COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          8h 
ACTION ITEM                            Date of Meeting       June 28, 2022 
DATE:      June 28, 2022 
TO:        Executive Director Stephen P. Metruck 
FROM:    Bookda Gheisar, Senior Director, Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 
SUBJECT:  Competitive Exemption for the consultant Equity Matters to continue EDI training
for Port supervisors 
Total revised contract amount:       $65,000 
ACTION REQUESTED 
This item is requesting that (1) the Commission determines that a competitive process is not
appropriate or cost-effective and exempts the contract from a competitive process consistent
with RCW 53.19.020; (2) the Executive Director executes a contract amendment with Equity
Matters to provide expert services for EDI training for supervisors for an increase of $65,000 for
a new contract total of $264,400; and (3) the Commission authorizes the Executive Director to
execute a competitive indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, not to exceed 
$750,000 during a five year period, to implement a long-term training strategy. 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
In 2019, the Port of Seattle established the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI). OEDI’s
mission is to build capacity across the organization to address institutional oppression and to
transform Port policies, practices, and processes. The passing of the 2020 Racial Bias and Equity
Motion stated that the Port will, “require racial equity and unconscious bias training for
Commissioners, the Executive Director, the Executive Leadership Team, supervisors, managers,
and employees. Create curriculum for trainings, tailoring as needed based on different
audiences.” 
JUSTIFICATION 
The Racial Bias and Equity motion (2020-19), which was sponsored by Commissioner Cho and 
unanimously adopted by the Commission, made racial equity trainings mandatory for all Port
employees.   OEDI is now mandated to provide training to all front-line employees and all
supervisors across the Port. OEDI has designed a curriculum and is in process of training several
Change Team members to facilitate the training for all employees in-house. However, we still
need the expertise of outside consultants to continue to develop a training curriculum for
supervisors.  In 2021, Human Resources and OEDI conducted a total of 4 surveys where we
learned that the role of supervisors is the single most critical issue for us to address across all
other improvements and recommendations.  The purpose of the supervisors' training is to 
Template revised September 22, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8h                                  Page 2 of 4 
Meeting Date: June 28, 2022 
develop the skill of supervisors to (1) connect the work of their teams to the Port’s Racial Equity
Values (learning, cultural safety, and inclusion), (2) to normalize talking about race and racial bias,
and (3) practice using the Heart, Head, Hand approach to addressing racial bias in real work
scenarios. 
Competing this contract at this time is neither cost effective nor appropriate as we are mandated
to train over 400 supervisors in the second half of 2022. It is essential that we provide Port
supervisors with the same content and material that was delivered in 2021 to assure consistency
across the Port. Based on the findings from port-wide assessments and evaluations, the role of
supervisors is paramount to our ability to create a culture of inclusion and to advance racial
equity. The Supervisor Training developed and delivered by Equity Matters in 2021 provides
supervisors with the necessary tools to manage diverse teams, normalize conversations to race
and equity, and create a culture where all employees feel they belong. We want to ensure that
all Port supervisors are versed and trained in these skills before we develop and deliver a new
curriculum for future years. 
BACKGROUND 
In 2019 the Port of Seattle entered a noncompetitive contract with the consulting firm Equity
Matters for $10,200 for an ELT culture value workshop and a  limited competitive contract in
accordance with RCW 53.19.020 (4) to conduct Equity training (value $199,400). This limited
competitive contract included Change Team Foundational Training, staff Racial Equity 101, and
Supervisor Racial Equity Training. The Supervisor Training took place between February- 
November 2021. Supervisors spent 8 total hours in training, across 3 sessions; 5 cohorts went
through the training. We are now asking to extend the contract and to work with this firm again
for the rest of the year to complete training for supervisors in the second half of 2022. 
Scope of Work Details 
This workshop is an important opportunity to meet a Port of Seattle policy mandate of delivering
8 hours of training for supervisors to advance equity at our organization and will give supervisors
the opportunity to work, learn, and grow with colleagues. The Supervisors' Racial Equity
Orientation will focus on the following: basic concepts and definitions, the context for equity at
the Port and in our region, the Port’s equity strategy, why we lead our equity work with race,
leader competencies, roles, and responsibilities, leading multi-racial teams, and building a culture
of safety and inclusion. The 2022 training will build on the training offered in 2021. 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1 – Compete this work recognizing that we would likely not train the 400 supervisors
in 2022. 
Pros: 
(1) Provide firms with the opportunity to compete for and do business with the Port of
Seattle.

Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8h                                  Page 3 of 4 
Meeting Date: June 28, 2022 
Cons: 
(1) We would not meet our goal and requirement for 2022. Supervisors would not receive
consistent content from 2021. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 2 – Have a port employee deploy the training that was deployed by the incumbent. 
Pros: 
(1) It is more cost effective. 
Cons: 
(1) OEDI currently has limited staff capacity to deliver this training in-house, and it would
likely  require  that  we  spent  additional  resources  elsewhere  to  account  for  and
accommodate program needs. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 3 – Do a limited competitive process for this work and take significant action to 
mitigate the incumbency advantage. 
Pros: It would provide an opportunity for new firm to compete and potentially win this contract. 
Cons: It would likely mean that we will not meet our goal and requirement of training supervisors
in 2022. It would likely mean that we will not be able to deliver the same content and skills that
supervisors were trained on last year. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 

Alternative  4  -  Do  a  competitive  exemption  AND  a  competitive  process  for  follow-on
program/training. 
Pros: This allows us to provide the same content and training to supervisors to provide them with
the skills needed to advance equity and a culture of inclusion. It allows us to meet the goal and
requirement for supervisor training in 2022. Upon completion of this supervisor training track,
this option will allow us to executive a competitive process for a more long-term training strategy
and curriculum, ensuring consistency and efficiency for up to the next five years. 
Cons: None. 
This is the recommended alternative. 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Annual Budget Status and Source of Funds 
The source of funds is the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion expense budget. 

Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8h                                  Page 4 of 4 
Meeting Date: June 28, 2022 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
None. 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
None. 
















Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.