision and mission statement. “This statement is the foundation for the actions SANDAG will take to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion in all programs, projects, and policies,” said SANDAG Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata. “The goal is to capture
the agency’s unequivocal commitment to antiracism and provide a foundation from which to develop an equity action plan in 2021.” The statement identifies how the agency will move forward to create greater equity and says, in part: “In 2021, SANDAG will develop an equity action plan that will inform how we plan, prioritize, fund, and build projects and programs; frame how we work with our communities; define how we recruit and develop our employees; guide our efforts to conduct unbiased research and interpret data; and set expectations for companies and stakeholders that work with us.” Although SANDAG has a track record of promoting opportunities for small, minorityand women-owned businesses, the new equity action plan is included in the agency’s current Regional Transportation Plan and will further strengthen these efforts.
