Public Procurement | The Contracting Education Academy

November 16, 2016 By AMK

Tech startups lobby for alternative model of government contracting

Local tech firms have asked city governments in the Sacramento region to consider an alternative public contracting model that allows cities to test new technologies without first committing to purchasing them.

demonstration-partnerships The model is said to benefit technology companies by providing a testing ground for products that can improve local government performance, while avoiding the lengthy approvals process for standard municipal contracts.

The proposal is modeled after a program in San Jose, but it also compares to another endeavor undertaken by the city of West Sacramento this year called Startups in Residence.

The Startups in Residence program partnered tech companies with three California cities to develop civic-enhancing apps over a 16-week period this summer. West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon called the program a success as it helped city officials think differently about technology and resulted in a potential long-term contract with one app-maker. The platform uses mapping software to help the city locate homeless people and direct them to public services.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2016/11/11/tech-startups-lobby-for-alternative-model-of.html

November 9, 2016 By AMK

What does public procurement in 2020 look like?

Urgent recruiting to replace retirees, expanded buying through cooperative contracts and greater reliance on technology are becoming the norm, and public purchasers will see these trends expand even further in the coming years.

new-generation-of-public-procurement-officials-11-2016 As the workforce ages, procurement professionals are scrambling to replace exiting employees. In fact, succession planning is one of the top five factors that will most affect procurement in the next few years. According to a 2015 Government Procurement survey of public purchasing officials, nearly one-fifth of the 498 respondents said they would be retired in the next two to three years.

This data was reconfirmed in a 2016 compensation and retention benchmark survey from the NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement, which shows many public procurement directors and managers are planning to turn in their badges. In the high single digits (7.2 percent for directors and 6.6 percent for managers), survey respondents said they were considering retirement in the next 12 months.

Exiting staff will only compound the issues with the heavy workloads procurement professionals already face. About 35 percent of public procurement professionals surveyed in Onvia’s “2016 Survey of Procurement Professionals” are stretched or working extra hours to meet deadlines.

Keep reading this article at: http://m.americancityandcounty.com/technology/public-procurement-2020

June 30, 2016 By AMK

Does procurement need a re-brand?

Calling “procurement” something else would be comparable to applying a fresh coat of paint on a wall to hide cracks.

That’s the view of Bertrand Maltaverne, guest contributor to the Public Spend Forum whose goal is to foster discussion about transforming the public market to many informed, diverse voices. In this article, Maltaverne explores whether procurement needs a re-brand.

I’ve recently seen a few articles discussing whether procurement needs a rebrand, some of them arising from the Big Ideas Summit 2016 organized by Procurious. While I agree with many of the points made from the “pro” camp that describe the shortcomings of many procurement organizations, I disagree with the need to rebrand the function entirely. Calling “procurement” something else would be comparable to applying a fresh coat of paint on a wall to hide cracks. At some point, if nothing is done to fix the cracks, they will show again!

But, let’s explore both points of view: Why ‘Procurement’ Is Cursed and Why Some Procurement Activities Might Need Re-branding.

Keep reading this article at: http://publicspendforum.net/procurement-need-rebrand/

June 10, 2016 By AMK

Opportunity knocks: Getting vendors in the door

One of the persistent problems anyone within earshot of public procurement hears about is a lack of communication between public buyer and supplier.

Smart Cville That disconnect can take many forms and happens at many different stages, including a failure to communicate with potential vendors when shaping requirements, a failure to clarify those requirements, and a failure post-award to work closely with the vendor to manage their performance. But all of those assume one very basic thing: That a potential vendor even hears about an opportunity. Never a safe assumption at any level of government.

Which is why it’s heartening to see a new trend in the public market, taking aim at just this problem. The latest example is a story out of Charlottesville, Virginia, in which a nonprofit called Smart Cville has built a “procurement alert system” for the city. Every time a new opportunity is posted to Charlottesville’s website, subscribers to the alert system will be notified.

Keep reading this article at: http://publicspendforum.net/opportunity-knocks-vendors-door/

March 27, 2012 By AMK

Former OFPP chief cites progress in federal acquisition and workforce

Daniel I. Gordon, who served as the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy from 2009 through 2011, has authored a paper on his tenure in at the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP).

The paper, published in the Government Contractor, presents reflections on his three goals while Administrator: strengthening the federal acquisition workforce, driving fiscal responsibility in federal acquisition, and rebalancing the relationship with contractors.

Gordon points to reversal of several negative trends, in particular, decline in the size of the federal acquisition workforce during the years 1992-2009, unsustainable annual increases in procurement spending during those years, and an unhealthy overreliance on contractors in performance of key government functions. In each of those key areas, Gordon reports on the progress made — increasing the size of the federal acquisition workforce, buying less and buying smarter (particularly through the strategic sourcing initiative), and a better balance in relations with contractors, with more clarity about the proper role of contractors and improved oversight, as well as efforts to increase communication with vendors.

A full copy of the article can be downloaded here: Reflections on the Federal Procurement Landscape – February 2012.

Local tech firms have asked city governments in the Sacramento region to consider an alternative public contracting model that allows cities to test new technologies without first committing to purchasing them.

Urgent recruiting to replace retirees, expanded buying through cooperative contracts and greater reliance on technology are becoming the norm, and public purchasers will see these trends expand even further in the coming years.

Calling “procurement” something else would be comparable to applying a fresh coat of paint on a wall to hide cracks.

One of the persistent problems anyone within earshot of public procurement hears about is a lack of communication between public buyer and supplier.

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