ADOT ACADEMY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DBE’S

Program Description

The goal of the ADOT DBE Program is to ensure that small, women and minority owned firms are provided a level playing field on which to compete for Department of Transportation (DOT) funded projects. The program’s intent is to foster an environment of nondiscrimination, focusing efforts on only those firms that qualify under 49 CFR Part 26, and preparing participants of the DBE program to compete successfully in the broader market place.

The DBE Supportive Services Program is tasked with ensuring the overall goals of ADOT’s DBE Program are met through its education, communications and outreach activities. These activities are structured within a framework of Education, Access, and Visibility. The ADOT Academy for the Development of DBEs provides minority and women owned firms access to higher education through Arizona State University’s Alliance for Construction Excellence (ACE). The Academy consists of three separate programs especially developed for each stage of a DBE company’s growth to prepare participants to compete successfully in today’s challenging market. The programs include:

Each program is 28 hours in duration, presented over several days. Each person completing a 28 hour program will receive a one year individual membership in ACE (a $275 value) which will provide access to industry professionals and exposure to potential customers. Additionally, participants who complete a program will be included in an ACE database created to profile DBE’s and provide access to potential customers who can use the data base in selecting DBE’s for project participation.

ADOT’s commitment is to ensure that DBE participants receive the highest quality education, visibility for participating, and the opportunity to put lessons learned to use in an environment that seeks their participation.

 

Stage 1 Company Program

This program targets newly formed companies that have been certified as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. This 28-hour program includes the following sessions:

Understanding Business Risk

Identifying and managing business risks is a critical element in the success of every enterprise and this session builds on and advances the Identifying and Understanding Risk session. Learn how to analyze risks and develop methods to control and manage exposures to your organization. Review fundamentals of how to insure certain risks and learn how to procure and manage insurance and surety bonding programs.

Understanding DBE Certification, Purpose and Regulations

Learn the history, purpose and background of the DBE program and how and why the federal government provides assistance to startup and existing DBE’s. The course will address the types of assistance available, parameters of DBE compliance, and challenges related to effective DBE inclusion.

DBE and State and Federal Compliance

Understanding federal regulatory compliance and reporting and documentation requirements is complicated and often a barrier to DBE success. Learn how to identify requirements, the risks associated with non-compliance, and how to account for the additional administrative costs associated with federal contracting. A general overview of standard requirements will be presented along with an explanation of the documentation and submittal processes.

Business Start-up Issues and Strategies

Starting a new business requires planning and an understanding of how business works. Discover how to evaluate a need for a specific product or service, how to plan to deliver the product or service and how to budget and estimate profitability in advance of assuming the risk. Review the use of benchmarking, market research, and establishing organizational milestones. Explore, in detail, the purpose and use of insurance and surety bonding in the construction industry with special emphasis on positioning a company to be seen favorably for bonding.

Entrepreneurial Skills

For many years it was assumed that people either had entrepreneurial skills or did not. Research and experience, however, indicates that these skills can be taught and in the last 40 years a huge body of entrepreneurial knowledge has been researched and collected. This body of knowledge will be explored and attendees will learn how to find and use information and how to apply it to business solutions. Areas discussed will include self-assessments of strengths and weaknesses, how to leverage outside resources, the importance of building a solid network, creating positive first impressions (through collateral and interpersonal interaction), and identifying and reinforcing core values through daily business practices.

Business Accounting

Many individuals qualified in a specialty trade or that have general construction experience have little or no general accounting background or education. Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles is essential to business success and accounting for construction businesses has its own unique considerations. Learn the basics of business accounting, how to supervise internal book keeping and how to interact with independent outside accountants and auditors. Review the special conditions that exist related to the construction industry.

Communication Skills

The ability to communicate accurately and in an unambiguous manner is arguably the most critical of any business owner or manager. Explore the basics of written and oral communication, basic business communication, and methods for continuous improvement of these skills. Examine the most common errors made in business communication and methods for addressing each scenario.

Practical Business Planning

The three phases of DBE business development require different business planning activities. Learn how startup planning differs from ongoing business planning. Examine how to put together a business planning group, how to manage the planning process and how to develop a three-year plan for an ongoing business. Each participant will leave the course with an understanding the business planning process, how to conduct market analyses, how to research competitors, how to develop vision and mission statements, and how to establish short, mid, and long term organizational goals.

Leadership Fundamentals

Leadership, like entrepreneurial skills, were thought to be instinctual rather than learned. Research demonstrates, however that this is not the case and that leadership ability can be developed. This class will emphasize the importance of leadership, regardless of the size of the organization, and explore the latest leadership development techniques. Taking the initiative to start a company requires courage. Learn to recognize your own leadership ability and enhance your leadership skills in a hands-on and interactive class setting.

Construction Professionals’ Networking and Seminar

Several successful construction contractors will present their “secrets” to success explaining how they lead and manage their businesses. This is a highly interactive session where participants can ask questions and solicit advice. This capstone course will provide an opportunity to network with the presenters and potential clients.

 

Stage 2 Company Program

This program targets mid-level Disadvantaged Business Enterprises that have established themselves as a viable business but are seeking to increase their capacity through building in-house technical expertise, pursuing larger contracting opportunities, or transitioning from the role of subcontractor to prime contractor. This 28-hour program includes the following sessions:

Oral and Written Communication

Using the content from the start-up program as a foundation, this session introduces students to the next level of communication skills. The interactive oral and written communication exercises will advance prepare you for successful business communications. Areas of discussion and practice include preparing for and participating in oral interviews, writing an effective Statement of Qualifications, and general public speaking skills.

Construction Accounting

Explore a number of unique features including cost accounting and percentage of completion methods. Gain an understanding of work in progress, how to calculate it, the meaning of and how to determine cost in excess of billing and billings in excess of cost. This session expounds upon the basic principles of construction accounting presented in the start-up program.

Identifying and Understanding Risk

Indentifying and managing business risks is fundamental to business success. Learn risk management skills and how to recognize, avoid or compensate for the exposures and risks a DBE business will face.

Business Planning

This is a continuation and advancement of the Practical Business Planning session with a concentration on strategy development and formal strategic planning. Working in small groups, you will develop a business plan for an organization similar to your own. Discussion regarding the merits of the process and applicability to individual circumstances will be encouraged.

Negotiating Skills

Discuss and define one-on-one interactions through formal multi-participant negotiations. Learn basic and intermediate negotiation skills and engage in hands-on interaction and practice sessions.

Intermediate Leadership Skills

Discuss leadership basics with class participants with a heavy emphasis on specific challenges faced by mid-level companies. These challenges include succession planning, successful delegation of authority, fostering workforce accountability and empowerment, and diversification. This is a continuation of the Leadership Fundamentals session designed to advance your leadership skills—a critical element of successful entrepreneurs.

Marketing and Sales Principles and Methods

This session brings together communication, leadership and negotiation skills learned in earlier courses or prior education and applies them to marketing and sales for construction enterprises. Review and discuss marketing, sales and advertising and the appropriate application of each. Learn how to develop and apply these skills to attract and capture work for your business.

Construction Professionals’ Networking and Seminar

Several successful construction contractors will present their “secrets” to success explaining how they lead and manage their businesses. This is a highly interactive session where participants can ask questions and solicit advice. This capstone course will provide an opportunity to network with the presenters and potential clients.

 

Stage 3 Company Program

This program targets established DBEs. Historically many companies fail shortly after graduating from the DBE program. This program focuses on business strategies that will enable these companies to prepare for competing successfully without the benefit of certification. This 28-hour program includes the following sessions:

Basics of Construction Contracts

This session will cover general business law as well as contract principals and regulations peculiar to the construction process. The Uniform Commercial Code will be explained and licensing, lien laws and land use and other regulations affecting the construction industry will be covered from the constructor’s, subcontractor’s, suppliers and other construction professional’s and developer’s perspective. Definitions of basic contract law and principals will be distributed and discussed providing a fundamental understanding of the legal processes a contractor or developer may be exposed to and the legal principles that will govern.

Advanced Communication Skills

This is a continuation of the oral and written communications session - a fundamental requirement for successful entrepreneurship.

Advanced Leadership Skills

This is a continuation and advancement of the Leadership Fundamentals and Intermediate Leadership Skills sessions. Explore the latest research in leadership and practice your new skills in a highly interactive environment. This is a capstone course in this program.

Advanced Negotiating Skills

This highly interactive course will advance your negotiating skills and provide practice sessions to build confidence and competence in newly developed negotiating skills.

Essentials of Business Development

Apply marketing, sales and advertising strategies to develop clients and attract business. Explore specific tactics for competing successfully in local and national markets. Attendees will learn how to present their organization to potential clients and how to interact effectively to capture work.

Banking and Bonding Issues

Understanding the bonding and banking process is critical to the growing construction business enterprise. Attendees will learn step-by-step methods of organizing their business and finances to attract surety and bank credit.

Forecasting the Construction Market

This session covers the basic approach and techniques needed to forecast your own particular market. You will learn to use national trend data to establish likely market patterns and interpret them to your particular types of work. Attendees will come to understand that they are the best at predicting their specific market niche.

Construction Professionals’ Networking and Seminar

Several successful construction contractors will present their “secrets” to success explaining how they lead and manage their businesses. This is a highly interactive session where participants can ask questions and solicit advice. This capstone course will provide an opportunity to network with the presenters and potential clients.