6. Conclusion

This decision challenges the parties to continue the dialogue they began, and provides a road map with its findings and recommendations on the most important areas for development and change.

The growing role of CBOs in supplier diversity programs came into clear view during the proceeding. Utilities need the CBOs to bring in more small and diverse businesses and help them become competitive bidders, while the CBOs gained momentum for their position at the table as viable partners. There are CBOs who are capable of providing not only technical assistance to WMDVBEs but also constructive advice to the utilities. The utilities heard the demand for more and better technical assistance programs and achieved a ground-breaking cross-industry consensus on a baseline model for what a competitive business needs to know. This is a mere snapshot of what the parties accomplished in this proceeding. A wide range of issues were opened and tackled, parties listened, and in some cases moved their views based on new information. As a result, we have approved a number of amendments to GO 156 and a long list of recommended actions which we believe will improve utility supplier diversity programs and relationships with their local communities, as well as reduce procurement costs.