Staying small will not be enough. Contracting rules already exclude large companies if below some value threshold (e.g. $100K for many types of work) when small companies exist that can get the work done. Preference is already given to minority-owned/operated offerors, as well as women-owned. Further preference is given to offerors located in economically depressed areas employing people living in those areas (Hub zones). The acquisition regulations supplements within the agencies will be revised to give greater preference to the point of exclusion of other qualified offerors.
Further, it is not enough for them that the federal workforce reflects the populace... equal outcomes must be met not only in hiring, but also in promotion, supervisory status and within employment fields. For example, NASA’s workforce generally reflects the populace, but 85% of engineers and over 90% of scientists are either white or asian/PI. This must be corrected (regardless of the demographic makeup of graduates from accredited engineering and science colleges and universities). You see, as the EO states:
“our greatest accomplishments are achieved when diverse perspectives are brought to bear to overcome our greatest challenges. “
and we all know, it is that diverse perspective of the physical sciences that lead to technological breakthroughs!
Do minorities care one way or another if they get jobs, permotions etc. based on merit? Well to Obama it doesn’t matter....and I now doubt if those minorities will care either....to some it is simply payback time in their eyes. I have heard some in my community say as much.