Procurement Compliance Bulletin
02.22.2023
Thank you to everyone who attended the recent Small Business Reserve (SBR), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), and Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) Combined Liaison Report Training. Our new administration is data and performance driven and reporting season is just around the corner. As we commemorate Black History Month, let's commit to being intentional about maximizing participation across all the three socioeconomic programs. Embrace partnerships. Reach out if you need help. Call, email, text, or chat. Take advantage of one-on-one meetings with SBR Compliance Managers, Lisa Mitchell Sennaar and Tanita Johnson; MBE Compliance Managers, Nichelle Johnson and Karen Reyes; and VSBE Compliance Manager, Danielle N. Davis. Our colleagues in other agencies that mirror your duties are also potential collaborators. We all do better when we use every resource available!
Here are a few resources that are available to you: SBR, MBE, and VSBE Reporting Toolkits, SBR, MBE and VSBE Liaison Directories (note that you can utilize these directories to reach out to other liaisons and verify that your liaison information is listed correctly for your agency/department).
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Governor Wes Moore has repeatedly stated that he is data driven and heart-led. Executive Order 01.01.2023.03 underscores his administration's commitment to strengthening participation, compliance, and accountability for Maryland's MBE Program. It is the first MBE-related Executive Order issued by any Maryland governor and will inform program development strategy.
The Executive Order requires:
- Participating agencies that have not yet submitted mandatory Minority Business Enterprise data for FY22 to the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs must do so within 15 days.
- Within 60 days, the 70 agency program participants must report certain procurement activity since July 1, 2022, in addition to Minority Business Enterprise goals and benchmarks;
- Within 60 days, participating agencies must report on the outreach and marketing efforts conducted to Minority Business Enterprises since July 1, 2022;
- Within 60 days, the Maryland Department of Transportation, as the state's Minority Business Enterprise certification agency, will report to the governor the current number of firms certified as Minority Business Enterprises, broken down by jurisdiction, race, and gender.
GOSBA is working with the governor's office to develop guidance for implementation of the Executive Order. More information regarding the reporting format will be available in early March.
eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) is constantly undergoing system updates and adding new features. One recent update includes four agencies that have transitioned their data entry from FMIS to eMMA. We want to thank our colleagues for alerting us to this change in data entry, as it does have an impact on the annual reporting processes currently in place with GOSBA. Please, remember that all agencies are required, per COMAR, to report accurate and sufficient data. We want to thank Fred Payne at DGS for being responsive to our concerns and reinforcing the following:
- eMMA is now the system of record for contracts at DGS, DoIT, DBM and MDVA
- FMIS is no longer the system of record
- eMMA already has the capabilities for inputting prime and MBE subcontractor data for MBE reporting today
- Training will need to be developed and completed for the subject agencies
- Ultimately, reporting from eMMA to ANSWERS will be completed by approximately mid-May 2023
- This will provide total transparency to ANSWERS users
- By mid-March an interim solution to provide eMMA MBE related data is anticipated to be available.
Given Governor Moore's emphasis on data, there is likely a very low tolerance to the absence of accurate and timely data. During this time of transition, agencies should consider developing secondary measures to maintain accurate data outside of FMIS. Although this will result in redundancies, it would ensure that you are able to access data whenever required.
A new requirement has been added to the MBE Annual Report submission your agency/department is required to provide to the Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs. An MBE compliance assessment is now required for all contracts which close out during the fiscal year. This will verify if MBE contract goals are being met. This new requirement will take effect with your FY2023 filing (due 9/30/2023).
This is a very data intensive report and requires manual data entry. You are highly encouraged to review the new reporting document to ensure a full understanding of data requirements. Feel free to contact your designated MBE Compliance Manager if you have any questions.
Please take a moment and download the new
Annual Agency MBE Compliance Assessment Report
FY2023 Annual Agency MBE Compliance Assessment Report
New FY23 VSBE Reporting Requirements
As announced in the Combined Liaison Reporting Training, all participating VSBE agencies/departments will be required to report the number of VSBE waivers granted and their outreach efforts beginning with the FY2023 annual report (per COMAR 21.11.14.06). The new VSBE Program Outreach Form is now available in the VSBE Toolkit, Please be sure to review the new requirements.
February 9, 2023
Our SBR, MBE, VSBE Combined Liaison Training session covered the nuts and bolts of the Quarterly and Annual Program Reports. A special thanks to DoIT's Mike McKenna and Jim Roman for the ANSWERS Overview. Other topics included:
- Pulling/Scrubbing backup data from ANSWERS
- Submission of iFMIS and other internal reporting documents
- Formatting backup data for submission
- Backup data examples
- Launch of the new MBE Compliance Assessment Report
You can now access the training slide deck online in the the SBR, MBE or VSBE Reporting Toolkits and the recording of the training will be added to the toolkits in about a week.
Thank you for all you do!
We appreciate each agency who turned in their annual report but a ROUND OF APPLAUSE goes to two of our MBE participating institutions that turned in timely, sufficient, zero error FY22 annual reports!
Pamela Welzenbach
Compliance Manager
University of Maryland Global Campus
Steven A. Jost
Director of Procurement
Bowie State University
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FY2023 Quarterly Reporting
FY2023 2nd Quarter MBE Reports were due January 30, 2023
The deadline for submitting 2nd quarter reports has passed. Thank you to the 28 agencies that have submitted their MBE 2nd quarter reports. Submitting this report will help your agency assess its performance at the mid-year mark, which will prepare you for a strong 3rd and 4th Quarter. In addition, since quarterly reports are cumulative, when the time comes to complete your Annual Report, a portion of your work will already be complete.
Quarterly Report instructions and templates are available in the MBE Reporting Toolkit.
If you have questions pertaining to the 2nd Quarter MBE Report, feel free to submit them via email and/or contact us to schedule a meeting.
Nichelle Johnson at nichelle.johnson1@maryland.gov or
Karen Reyes at karen.reyes@maryland.gov
SBR Program
Thank you to the all of the agencies for turning in your FY 2022 Annual Reports.
And a special SHOUT OUT to the agencies that turned in their reports before the September 30th deadline and provided all of their backup data:
- Department of Human Services
- Department of Juvenile Services
- Department of Labor
- Military Department
- State Police
- Subsequent Injury Fund
FY2023 Quarterly Reporting
FY2023 2nd Quarter SBR Reports were due January 30, 2023
Thank you to the 24 agencies/departments that have submitted their FY2023 2nd Quarter SBR Reports!
SBR Quarterly report data is cumulative. The Second Quarter report covers July 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022 and is due no later than 30 days following the quarter being reported. Quarterly Report instructions and templates are available in the SBR Reporting Toolkit.
The submission of the 2nd Quarter SBR Report is very important. Submitting this report will help your agency assess its performance at the mid-year mark, which will prepare you for a strong 3rd and 4th Quarter. In addition, since quarterly reports are cumulative, when the time comes to complete your Annual Report, a portion of your work will already be completed.
Note: We are being directed to forward emails to agency heads/ liaisons regarding those who are not submitting Quarterly Reports (in particular those who are not reaching the 15% mandated SBR Designated spend). Please be certain to submit these reports to avoid receiving this notification.
If you have any questions pertaining to the Quarterly SBR Report(s), feel free to submit them via email and/or contact us to schedule a meeting.
Lisa Mitchell Sennaar at lisa.sennaar@maryland.gov or
Tanita Johnson at tanita.johnson1@maryland.gov
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Takes Over VetBiz
As of January 1, 2023, the veteran verification process at the federal level (VetBiz), has moved to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The program is now called VetCert.
Effective immediately, this is your new home to search federally certified veteran small businesses. Make sure to bookmark this new website change to https://veterans.certify.sba.gov/.
If you have any questions or concerns when verifying VSBE Program certification,
please call or email Danielle Davis at danielle.davis2@maryland.gov.
Kudos!
Data accuracy is more important than ever. Shout out to the following agencies who submitted their FY22 VSBE annual report before the deadline with all backup data and minimal corrections. You make us smile!
- Department of Juvenile Services
- Department of Budget and Management
Quarterly Compliance Call
The next Compliance Call is scheduled for April 13, 2023 from 10 am to 12 noon. A calendar invite will be sent soon.
GOSBA hosts a compliance call each quarter to address issues impacting how the SBR, MBE, and VSBE procurement programs are implemented by participating state agencies and departments. Topics for discussion come from you, our liaisons and procurement officers. We discuss them in an open and transparent forum so we can all learn from one another.
If you have suggested topics to be covered in our April 2023 call, please email them no later than March 30th to compliance.gosba@maryland.gov.
If you missed our December call, please find a summary of the topics covered HERE, in the latest Compliance Library. You may also find it in the SBR, MBE or VSBE Reporting Toolkits.
For questions about the compliance call, please email lisa.sennaar@maryland.gov or nichelle.johnson1@maryland.gov.
If you do not wish to attend any upcoming meetings, simply decline the meeting invitation.
SAVE THESE DATES:
SBR/MBE/VSBE Liaison Trainings:
May 4, 2023 (virtual)
Quarterly Compliance Calls:
April 13, 2023
June 1, 2023
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