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ODOT: DBE contract count exceeds target while dollars paid decline, prompting metric review
Summary
ODOT told the committee DBE contract counts (utilization) exceed the 25% KPM target (33.53%) but FHWA 'actual' dollars paid are lower (~8.5%), raising questions about what the agency should measure to reflect wealth creation and opportunity.
Angela Crane, manager in ODOT's Office of Engagement and Civil Rights, walked the committee through the distinction between the KPM (percent of ODOT‑awarded contracts that go to DBEs) and the FHWA 'actual' metric (dollars paid to DBEs). She said utilization is at 33.53% for 2024 compared with a 25% aspirational target, while the dollars‑paid measure reported to FHWA is about 8.5%.
"When you look across for 2024, the measurement of the KPM, we're actually at 33.53% as compared to a 25% target," Crane said. She and committee members discussed how the type of work bid (for example, paving tends to be lower‑dollar and offers fewer DBE opportunities compared with bridge or structural work) influences dollars paid even as contract counts rise. Staff suggested revisiting how utilization and 'actual' are displayed and whether different breakdowns (by NAICS code, region and project type) would better reveal opportunity and wealth‑creation outcomes for DBEs.
