Equitable Contracting at Communities of Opportunity
COO has and continues to work in partnership with Best Starts for Kids, King County, and the Seattle Foundation to promote procurement and grant-making processes that are equitable, responsive and adaptive, and focused on those whose needs are greatest and whose access has historically been limited — often smaller community-based organizations and consultants, many of whom are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color led organizations and first time King County contract holders.
To support continuous improvement and learning for this equitable contracting work COO sought to document where and how COO has been successful in creating more equitable procurement processes, particularly in the area of contracting, and what gaps continue to exist. Victoria García Tamayo from Contacto Consulting worked with COO staff members to develop and implement a research project reviewing King County COO Community Service Agreements and Consultant Contract processes, looking at best practices from the field, and conducting key informant interviews with COO community partners to answer the following key questions:
How is equitable contracting defined by experts in the field? How is equitable contracting demonstrated/measured?
What requirements exist for COO awarded partners and consultants, and why do they exist?
Where and how has COO been successful in creating more equitable contracting processes? What have been the impacts of changes made by COO?
Where have COO and community partners run into challenges? How did the initiative respond and adapt? How did the system(s) respond and adapt or change?
What contracting processes should COO continue?
What contracting processes should COO examine further?
The final report, Review of Equity in Contracting at Communities of Opportunity, and the Executive Summary may be downloaded below. The Lunch and Learn recording with report author, Victoria García Tamayo, may also be viewed below.
Download the executive summary here:
Review of Equity in Contracting at Communities of Opportunity - Executive Summary
Download the report here:
Review of Equity in Contracting at Communities of Opportunity
Equity in Contracting at Communities of Opportunity Lunch and Learn, April 27, 2022 recording.
COO hosted a Lunch and Learn for interested King County staff on April 27th, 12-1pm, with Equitable Contracting at Communities of Opportunity report author Victoria García Tamayo (Contacto Consulting). This Lunch and Learn presentation included report findings, process, and a discussion on recommendations and next steps. The recording can be viewed at the link above and also here.
We invite you to share the report and the lunch and learn info with other staff; we hope the information in the report can contribute to and support the equitable contracting conversations and activities already happening in Best Starts, public health, and across other departments and divisions in King County. To learn more about opportunities to support more equitable contracting systems and policies in King County - please connect with us! Contact Cristina Gonzalez at: crgonzalez@kingcounty.gov.