ACRP Research Report 217: Guidance for Diversity in Airport Businesses Contracting and Workforce Programs provides guidelines to assist airport operators and various stakeholders at airports of all types and sizes, identify and quantify the benefits, costs, and the regional economic impact of diversity contracting for airport businesses. It also describes the challenges facing airports’ diversity and inclusion initiatives and identifies best practices airports can use to mitigate those challenges in airport workforce programs. The accompanying Benefit-Cost tool can help airports measure the cost and benefits of their contracting and workforce programs.
The challenges of running inclusive and diverse organizations apply to airports of all types and sizes. As recipients of federal funds, airports are required to administer a federal program that seeks to provide equal access for participation in airport related business opportunities. Likewise, many airports are also obligated to do so under state and local programs. There are indicators that many airports are already taking proactive steps to address these issues and are unlocking the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce. These programs provide benefits to the airport and surrounding communities, but there has not been a comprehensive benefit-cost analysis for diversity contracting programs and its impact on the workforce.
This airport specific research provides guidelines for identifying and calculating benefits and costs of business and workforce diversity programs. Understanding and communicating the economic impact on airports and surrounding communities can benefit both airport operators and stakeholders.
Research for the guidebook under ACRP Project 06-05, included surveys, interviews, focus groups, and case studies. The Cadmus Group LLC led the research in association with Exstare Federal Services Group and Rosales Law Partners LLP.
There are 12 case studies across a broad array of types and sizes of airports with information about the airport backgrounds and their business diversity programs along with honors and recognition. The guidebook also provides details on the costs and benefits of diverse contracting and workforce programs and demonstrates how to measure these using an Airport Diversity Contracting Benefit-Cost Tool, an excel based tool, which is accessed on the report web page. The appendices provide a glossary and additional references.
STATUS: the research is published as
Research Report 217
