Frontier -- In Box

TABLE: A Reluctant Helping Hand

You'd think President Clinton's recent order that federal agencies give at

least 5% of their work to small and disadvantaged businesses would be good

news for the small and disadvantaged. Well, the Departments of State and Labor

already have 5% goals, and they do a lousy job meeting them. In 1999, the

Small Business Administration contracted 7.5% of its work with qualifying

companies. Too bad SBA's goal was 8%.

Now that federal agencies have to contract 5% of their work to small

disadvantaged businesses, who will make the grade?

1999 SHARE

OF CONTRACTS

Leaders

AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 10.6%

TREASURY DEPT. 7.8

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 7.5

COMMERCE DEPT. 6.9

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 6.5

Laggards

HOUSING & URBAN DEVELOPMENT 2.9%

NASA 2.7

LABOR DEPT. 2.5

STATE DEPT. 2.1

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 0.6

DATA: FAILING TO MEET THE GRADE, OFFICE OF REPRESENTATIVE NYDIA VELAZQUEZ

Edited by Kimberly Weisul