A supplier diversity goal does not execute itself. Results depend on what happens after the percentage is set: how early suppliers are identified, how well they are prequalified, how effectively partners coordinate, and how consistently participation is monitored. On one multifamily development project, Inclusive Strategies worked alongside the developer, general contractor, and key trade partners to move participation from an original goal of approximately 29% toward a projected outcome of nearly 50% at completion.
This is not a story about setting an ambitious target. It's a story about what changes when outreach, prequalification, and monitoring are treated as an ongoing discipline instead of a one-time compliance step.
What the Original Goal Looked Like
The project began with supplier diversity goals totaling approximately 29% participation from certified women-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, and disability-owned businesses across multiple scopes of work.
Goals like this are common, and they're not arbitrary. But a stated percentage doesn't execute itself. It requires a plan connecting the goal to actual suppliers, actual scopes of work, and actual accountability throughout the build.
How the Process Changed the Outcome
Inclusive Strategies worked directly with the developer, general contractor, and trade partners to build that connective tissue. The work included identifying diverse suppliers aligned with the specific scopes of work on the project, rather than relying on a general vendor list; prequalifying those suppliers so they were genuinely ready to bid and perform, not just certified on paper; supporting bid participation so diverse suppliers had a real, informed path into the procurement process; and monitoring compliance and participation throughout the project, rather than waiting until a reporting deadline to check progress.
None of these steps is unusual in isolation. What made the difference was doing them together, consistently, from early in the project timeline through execution. Outreach without prequalification tends to produce interest that doesn't convert into contracts. Prequalification without ongoing monitoring tends to lose momentum once construction pressures take over. The project's improved trajectory reflects what happens when those pieces are coordinated rather than handled separately.
Where the Project Stands
As of this writing, the project is anticipated to reach nearly 50% participation from certified diverse suppliers at completion. That figure is a projection based on current commitments and performance, not a finalized result. Construction projects evolve, and final participation numbers are confirmed only once a project closes out. The distance between the original 29% goal and the anticipated outcome is best understood as evidence of what a well-coordinated process can do, not a guarantee of what every project will achieve.
What This Means for Other Projects
Every development has its own scopes of work, timeline, and supplier landscape, so no two projects will see identical results. But a few patterns from this project apply broadly: diverse supplier participation tends to improve most when outreach starts early enough to influence bid packages, not after they're finalized. Prequalification protects both the program's goals and the project's performance standards; it isn't a bureaucratic extra step. And ongoing monitoring catches problems while there's still time to address them, instead of surfacing them in a final report.
Organizations evaluating their own supplier diversity programs often find that their stated goals aren't the problem. The gap is usually in the process connecting the goal to real participation on the ground.
Key Takeaways
A supplier diversity goal is a target, not an outcome: the process behind it determines the result.
On one multifamily project, coordinated outreach, prequalification, and compliance monitoring supported progress from goals totaling approximately 29% toward an anticipated participation level of nearly 50% at completion.
The anticipated outcome reflects current project data and is not yet finalized.
Consistent, early, and coordinated execution (not just an ambitious goal) is what tends to drive stronger participation.
Build the Process Behind the Goal
Inclusive Strategies helps organizations turn supplier-diversity goals into coordinated outreach, prequalification, participation, and monitoring. Lesley Crane, a former IDOA Commissioner, and Megan Lawson, former leader of Vendor Management and Supplier Performance within IDOA procurement, bring firsthand process experience to this work. Visit inclusivestrategies.co to learn more.