Research, Reporting and Recruitment

It is the mission of the Research, Reporting and Recruitment Unit to ensure equal opportunity to government contracting by consistently providing accurate and timely program data for the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE) programs.

Team Members

Bobbi Bell-Bartholomew, Program Administrator
Chris Dunlap, Researcher 2

Services

The Equal Opportunity Division (EOD) is responsible for administering the MBE and EDGE programs in accordance with sections 123.151 and 123.152 of the Ohio Revised Code, respectively. Part of EOD’s administration requires that it monitor and report each state agency’s compliance with programmatic goals. To this end, EOD established the Research, Reporting, and Recruitment Unit. The unit is responsible for the following:

For state agencies:

• Reviewing, approving, and modifying agency MBE and EDGE projection plans;
• Publishing MBE and EDGE Scorecards;
• Monitoring and conducting training on the MBE and EDGE Standard Reports and Adjustment Module;
• Managing the MBE and EDGE Vendor Search database;
• Creating ad hoc and statutory reports;
• Recruiting businesses for inclusion in the MBE, EDGE, and VBE programs; and

 For general public:

• Compiling agency MBE and EDGE projection plans;
• Publishing MBE and EDGE Scorecards;
• Monitoring agencies’ compliance with MBE and EDGE programs;
• Recruiting businesses for inclusion in the MBE, EDGE, and VBE programs; and
• Managing the MBE and EDGE Vendor Search database.

Business and Agency Resources

• Projection Plan Analysis
• MBE and EDGE Scorecards
• Locate MBE-certified businesses
• Locate EDGE-certified businesses
• Agency MBE-officer and procurement-officer list
• Certified Business Toolkit
• OBM Account Code Database
• MBE and EDGE Standard Reports and SWCAP Adjustment Module (Agencies)

Statutory and Regulatory Authority

The enabling statute for the MBE program are R.C. 123.151 and 125.081; for the EDGE program, R.C. 123.152. The regulations that govern the MBE program are found in Ohio Adm. Code Chapter 123:2-15; the EDGE program, Ohio Adm. Code Chapter 123:2-16.