Boston highlights equitable‑procurement tools — dashboard, IQC, training and SCALE grants — amid calls for greater transparency

At a July 24 Boston City Council committee hearing, procurement, supplier diversity and auditing staff presented an overview of citywide tools and steps meant to expand vendor participation by local, women‑owned and BIPOC‑owned businesses.

Procurement staff said the department expanded vendor support after the FY24 budget increased staffing. The vendor support team fields roughly "1,300 requests a month for support from vendors," procurement staff told the committee, and the department added analysts who specialize in services contracts and provide training to city staff. Staff also described a new procurement training program that has already trained more than 100 city employees in eight‑hour sessions to improve procurement and payment practices.

The administration…