The U.S. Department of Transportation has recently published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE) program. The NPRM along with state initiatives both in favor of and opposed to local diversity programs are causing confusion and varying interpretations of what is required for compliance. TRB hosted a webinar on Thursday, July 13, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM Eastern that will feature experts from federal and state agencies addressing the consistent issues regarding the DBE program. Presenters discussed goal setting, certification criteria, Commercially Useful Function (CUF) reviews, and compliance for trucking, material suppliers, and multi-tier subcontractors. Presenters also explored the DBE program execution on traditional versus alternative procurements as well as the expectation of reporting the payment and commitment data on projects and semi-annual reports.
This webinar was sponsored by TRB’s Standing Technical Committee on Contracting Equity.
The slides and recording are available.
Webinar agenda and presenters
Federal DBE program expectations and best practices – Martha Kenley, Federal Highway Administration
State DOT DBE program expectations and best practices – Michael Bryant, Texas Department of Transportation
Alternative procurement DBE program expectations and best practices – Christine Thorkildsen, Federal Highway Administration
Question and answer session moderated by Angela Berry-Roberson, WSP
The first 60 minutes of the webinar were for presentations and the final 30 minutes were reserved for audience questions.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, participants can:
Understand the correct requirements and expectations of the DBE program
Utilize best practices to correctly implement the requirements of the DBE program
Professional Development Hours
This webinar was delivered as a scheduled – e-learning live event and is categorized within RCEP as Technical, Health and Safety.
Professional Development Hours (PDHs) earned on completion of this program were reported to the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP). Certificates of Completion are issued to all participants via the RCEP.net online system. Complaints about registered providers may be addressed to RCEP, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Fl., Washington, DC, 20005.