Consultants give Durham council timeline for procurement disparity study; public info sessions set for March

Miller3 Consulting gave City Council an update on the 2025 Durham disparity study, describing the study’s methodology, stakeholder engagement and a timeline for findings and implementation support.

Consultant Dave Miller said the study integrates legal analysis, procurement operations review, market availability mapping, statistical comparisons and qualitative outreach (interviews, focus groups and surveys) to produce a legally defensible assessment of supplier availability and city contracting utilization. “The study is designed to answer questions, not advocate for specific policies,” Miller told the council.

Miller reported draft chapters were delivered to the policy committee and that public information sessions for businesses and residents are scheduled for March to capture additional perspectives. Staff and the consultant said the final report, with a menu of actionable recommendations, is expected to come to council in Q2 2026; the consultant described post‑study implementation support options, performance dashboards and possible use of contingency funds to act on priorities.

Council members asked when formal recommendations would be presented and whether council would vote on any implementation steps; Miller said council will receive the findings and a set of options and that any implementation should follow council direction and may be phased. Staff emphasized the goal of translating findings into measurable policy and performance metrics rather than leaving the report on a shelf.

The consultant said he had engaged more than 15 departments and over 20 supporting units for data collection and noted the work is ahead of schedule. Council directed staff to publicize upcoming March sessions and prepare for a Q2 presentation of final recommendations.