Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement Good Faith Effort topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Francisco committee backs numeric point system to ease contractor outreach burden
Summary
The Human Rights Commission-backed amendment would replace rigid outreach checklist requirements with a 100-point good-faith-effort scale (80 points to pass), aiming to give small and minority contractors more flexibility to compete for city contracts.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Government Audit and Oversight Committee on Oct. 27 reviewed an ordinance amendment that would direct the Human Rights Commission to adopt a numeric point system measuring contractors’ ‘good faith’ outreach to Local Business Enterprises. The measure, presented by HRC Director Chris Iglesias, passed the committee forward to the full Board with a recommendation.
Iglesias told the committee the amendment, unanimously adopted by the HRC on Sept. 11, 2008, would operate on a 100‑point scale with 80 points required to meet the outreach obligation. Under the proposal, commonly required activities would receive fixed point values — for example, attendance at a pre‑bid meeting would be worth 15 points, targeted notice to requisite LBEs 45 points, follow‑up negotiation 20 points and identifying subcontracting opportunities 10 points.
Supporters, including Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, framed the change as a way to reduce burdens on small and minority contractors who must now meet all prescriptive steps to demonstrate outreach. Maxwell said tweaks were intended to make the program “more accessible and a good program for everyone.” Javad Mirseidi, a small‑business principal and advisory‑committee member who testified during public comment, told supervisors the points system would be “much more user friendly” while achieving the same results.
The ordinance would preserve the program’s intent while giving contracting staff and contractors greater flexibility in how outreach is accomplished. HRC said the advisory committee and staff reviewed best practices from other jurisdictions before recommending the change. The committee sent the item to the full Board with a recommendation; it is scheduled for the Nov. 4 Board meeting.
