Nevada Transportation Disparity Study
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) commissioned BBC Research & Consulting (BBC) to conduct a disparity study to assess whether small businesses, people of color (POC)-owned businesses, woman-owned businesses, LGBTQ-owned businesses, and veteran-owned businesses face any barriers as part of LAS or RTC’s contracting processes. Information from the study will help LAS and RTC evaluate and refine their efforts to encourage the participation of small businesses, as well as POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned businesses in their contracts and help inform any refinements LAS and RTC might make to their implementation of their supplier diversity programs, including the Federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program.
Study Analysis. The disparity study will focus on construction, professional services, non-professional services, and supplies contracts and procurements LAS and RTC awarded between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2022. The core purpose of the disparity study will be to examine whether there are any disparities between:
- The percentage of contract dollars LAS and RTC spent with small businesses, as well as with POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned businesses during the study period (utilization); and
- The percentage of contract dollars small businesses, as well as POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned businesses might be expected to receive based on their availability to perform specific types and sizes of LAS and RTC contracts (availability).
The study will also examine other information related to:
- Legal considerations surrounding the implementation of small business programs, as well as POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned business programs;
- Marketplace conditions throughout Southern Nevada for POCs, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, and POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned businesses;
- Contracting policies and business assistance programs LAS and RTC currently have in place; and
- Program measures for the agencies to consider implementing to further encourage the participation of small businesses, as well as POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned business participation in its work.
Study schedule. BBC initiated the disparity study in December 2022 and will complete the study at the end of Spring 2024. For the study schedule, click here.
Key contacts. If you have any questions or comments regarding the disparity study, please see below for contact information.
Study progress. LAS and RTC will provide regular updates about BBC’s progress on the disparity study throughout its course. Please check back periodically for those updates.
Project initiation. LAS, RTC, and BBC kicked off the disparity study in December 2022 with a series of meetings with various representatives from LAS, RTC, and local business organizations. BBC introduced the study, answered questions, and began the process of understanding contracting and vendor data LAS and RTC maintain. For the initiation presentation, click here
Data collection. BBC worked with LAS and RTC to collect data on contracts and procurements LAS and RTC awarded during the study period as well as information about the vendors that participated in that work.
Community meetings. The project team conducted two community meetings with relevant stakeholders on January 17, 2023. During the community meetings, BBC presented information about the disparity study, answered questions, and solicited participants for any verbal or written testimony regarding their experiences working in the local marketplace. For the community meeting presentation, click here.
Next steps. BBC will engage in the following disparity study tasks in the coming months:
- Data analysis. BBC will begin the data analysis process by compiling data it receives from LAS and RTC and assessing the subindustries that account for the majority of LAS and RTC contracting and procurement as well as the geographical area that accounts for the vast majority of vendors that compete for that work (i.e., relevant geographic market area, or RGMA).
- Availability surveys. The project team will begin conducting availability surveys with businesses in RGMA that perform work relevant to LAS and RTC contracting and procurement. If we contact your business, please participate in the survey process to help ensure an accurate and comprehensive study!
- In-depth interviews. The study team will begin conducting in-depth interviews with business owners throughout the local marketplace. The interviews will provide the study team with detailed information about marketplace conditions related to starting a business, trying to grow a business, working with local public agencies, and a variety of other topics. If we contact your business, please participate in the interview process to help ensure an accurate and comprehensive study!
Project Team
The project team for the 2023 Nevada Transportation Disparity Study includes five firms that possess expertise directly relevant to conducting the study in a manner that meets the highest industry and legal standards.
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BBC Research & Consulting (BBC) Primary Contacts
Iris McClish
Stephanie Ayers |
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MYS Firm (MYS)
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Exstare Federal Services (Exstare)
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Davis Research
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Holland & Knight
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Events
The project team is committed to engaging the public meaningfully throughout the course of the 2023 Nevada Transportation Disparity Study. BBC will host various events to help the public understand the purpose of the study and offer opportunities for the public to submit testimony and comments about their experiences working in the local marketplace and with LAS and RTC and other local agencies. The events schedule will be updated regularly. Please check back periodically for those updates.
FAQs
A disparity study examines whether there are differences between:
- The percentage of dollars small businesses, as well as POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned businesses received on an organization’s prime contracts and subcontracts during a particular time period (utilization); and
- The percentage of dollars those businesses would be expected to receive based on their availability to perform on the organization’s prime contracts and subcontracts (availability).
The comparison between the participation and availability of small businesses as well as POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned businesses in an organization’s contracting is referred to as a disparity analysis. In addition to utilization, availability, and disparity analyses, disparity studies typically examine other information about:
- Legal considerations surrounding the implementation of POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned business programs;
- Conditions in the local marketplace for POCs, women, veterans, and POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned businesses;
- Contracting practices and business assistance programs the organizations currently have in place; and
- Potential program measures for consideration as part of the organizations’ implementations of POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned business programs.
The study will be completed in Spring 2024.
The disparity study will examine prime contracts and subcontracts LAS and RTC awarded between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2022. The study will examine construction, professional services, non-professional services, and supplies contracts and procurements.
Information the project team collects as a part of the disparity study will help inform LAS and RTC’s implementations of their supplier diversity programs, including the Federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. Among other information, the disparity study will provide:
- An independent, objective review of small, POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned business participation in LAS and RTC prime contracts and subcontracts;
- Information that is useful for setting overall annual aspirational goals for the participation of POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned businesses in LAS and RTC contracting and procurement; and
- Insights about how LAS and RTC might improve contracting for local businesses and how it could better encourage the participation of small businesses, as well as POC-, woman-, LGBTQ-, and veteran-owned businesses in the future.
There are several ways in which you can participate in the 2023 Nevada Transportation Disparity Study:
- Share your experiences working in the local marketplace or with LAS and RTC by emailing the project team directly at LASRTCdisparitystudy@bbcresearch.com. You can also submit written comments at tinyurl.com/NevadaDisparity.
- Respond to our requests to complete a business survey. If you represent a business working in the local marketplace, you may be contacted as a part of the survey process. If you are contacted, please help the project team by participating!
- Respond to our requests to complete an in-depth interview. If you represent a business working in the local marketplace, you may be contacted as a part of the interview process. If you are contacted, please help the project team by participating!
- Call us if you have any unanswered questions about the study. For our contact information, click here.
Materials
LAS and RTC will provide access to relevant disparity study notes, presentations, and reports below. Please check back periodically for updated documents throughout the course of the study.
Project initiation presentation. LAS, RTC, and BBC initiated the disparity study in December 2022 with a series of meetings with representatives from LAS, RTC, and local business organizations. BBC introduced the study, answered questions, and began the process of understanding contracting and vendor data LAS and RTC maintain. For the presentation that the project team used for those meetings, click here.
Community meeting presentation. LAS, RTC, and BBC held a series of community meetings in January 2023, during which the project team presented information about the disparity study, answered questions, and solicited participants for verbal or written testimony regarding their experiences working in the local marketplace. For the community meeting presentation, click here.
Comments
Please submit any comments you may have about your experiences working in the local marketplace, working with LAS and RTC, or about the disparity study. Topic areas could include:
- Conditions in the local marketplace, including any potential barriers businesses face in being successful or growing;
- Contracting opportunities with LAS, RTC, or other government organizations;
- Business assistance programs LAS, RTC, or other government organizations currently use;
- Any recommendations for additional business assistance programs LAS and RTC could consider implementing; or The 2023 Nevada Transportation Disparity Study itself.
Your comments will be treated confidentially. They will be integrated as part of the project team’s analyses of local marketplace conditions without identifying you as the source.
E-mail your confidential comments directly to the project team at LASRTCdisparitystudy@bbcresearch.com or use the comments box below.
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding the disparity study, please contact one of the following individuals:
Joe Coe
Airport Manager – Chief Diversity Officer
Harry Reid International Airport
(t) 702-261-5982
(e) joec@lasairport.com
Tonita Brown
Senior Purchasing & Contracts Analyst / DBE Liaison Officer
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
(t) 702-676-1507
(e) brownt@rtcsnv.com
Alternatively, you can contact a member of the project team directly:
Iris McClish
Managing Director
BBC Research & Consulting
(t) 303-321-2547, ext. 245
(e) imcclish@bbcresearch.com
Stephanie Ayers
Associate
BBC Research & Consulting
(t) 303-321-2547, ext. 249
(e) sayers@bbcresearch.com
or at: LASRTCdisparitystudy@bbcresearch.com