By David Gragan and Jason Whetsell
Finally, we have the opportunity to make comprehensive procurement reforms.
Decisions made in the next few weeks will likely shape the system for decades. This creates an ideal opportunity for the community of public procurement professionals to lead from the front on modernization of the procurement function, further empowering the excellent work we do.
Most of us who have served in leadership positions in government recognize that there is plenty of room for improvement. We feel that it is now up to us: Take charge of acquisition reform or have acquisition reformed for us. The choice seems obvious.
We must lead this work from the front during a once-in-a-career opportunity to fix what is broken, cut through bureaucracy, and create a system that works for those who know it best. Procurement leaders should neither fear nor avoid this moment! Rather, we should create and sustain the dialogue that will benefit our profession, our clients, and most importantly, the American public.
Incremental changes are not enough. With major shifts in government underway, structural overhauls are coming. If procurement professionals do not lead, those changes may not be optimal in serving our acquisition workforce or the taxpayer. America is paying more attention to government contracting than ever before. Scrutiny is, and should be, focused on spending, and the policy and regulatory framework is bound to change as a result. Bureaucracies tend to react to problems with more rules. But we do not need more rules, we need procurement experts who can eliminate unnecessary complexity while upholding public trust.
On February 26, an executive order provided thirty days for agencies to review contracting policies, procedures, and personnel. We believe this is good news! The executive order acknowledges the need to address both regulations and workforce. We who have done it know that procurement reform is complex and cross-functional. We must introduce ideas that make procurement both adaptive and accountable.
Let's take this moment to jumpstart a conversation on procurement reform: What should be our focus and how can we make it happen?
We need your voice. We will not suggest specific reforms here; the best ideas will come from a dialogue among professionals and leaders in the field, but we believe reform should be guided by some core principles:
● Procurement reform will empower, not impede. It must first serve the American taxpayer while also working for agencies, the acquisition workforce, and our industry partners.
● Bold reform is in order, which creates opportunity for us to be introspective, innovative, and courageous.
● Reform must empower people and reshape the system, not just tweak rules. A thriving procurement function develops talent and enables continuous innovation.
● Reform will empower innovators to be entrepreneurial, finally eliminating the bureaucratic obstacles that constrain their brilliance.
We are stepping forward, and we invite you to join us. If you are interested in contributing to this dialogue, fill out the following form. While we may not be able to include everyone, we will use your responses to shape our ongoing discussion.
