Study reveals ways to increase minority construction.

With the goal of helping to increase the participation of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in public construction, a partnership of leaders in private industry and government has released a report on how growth opportunities for those firms can be improved.

The report, entitled "Building a Stronger New York," is based on a study conducted jointly by the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors and the New York Building Congress. Enhanced by detailed information on successful programs initiated by individual construction firms in New York, the report represents the industry's first how-to guide on effectively developing and executing minority and women's contractor programs.

"Although many programs have had some success in increasing the participation of minority and women contractors in construction projects, these programs haven't necessarily been effective in promoting real contractor growth," said Timothy Sheehan, Regional Alliance executive director.

The report calls on New York's public agencies and major construction companies to make the expansion of opportunities for minority and women contracting firms a priority, while acknowledging that it cannot be government's goal to ensure that every minority or women's enterprise succeeds. The report emphasizes that "it should be government's goal to ensure that it does not unnecessarily create obstacles to the growth of such businesses." Public agencies and leading construction firms can create the conditions that make it possible for smaller firms to

The report proceeds to identify a variety of public-agency policies and construction industry practices that limit the growth opportunities available to small, minority- and women-owned firms, and recommends how they can be changed.

For instance, the study points out that one of the biggest barriers to participation of small contractors in public projects is that detailed information on their availability and capabilities is not always readily available to large contractors or construction managers developing a bid or proposal. One recommendation to overcome the problem is the creation of a shared database containing just such information.

The report also offers specific information and recommendations in the areas of access to financing, payment practices, and certification procedures for minority- and women-owned businesses. It includes sections regarding joint ventures and program management, as well, along with an appendix detailing specific policies and practices of seven key New York area public agencies.

An invaluable workbook for other states or regions on how to establish a working program for providing business opportunities for women- and minority-owned contractors, the report serves the equally important role of demonstrating how government and private industry can work together in setting common goals. As it points out, such cooperation and problem-solving serves the end result of making public construction more efficient and less costly,

The Regional Alliance for Small Contractors is an industry partnership led by major corporations in construction, minority businesses and public agencies, with a goal of helping small, minority- and women-owned businesses compete openly and effectively for public and private sector contracts. It provides an array of financial, management and market services that target the key factors that determine the profitability and growth of small contractors.

The New York Building Congress is a 72-year old coalition of participants in construction including private owners, government agencies, architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, representatives of organized labor, lawyers, accountants, and other construction-related professionals Its 250,000 members work to inform public policies affecting the industry and to create construction jobs in the New York area.

The "Building a Stronger New York" study was funded by the New York State Urban Development Corporation and the New York Job Development Authority. Copies of the 60-page bound report are available by contacting The Regional Alliance, One World Trade Center, Room 445, New York, NY 10048, phone [phone].