FHFA Contractor Outreach Program Standards1 (ACTION)

The FHFA Contractor Outreach Program Standards will facilitate the process of Agency 

accountability and make diversity and inclusion (D&I) and equality of opportunity intrinsic parts 

of the Agency’s culture. We have identified the following six key Standards and Objectives to 

help achieve this goal: 1. Assessment; 2. Communication; 3. Talent; 4. Involvement; 5. 

Oversight; and 6. Network. OMWI will assess the Contractor Outreach Program Standards or 

updates as needed. A description of each Standard and its Objective is below: 

Standard # 1: Assessment – FHFA, through OMWI, will perform Agency self-assessments at 

regular intervals to affirm consistency with Section 342 of the Dodd-Frank Act and FHFA D&I 

goals and objectives. 

Objective: To analyze relevant information to evaluate Agency regulatory2 compliance and the 

effectiveness of the Agency’s organizational and operational infrastructure in support of FHFA’s 

contractor outreach program to ensure that minority-, women-, and disabled-owned businesses 

(MWDOBs) are made aware of and given the opportunity to compete for contracts with the 

Agency. 

Standard # 2: Communication - FHFA will communicate the value of supplier diversity to 

internal and external Agency stakeholders and the requirement to promote business opportunities 

for MWDOBs. 

Objective: To educate FHFA staff, proactively, on statutory and regulatory supplier diversity 

requirements, including outreach, engagement and technical assistance opportunities to promote 

increased MWDOB participation. 

Standard # 3: Talent – Consistent with D&I concepts and objectives, FHFA will seek to attract 

increased participation of MWDOBs for FHFA’s business opportunities. 

Objective: To provide technical assistance to MWDOBs as appropriate to facilitate the 

identification and solicitation of MWDOBs. 

Standard # 4: Involvement - FHFA will foster an environment exhibiting commitment, 

involvement, respect, and connection, where increased business opportunities for MWDOBs is 

encouraged and leveraged to achieve the mission of the Agency. 

Objective: To leverage the use of participation in professional conferences and available 

acquisition strategies in an effective way to encourage diversity from the marketplace including 

MWDOBs. 

1 Pursuant to section 342(b)(2)(B) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (DoddFrank Act), 12 U.S.C. § 5452, the Director of the Agency’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion is required to 

develop standards for: “increased participation of minority-owned, and women-owned businesses in the programs 

and contracts of the agency, including standards for coordinating technical assistance to such businesses...”

2 FHFA promulgated its final rule to establish its minority and women outreach programs on March 24, 2017 at 12 

C.F.R. 1207.
2 

Standard # 5: Oversight - FHFA will seek to bolster leadership accountability for MWDOB

participation consistent with the Agency’s D&I policies, procedures, and applicable legal 

requirements, while upholding FHFA’s core values. 

Objective: To ensure that FHFA consistently evaluates executives, managers and supervisors, 

on their adherence to D&I policies and practices, and on their completion of associated training, 

as well as providing opportunities for FHFA staff interfacing with the contracting community to 

become knowledgeable about and actively promote the Agency’s contractor outreach program. 

Standard # 6: Network - FHFA will collaborate with skilled resources (internal stakeholders, 

external contributors, and D&I thought leaders) to incorporate and apply D&I principles into the 

Agency contractor outreach program. 

Objective: To develop a team of invested stakeholders to help create a strategic outreach and 

educational plan designed to increase MWDOB participation in FHFA’s business and activities.

OMWI will assess the D&I Contractor Outreach Program Standards periodically and will update 

them as needed.