COMMUNITY / KCMO Disparity Study

The City of Kansas City Missouri’s Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity (CREO) Office conducts a Disparity Study every seven to ten years to evaluate participation in City contracts. After the 2006 study identified significant gaps in representation, the City established the current M/WBE program, which sets participation goals for certified M/WBE businesses on publicly funded projects over $300,000.

Last month, the City released the latest Disparity Study (FY2016–FY2022). Conducted by an Atlanta-based consultant, it analyzed contract data, stakeholder input, and City policies to assess equity across the AEC industry.

To great surprise, the study found lower levels of measurable disparity than in previous studies, reflecting progress in the City’s efforts and going so far as to say that the essential M/WBE program is not needed anymore. However, the chasm of awarded contracts between M/WBEs and traditional organizations still favors traditional organizations exponentially.

The primary recommendation coming out of this study is to transition to Small Business Enterprise (“SBE”) or select M/WBE contract-by-contract goals.
“To mitigate legal risk and improve program effectiveness, the City should consider transitioning away from race- and gender-conscious remedies and instead adopt narrowly tailored, race- and gender-neutral measures by substituting M/WBE goals with SBE goals, given the finding of SLBE Underutilization across all Industry Categories, except for Other Services.”

ADVOCACY

Beginning in the Spring of 2025, AIAKC established an M/WBE Task Force with the goals of:

• Align & Implement the AIA National Strategic Plan Goal of Equity that expands access, participation, and advancement across the profession at the local AIAKC level.
• Educate & Advocate for better policies and DEI initiatives that serve AIAKC Members.
• Share Information & Support each other through the shifting landscape of certification programs.

The task force collaborated with the AIAKC Advocacy Committee in the 2025 City Hall Day and have recently expanded outreach to other AEC leaders and NOMA KC’s Advocacy Committee to better gather and provide feedback to the City’s Disparity Study.

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

The timeframe is critical for your voices to be heard. The City anticipates providing a recommendation on an updated ordinance before the end of 2026.

Read the Disparity Study Disparity Studies | CITY OF KANSAS CITY | OFFICIAL WEBSITE

and give your feedback Kansas City Resident Engagement Platform