On Friday, officials with the City of El Paso announced that the city was one of seven teams selected from 110 teams across 45 countries to participate in the Open Contracting Partnership Lift Program.
The City’s Purchasing Department is participating in the Program in order to learn and implement national and international best practices that are focused on inclusivity in the City’s contracting processes for veteran-, minority- and woman-owned businesses.
“The City’s approach will include identifying process improvement opportunities in its supplier outreach procedures through inclusive, strategic, and innovative practices,” city officials shared. “This focus supports the City’s commitment to continuous improvement and building a strong and inclusive business community”
Other selected teams for Program include: France’s European Metropolis of Lille; India’s Civic Data Labs; Mexico’s City of Mexico; Nigeria’s Ekiti State; Paraguay’s National Directorate of Public Procurement (DNCP); and in the United States, the City of Des Moines and the City of El Paso.
According to officials, over the next 18 months, each team will receive up to $30,000 in financial support and 200 hours of tailored technical assistance in areas including change management, inclusion, open contracting and strategies.
This contract improvement project will be carried out in collaboration with the City of El Paso’s core partners:
- El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Contract Opportunities Center (Procurement and Technical Assistance Center)
The project will include community engagement and involvement from the City’s Community of Excellence partners.
