National survey of state procurement officials finds states are moving toward a more modern approach to buying

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — States are becoming more data-driven and value-focused in their purchasing. Those are just two of several findings in the Governing Institute’s newly released 2019 procurement survey, 5 Trends That Are Reshaping How Governments Buy, which highlights some of the biggest emerging trends, issues and innovative best practices in state contracts and purchasing.

The report examines purchasing policies and practices in 29 states, weighing factors such as contract management and effective implementation of technology.

“Every day, state procurement offices face challenges from increasing customer expectations, acquisition complexity, rapidly changing market solutions and limited resources,” said Dugan Petty, a senior fellow with the Governing Institute and lead judge for the survey. “This report highlights key trends and practices leading states use to meet their challenges and provide value to their agency customers and ultimately to taxpayers. It also paves the way to possible improvements. We believe this report can help states that strive to improve the value their buying and contracting practices bring.”

The report ranks state procurement offices based on their extensive survey responses and examines some of the best practices from each state. Leading states include Michigan, Georgia, Massachusetts, Ohio and New York.

Responses revealed states in general are moving toward a more modern approach to buying, with five overarching trends helping to reshape procurement operations across the states today:

• Data and analytics are driving all phases of the procurement process.
• States are becoming more mature in applying best-value strategies.
• Solutions-based contracts are delivering more responsive engagements.
• Procurement offices are forging closer relationships with vendors.
• New types of contracting vehicles are emerging to boost acquisition effectiveness.

The survey examines how these trends are improving procurement effectiveness and performance. It also highlights ongoing problems and shortcomings, as well as emerging techniques and technologies poised to have a significant impact on procurement offices over the coming years.

Read or download the complete report here.

The Governing Institute thanks Ivalua, a spend management platform, the underwriter of this year’s survey.

About the Governing Institute: The Governing Institute advances better government by focusing on improved outcomes through research, decision support and executive education to help public-sector leaders govern more effectively. With an emphasis on state and local government performance, innovation, leadership and citizen engagement, the Institute oversees a wide range of events to further advance the goals of good governance.