Socioeconomic Programs Status Page Six
• In-person Outreach Events: Civil Rights and Fair Practices will host its first in-person outreach event of the 2026 calendar year titled "Doing Business with the MDTA," on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. In addition to hosting quarterly outreach events, CRFP actively participates in other sponsored outreach events to further educate businesses on how to engage in contracts that include MBE, VSBE, and CSB/SBR goals and/or designations. These efforts also provide guidance on the steps required to participate in such contracts and offer information on MDTA’s upcoming procurement and contracting opportunities. • Target Training and Process Improvements: Based on the findings of an internal MDTA audit, CRFP identified specific training needs as well as opportunities to update its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and general operating practices. In response, CRFP is conducting targeted staff training and process auditing to continue its division-wide efforts to revise SOPs and standard practices. In addition, CRFP is partnering with other MDTA divisions to strengthen coordination and consistency. These actions are intended to improve operational effectiveness, enhance the quality of compliance monitoring, and support MDTA’s continued adherence to applicable regulatory requirements. • Beginning in calendar year 2026, CRFP will begin participating in regular strategic coordination meetings with the Division of Procurement and the Office of Engineering and Construction to improve processes related to the modification of A&E and construction contracts and Schedule of Participation/Plan Evaluations. • Credit card purchases made with MBE, DBE, VSBE, and SBR vendors: CRFP is collaborating with the Purchasing Card Program Administrator and the IT Solutions Administrator to develop an automated process for identifying and tracking credit card transactions made with MBE, DBE, VSBE, and SBR vendors within the purchasing card system. This enhancement will streamline data compilation and reporting, making it more efficient and manageable. Additionally, this functionality will enable CRFP to monitor the frequency of cardholder purchases from these vendors, helping to uncover opportunities for targeted training or recognition. This option would make compiling and reporting this data more manageable and efficient. o CRFP and IT have ongoing project meetings to discuss the interface between MDTA's Maximo System and MDOT-TSO’s Office of Minority Business Enterprise MBE Directory Data to identify MBE/DBE firms on credit card purchases. It was determined that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is necessary between TSO and MDTA to clearly define roles, responsibilities, and expectations involving how director data can/will be integrated into the PRISM compliance system. The MOU was established and sent to TSO for their review and approval. o As of June 2025, MDOT TSO and MDTA have both signed the MOU, and it is currently in the final stages of processing for execution.
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