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A Year in IT Procurement Reform

By Meredith Ward posted Feb 17,2017 07:53 AM

  

It has been just about a year since NASCIO released its call to action for state IT procurement reform (www.nascio.org/procurement), and what a year it has been. The call for reform-which included recommendations like improving the negotiations process and introducing more flexible terms and conditions-was shortly thereafter endorsed by the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO). We lobbed it over the fence, they caught it, and since then we have both run with it. 

  • In July of last year, NASCIO and NASPO held a joint roundtable which brought CIOs and CPOs together to discuss the call for reform and how to move forward. The full report out and action plan can be read here: www.nascio.org/procurement.  
     
  • In September, the State of Wisconsin Bureau of Procurement received the 2016 Silver Cronin Award from NASPO for their Best Practice Playbook, which was inspired by the call for reform. Read more here
     
  • Also in September, NASCIO releases its 2016 State CIO Survey where CIOs were asked to rate the effectiveness of negotiation processes in their states. The verdict? Less than five percent of states do not negotiate after the proposal submission and before the contract award. 
     
  • In December, NASCIO and NASPO leadership voted to work together on a joint task force on negotiations to identify best practices, roadblocks and needed reforms.
     
  • Also in December, the Idaho Division of Purchasing announces they intend to revise terms and conditions for IT procurements. It is important to note NASCIO testified in the state on this topic in October.  

Will 2017 be as busy as the last? To quote the Magic 8-Ball, "cannot predict now," but one thing is for certain: NASCIO will continue to pound the pavement on IT procurement reform and work with our partners to get things done in the new year.

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