The Pittsburgh Regional Consortium, an intergovernmental working group, recently announced it will conduct the Pittsburgh Regional Disparity Study with MGT, a consulting firm serving state and local governments, education and targeted commercial clients.
The study will evaluate the effectiveness of race- and gender-neutral as well as race- and gender-conscious programs for minority-, women-, and LGBTQ-owned businesses, particularly regarding participation in local government and other regional contracts.
It will analyze the challenges these businesses face when securing government contracts and will identify barriers to entry. It also will evaluate the effectiveness of current policies and provide recommendations on which policies, programs and procedural changes should be implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable marketplace.
The study is required to be completed every five years but has not been conducted in more than 20 years. The study’s goal is to ensure public dollars are not spent in a way that contributes to, or perpetuates, marketplace discrimination.
When Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey took office in 2022, only 10 percent of the city’s contracts for prime contractors were awarded to minority-owned businesses.
The consortium is comprised of the city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, the Housing Authority, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Stadium Authority, the Parking Authority, and Pittsburgh Water.