PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE: INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES AND
ACCESS FOR DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES
October 6, 2000
Today, President Clinton signed an Executive Order to increase access to
federal contracts for disadvantaged businesses, reaffirming the
Administration's commitment to ensuring that all Americans share in our
nation?s prosperity. The Executive Order directs agencies to take
affirmative steps to increase contracting between the federal government
and Small Disadvantaged Businesses, 8(a) Businesses, and Minority Business
Enterprises. These businesses play a vital role in our nation's economy,
but have faced historic underutilization in Federal procurement.
TAKING AFFIRMATIVE STEPS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
The Executive Order directs Federal departments and agencies with
procurement authority to take aggressive and specific actions to ensure
inclusion of disadvantaged businesses in federal contracting, including:
1. Aggressively using the 8(a) program and statutory price credit
programs to bring more disadvantaged businesses into the federal
procurement process.
2. Enforcing commitments by prime contractors to use small and
disadvantaged businesses as subcontractors.
3. Using all available media to inform disadvantaged businesses of
federal contracting opportunities.
4. Encouraging mentor-protege programs to assist disadvantaged businesses
to network and build relationships with each other and with large and more
established businesses.
5. Directing each agency to establish goals for contracting with
disadvantaged businesses, including with 8(a) businesses -- specifying that
these are minimum goals and are not considered a ceiling for such
contracting.
6. Providing the Small Business Administration with an increased role in
working with agencies to monitor efforts to increase contracting with
disadvantaged businesses and ensure that agencies meet their contracting
goals.
HOLDING AGENCIES ACCOUNTABLE FOR RESULTS. The Executive Order holds
agencies directly accountable for carrying out the terms of the Order by:
1. Requiring each agency to develop a long-term comprehensive strategic
plan within 90 days of the issuance of the Order and to submit the plan to
the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review who
will then report to the President on the adequacy of the plans.
2. Directing each agency head to designate an official at least at the
level of Deputy Secretary as the point person for ensuring that the terms
of the Executive Order are fulfilled.
3. Requiring each agency to submit annual reports on the results of their
efforts to increase federal contracting with disadvantaged businesses. The
Director of OMB will review these reports.
EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES IN ADVERTISING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
INDUSTRIES. The Clinton/Gore Administration is working to expand
opportunities and access to advertising and information technology for
disadvantaged businesses, recognizing that these industries play an
important role in our economy and society. The Executive Order directs
federal departments and agencies to ensure that all creation, placement,
and transmission of federal advertising are fully reflective of the
nation?s diversity. Furthermore, the Order directs each federal department
and agency to aggressively seek to ensure small and disadvantaged
businesses participate in procurement for information technology and
telecommunications industry.
CHALLENGING ADVERTISERS TO ADDRESS DIVERSITY ISSUES. Shortly after the
release of the of the FCC-chartered report that found discriminatory
business practices against minority broadcasters, Vice President Gore
addressed the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and challenged its
members to demonstrate their understanding of the value of diversity and
the business sense of serving minority customers. In response to the Vice
President's challenge, AAF developed the Principles for Effective
Advertising in the American Multicultural Marketplace, a strategic plan for
boosting minority representation in the advertising industry. The President
and Vice President commend AAF for its leadership in adopting these
principles.
PROMOTING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS. Today,
Vice President Gore?s National Partnership for Reinventing Government and
the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a report highlighting the importance
of developing a diverse workforce to achieve success and maintain a
competitive advantage. The report, Best Practices in Achieving Workforce
Diversity, identifies common themes among nine employers with exceptional
success in building diverse staffs. These partners include Coors Brewing
Company, DaimlerChrysler, Eastman Kodak, Fannie Mae, The Prudential
Insurance Company of America, The Seattle Times, Sempra Energy, U.S. Coast
Guard and Xerox.
These organizations had a number of policies in common, including: holding
managers responsible for building diverse staffs; taking employee
suggestions seriously; and adopting diversity as a management philosophy.
Furthermore, each of these employers operates under the premise that
diversity is good for business. This report should serve as a model for
private and public sectors as they develop their workforce in our diverse
society. The report is available online at www.npr.gov and www.doc.gov. To
obtain printed copies, please contact the Office of Management and
Organization, U.S. Department of Commerce at 202-482-3707.
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