About MPP

The PennDOT Mentor-Protege Program was initially devised as a remedy to address the disparity identified by the 2018 PennDOT disparity study. In 2018, a study conducted by BBC Research and Consulting found that when all relevant prime contracts and subcontracts that PennDOT awarded during the study period were totaled, black American-owned firms were found to have experienced underutilization. This was represented by being the only group with a disparity index of less than 100. The line down the center of the graph shows a disparity index level of 100, which indicates parity between participation and availability. Disparity indices of less than 100 indicate disparities between participation and availability, that is, underutilization. For reference, a line is also drawn at a disparity index level of 80 because some courts use 80 as the threshold for what indicates a substantial disparity.

The PennDOT Mentor-Protege Program, while being open to all DBEs, was developed specifically to help underutilized PennDOT DBEs gain qualifications and project experience. This is a critical concept for all program stakeholders to understand as we set the proper expectations for participation in this program. It’s also important to remember that the Mentor-Protege Program does not replace the DBE program, but your protege’s participation will count toward your DBE goal for the Mentor-Protege Program project.

To ensure eligibility, proteges must be a certified DBE with the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program (PAUCP). There are specific areas of concentration that mentors will be looking for, including heavy highway construction and civil engineering disciplines for heavy highway projects. If your company is not seeking a focus in the heavy highway industry, the PennDOT Mentor-Protege Program may not be appropriate for your needs. It’s important for proteges to remember that your Mentor-Protege Program tier is not necessarily based on your experience. It’s based on your PennDOT ECMS status, which may change through the course of your participation in this program.

For mentors, you should not begin mentoring until you have begun a PennDOT project with Mentor-Protege Program provisions. Construction cohort mentors can request to add Mentor-Protege Program work orders to their existing projects. SOIs for PennDOT Professional Services advertisements with Mentor-Protege Program provisions must include a protege. Your Protege contract amount will also be counted towards your DBE goal. In addition, all mentors seeking to participate should be business partner registered and qualified, or pre-qualified to prime projects on ECMS.

Now, let’s discuss how to get signed up for the PennDOT Mentor-Protege Program. The point of contact for the Protege firm will visit mppsurvey.com to complete the Mentor-Protege Program questionnaire. Once done, your PRA profile will be automatically created if you are using an email address not already in Pro Rank Academy. Existing PRA users will be added to the PennDOT Mentor-Protege Program if the questionnaire is completed using the existing PRA email address. You can enter 0 for any numbers or amounts that don’t apply when completing the questionnaire. You can use the save and continue later button to save your responses. You will be sent an initial email about what your next steps should be upon completion of the Mentor-Protege Program questionnaire. Completing your questionnaire gets you signed up as a protege for the PennDOT Mentor-Protege Program.

For mentors, the point of contact for the mentor firm will also visit mppsurvey.com. The difference is that mentors will need to find the “click here” link on the banner image to be redirected to the mentor survey. Then they will complete their version of the questionnaire. Once you’re done with the questionnaire, your PRA profile will be automatically created if you are using an email not already in PRA. Existing PRA users will be added to the PennDOT Mentor-Protege Program as mentors if using existing PRA emails to complete the questionnaire. In either scenario, you will be sent an initial email about how to access Mentor-Protege Program projects and proteges once you complete the questionnaire. And that’s it, you’re all signed up and ready to get started with the PennDOT Mentor-Protege Program as a potential mentor.

Thanks for taking an interest in the PennDOT Mentor-Protege Program. We look forward to seeing you in the program.