photo credit: MSU Denver
Members of the Denver Anchor Network (DAN) Procurement Group recognized that they have no way of measuring whether they are shifting more of their spending to local, small businesses.
To address this deficiency, the team at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU), led by Elizabeth Parmelee, PhD, Director Undergraduate Studies and Terri McLaggan, Accounts Payable and Corporate Card Manager, with support from CCWB, revised the University’s W9 form by adding voluntary questions to capture additional information about their vendors. The W9, combined with their new database system, will generate a treasure trove of data MSU can mine.
The revised W9 asks vendors to provide voluntary information such as ethnicity, gender, and whether they have implemented good business practices such as health insurance and family leave. This will enable MSU to develop a much more comprehensive picture of its vendors. For example, the additional questions will recognize diversity beyond just those vendors that are certified (e.g. MWBE, DBE, SDVOSB). In addition, by asking questions about environmental and worker-friendly business practices, MSU will be able to reinforce and document its commitment to using its procurement power to help advance a sustainable, equitable, and resilient local economy.
MSU’s leadership on this issue has inspired four other anchors in the DAN Procurement Group to adopt MSU’s revised W9 (with minor adaptations). To learn more, see the 2nd and 3rd sheet for MSU’s revised W9.
Comments