Diversity & Civil Rights
Milligan & Company conducts workforce diversity and cultural competency training to help employers create an inclusive work environment that supports diversity integration at every level of the organization.
The training is instructional and helps to increase knowledge and understanding of cultural competency and diversity concepts. Through its interactive design, the training also uses role playing, case scenarios and other excercises to help participants become directly engaged with the learning experience.
Milligan’s Contract Compliance services are rooted in Equal Opportunity programs. These programs require recipients of federal funds to comply with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and other regulations. In addition, many state and munipical agencies have adopted similar policies in their own procurement and contracting efforts. These programs strive to create a level playing field in government contracting, and are highly regarded for their positive effects on economic development.
Under these programs, contract and grant beneficiaries are charged with a variety of responsibilities, goals and reporting requirements.
Milligan helps meet program requirements with structured approaches and methodologies:
Sandra Swiacki
Sandra Swiacki is a diversity executive with strong skills in strategic consensus building, coaching, and problem solving. Her extensive background includes program development and evaluation, organizational development, community relations, compliance, employment law, employee relations, and affirmative action.
Training
Our training programs are designed to help you understand your roles and responsibilities under federal, state and other public laws, rules and regulations relating to Equal Opportunity.
Program Development
Milligan works closely with clients to develop and implement programs that assess their compliance policies and procedures, identify gaps in reporting requirements, and internal processes, and provide solutions for improvement.
Outreach
Our team helps clients meet program goals by serving as a liaison between DBEs and prime contractors that fields mutual opportunities, develops working relationships, identifies potential areas of employment and assists with recruitment strategies.
Technical Assistance
Milligan provides guidance to DBE firms in areas that are crucial for successful large-scale projects, including marketing, business planning, bonding, insurance and lending resource access. We also assist prospective DBEs with certification packaging, bid prequalification and other business services.
Agencies use Milligan’s services to save internal resources and time, and streamline their preparation processes for contracts, applications and bid documents.
Tracking & Reporting
Milligan’s web-based solutions track, report and manage information on EEO and DBE compliance across multiple projects for payments, invoices, change orders and payroll hours.
Milligan’s contract compliance staff also provides site monitoring services on projects where physical observations and documentation reviews are required.
Program Evaluation & Lessons Learned
Grantees and contractors are subject to various annual reviews on a wide range of compliance activities. At Milligan, we use our first-hand experience with conducting these reviews to help organizations pinpoint compliance issues, implement strategies to strengthen performance and reduces the likelihood of corrective actions.
Why Choose Milligan & Company
Milligan’s Government Consulting Practice has provided services for Affirmative Action, EEO, DBE, supplier and employee diversity, compliance management and economic development since the firm’s formation in 1985.
We specialize in programs that comply with provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other regulations including Federal, State and local statutes, regulations and ordinances.
Our work encompasses a broad range of tasks focused on meeting nondiscrimination policies and practices. These include program development and implementation, guideline development and goal setting, reporting and compliance, grant monitoring and financial management, remedial recommendations and administrative law, and regulatory practices interpretation.
For over 20 years, Milligan & Company has enjoyed long‐standing relationships with organizations such as the US Department of Transportation, the US Department of Commerce, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and others.
Our experience is unequaled in providing contract compliance consulting and program implementation, project management and oversight, compliance and enforcement, training and technical assistance, and audit and financial analysis.
Supplier & Workforce Diversity Consulting Projects:
SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) — DBE Program Development & Implementation
Milligan developed and administered SEPTA’s DBE Program for the Market Street Elevated Reconstruction Project. For this $710 million, seven year-long construction project, we monitored DBE/EEO goals and opportunities, and conducted good faith efforts reviews. Milligan provided technical assistance to disadvantaged businesses on certification, marketing, business planning, financial management, bonding, insurance and available lending resources. Milligan prepared progress reports toward the achievement of affirmative action goals; assisted in the determination of goals; conducted desk audits and on-site monitoring to ensure small, minority and female-owned businesses performed work as committed and were promptly paid according to contract requirements; and developed strategies to increase employment of minorities, women, and residents in the construction area.
City of Philadelphia — Disparity Study
Econsult and Milligan developed the Disparity Study which analyzes utilization of M/W/DSBEs on city contracts. The study is used as an objective tool in developing procurement policies and goals. Data for competitively and non-competitively bid contracts is used to determine if a significant disparity exists between M/W/DSBEs ready, willing and able to do business with the city and those that were actually awarded contracts. The team also developed suggested goals for the fiscal year following each study. Results, conclusions and recommendations were presented to the City of Philadelphia’s administration, City Council and other interested parties. Milligan has been a part of the Disparity Study team, along with Econsult, for fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
Federal Transit Administration — DBE Compliance Reviews
Milligan conducts DBE Compliance Reviews to examine how grant recipients comply with US DOT and FTA regulatory and statutory requirements. We review and make recommendations for performance improvements in the areas of: DBE Program and Policy Statement, Staffing and Organization, Financial Institutions, DBE/UCP Directory, Over-concentration, Business Development, Overall and Contract Goals, Required Contract Provisions, Certification Standards, Certification Procedures, Recordkeeping and Enforcements, and Public Outreach.
Federal Aviation Administration — DBE Reviews
Milligan conducted DBE Reviews to examine how selected FAA airport recipients comply with US DOT and FAA regulatory and statutory requirements. These reviews entailed evaluating and making recommendations on airport recipients’ Part 23 and Part 26 programs. Topics covered program plan, goal-setting monitoring, ACDBE joint ventures, and enforcements.
Hudson Bergen Light Rail Transit Project — DBE Compliance Services
Milligan provided a review of the DBE goals reported to New Jersey Transit received from 21st Century Rail about HBLRT, a turnkey project that costs over $1 billion. Because of the complex goal requirements for each project element, we developed and maintained a system to review reports on DBE subcontracting goals achieved, and recommended changes for more acurate reporting. This project involved understanding US DOT DBE regulations and local requirements to ensure that proper DBE credit was correctly attributed.
City of Ashland — DBE Program and FY 2010/2011 Goals
Milligan drafted the city’s DBE Program and FY 2010/2011 goals. All contracts awarded were under a race-neutral component of the DBE program; therefore, all contracts awarded were capable of obtaining DBE participation. Types of contracts awarded included shop equipment, ADP hardware, ADP software, miscellaneous support equipment (AED devices, defibrillator) and radios-bus.
Hyundai-Rotem — Program Implementation
Milligan provided consulting services to Hyundai-Rotem, a transit vehicle manufacturer, on the implementation of their DBE program. Services include developing their DBE Program Plan, annual goal, and reports on goal achievement for submission to the Federal Transit Administration.