History of OSWD

On September 8th, 2005, Governor Matt Blunt signed Executive Order 05-30, which rescinded Executive Order 98-21 and reconstituted the Office of Equal Opportunity as the Office of Supplier and Workforce Diversity (OSWD).

The new Executive Order abolished the Office of State Contract Compliance Officer, whose responsibilities were shifted to the Director of OSWD. One of the most important changes was that "mandatory percentage goals of Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Women Business Enterprises (WBE) participation shall not be established in violation of federal or state law. MBE/WBE participation shall be encouraged by the Division of Purchasing and Materials Management (DPMM) in consultation with OSWD and the user agency depending on the availability of MBE/WBE vendors in the applicable commodity/service and geographical area." Although no longer mandated; the level of MBE/WBE participation can and is still considered vital, "the DPMM shall consider MBE/WBE participation as a significant factor in a contract bid. It is intended that 10% Minority Business Enterprises and 5% Women Business Enterprises percentage is desired." In addition to the task of monitoring state contracting and procurement, OSWD also continues to monitor the implementation of employment practices to ensure that Missouri has a diversified and well balanced state workforce.