State Government Associations Release IT Procurement Recommendations and Roadmap For Reform

LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 19, 2017) – The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) have released a joint roadmap for state information technology (IT) procurement reform and process transformation. The two associations have worked in tandem toward deeper engagement and partnership on this important issue for nearly two years.

In February 2017, NASPO and NASCIO established a joint task force on IT procurement negotiations. This task force is co-chaired by NASPO’s Sarah Hilderbrand, Idaho Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), and NASCIO’s Jim Smith, Maine Chief Information Officer (CIO) and includes CPOs and CIOs from 15 states. Task force members met for a daylong workshop session in Pittsburgh, Pa. in August 2017, and discussed how to best reach their shared goal of reforming and transforming IT procurement. The outcome of the work performed over the past nine months culminated in 18 joint recommendations for IT procurement improvement in the following categories: 

•    Relationship building
•    Procurement processes
•    Centralization
•    Legislation and policy

These recommendations are accompanied by suggested implementation methods for the practical application of the joint task force's guidance.  The recommendations, implementation methods and the publication as a whole are the result of the work of the task force, the in-person workshop, and a survey of CPOs and CIOs across the country on topics related to IT procurement and, specifically, negotiations of IT contracts. Forty states responded to the survey questions and provided invaluable feedback to NASCIO and NASPO.

Mark Raymond, NASCIO President and CIO for the State of Connecticut said, “The business models in state government IT are changing as rapidly as technology itself.  The procurement processes for technology must also adapt. Indeed, it is our hope that this publication and recommendations help CIOs and CPOs start a conversation about what is to come in this arena.”

“Procurement and IT are not going away, they’re going to change. How we adjust to change, how we continue to improve and how we interact to improve is the goal,” said Larry Maxwell, NASPO President and New Mexico State Purchasing Director. “NASPO will continue to be a strategic partner and encourage work groups like this to address that change.” 

A copy of the recommendations of the joint task force is available on both NASPO and NASCIO websites at www.nascio.org/procurement