Mission

Connect Jackson to the world, and the world to Jackson

Vision

Be the Airports of Choice

Core Values

Customer Focus:

Provide best-in-class customer experience.

Continuous Improvement:

Set high goals, measure performance, and advance.

Communication:

Encourage productive dialogue and generate information.

Collaboration:

Work together to build the strength of the team including strategic partners.

Commitment:

Exhibit a sense of ownership and pride in the Authority.

Q. What is a Disparity Study?

A disparity study examines whether there are differences between:

• The percentage of dollars that minority- and woman-owned businesses received on an agency’s prime contracts and subcontracts during a particular time period (utilization); and
• The percentage of dollars that those businesses would be expected to receive based on their availability to perform on the agency’s prime contracts and subcontracts (availability).

The comparison between the participation of minority- and woman-owned businesses in an agency’s contracting and the availability of those businesses to perform that work is referred to as a disparity analysis. In addition to utilization, availability, and disparity analyses, disparity studies typically examine other quantitative and qualitative information about:

• Legal considerations surrounding the implementation of minority- and woman-owned business programs;
• Conditions in the local marketplace for minorities and women, and minority- and woman-owned businesses;
• Contracting practices and business assistance programs that the agency currently has in place; and
• Potential program measures for consideration as part of the agency’s implementation of minority- and woman-owned business programs.

Q. Why is JMAA conducting a disparity study?

JMAA would like to assess its efforts to encourage the participation of underrepresented businesses in JMAA contracting. In addition, JMAA would like establish a benchmark for the participation of minority- and woman-owned businesses and determine what, if any, improvements are needed to optimize JMAA’s contracting processes.

1. What time period does the disparity study cover?

The study will cover contract data for a five-year period from October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2019, Federal Fiscal Years (FFYs) 2015 through 2019.

Q. When will the disparity study be completed?

The study will be completed in October 2020.

Q. What types of contracts are being studied?

The disparity study will examine prime contracts and subcontracts that JMAA awarded from October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2019. The study will focus on construction; consultant services; and goods and services contracts and procurements that JMAA awarded during the study period.

Q. What will JMAA do with information from the disparity study?

Information that the project team collects as a part of the 2019 Jackson Municipal Airport Authority Disparity Study will help JMAA with its implementation of the DBE Program. Among other information, the disparity study will provide:

• An independent, objective review of minority- and woman-owned business participation in JMAA prime contracts and subcontracts. That information will be valuable to both JMAA leadership and to external groups that help assess JMAA’s efforts to encourage underrepresented business owners to bid on JMAA contracts.
• Information that is useful for setting a benchmark for the participation of minority- and woman-owned businesses; and
• Insights about how JMAA might improve contracting opportunities for local businesses and how it could better encourage the participation of minority- and woman-owned businesses in the future.

Q. Will the results of disparity study be made public?

Yes, the results of the disparity study will be made public at the end of the process.

Q. How can I participate in the disparity study process?

There are several ways in which you can participate in the 2019 Jackson Municipal Airport Authority disparity study:

• Share your experiences working in the local marketplace by emailing the project team directly at JMAAdisparitystudy@bbcresearch.com.
• Respond to our requests for a telephone survey. If you represent a business working in the local marketplace, you may be contacted as a part of the availability and utilization survey process. The surveys are expected to begin in February 2020 and continue through the summer of 2020. Customer Research International (CRI) will conduct the surveys on behalf of the project team. If you are contacted, please help the project team by participating!
• If you are contacted for an in-depth interview, please help the project team by participating!
• Call us if you have any unanswered questions about the study. For our contact information, click here.