Procurement

5 Ways Local Governments Can Make Spending Smarter

COMMENTARY | There’s a lot wrong with the way governments purchase goods and services. But there are also ways to bring creativity and efficiency to procurement, harnessing it for innovation and economic growth.

  • By Mark Funkhouser

2 Practical Approaches to More Equitable Government Spending

It's been over two years since policy-makers began to redouble equity efforts with state and local budgets and programs. Here's a look at where things stand with some of that work.

  • By Liz Farmer

Better, Smarter and Faster Public Procurement in 9 Easy Steps

COMMENTARY | With procurement, the public sector has made shopping a chore. Here’s how to fix that.

  • By Antoine Belaieff

Billions Are Coming From Washington. The Fraudsters and the Corrupt Are Drooling.

COMMENTARY | Local governments should recognize the potential threat of corrupt uses of federal stimulus money by public officials. There are some steps auditors and honest public leaders can take to prevent fraudulent activity.

  • By Mark Funkhouser

Thermal Body Scans Being Tested at Pedestrian Border Crossings

Customs and Border Protection is piloting the Pedestrian Detection-at-Range system to identify illegal or dangerous items being smuggled through ports of entry.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Most Organizations Embrace Hybrid Cloud, Report Shows

In a survey of U.S. and U.K. IT decision makers, three out of four reported onboarding a new cloud provider during 2020.

  • By Frank Konkel

DOJ to Help Rural and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies Buy Body-Worn Cameras

The $7.65 million competitive grants program will also help agencies with fewer than 50 personnel.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Getting the 'Bosses of Procurement' to Understand its Strategic Value

State procurement departments have been front and center during the pandemic. Once the crisis wanes, focus on procurement may diminish, but officials say it needs ongoing high-level attention.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Rain, Fire and Car Crashes: How Ballot Boxes are Built to Withstand the World

The boxes are developed to include a host of built-in security features to keep ballots safe.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

A New Service Model for Disaster Recovery and Mitigation Programs

COMMENTARY | A “shared services” model for procurement could eliminate some of the problems and pain points faced by state and local governments in the wake of a disaster. 

  • By Lauren Nichols and Nathaniel Trombley

Lessons Learned in Procurement Overhaul

COMMENTARY | The New York City chief procurement officer shares lessons learned for reforming a procurement system.

  • By Dan Symon

It’s Time To Rethink Government Purchasing

COMMENTARY | State and local governments are exhausting their vendor lists. It is time to rethink what can be standardized across jurisdictions—and with it, how we purchase.

  • By Ben Vaught
Featured eBooks
Road and Transit Infrastructure Trends
Federal Recovery Funds at the State and Local Level
Infrastructure at a Turning Point

40 Startups to Work With 22 Governments on Civic Tech Challenges

The Startup in Residence Program has grown and even inspired California’s governor to turn its approach to innovation into a new procurement pathway.

  • By Dave Nyczepir

Kansas Gov.-Elect Vows to Scrutinize State’s No-Bid Contracts

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Small-town sex trafficking in South Dakota … counties with the most deportations … and North Carolina vaccination exemptions.

  • By Michael Grass

Pressuring Gun and Ammo Manufacturers Through Police Procurement

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | A grim search in Calif. for the missing in Paradise … Mich. PFAS blood tests … the best big U.S. airport … and ‘pot for potholes.’

  • By Michael Grass

Can ‘Mad Libs’ Save Our Failing Infrastructure?

A resiliency team takes an out-of-the-box approach to America’s least sexy problem.

  • By Mitch Herckis

Amazon Contract to Supply Schools and Localities Attracts Criticism

About 1,500 schools and local governments have adopted a deal to buy goods from the online retailer. One group is raising concerns.

  • By Bill Lucia

Montana Governor's Executive Order Ties Net Neutrality to State Contracts

STATE & LOCAL ROUNDUP: Louisiana governor’s “ugly” budget; explore Florida's unsolved homicide cases; and why Lincoln, Nebraska will see big benefits from New York's future subway cars.

  • By Michael Grass

Rethinking Our Century-Old Approach to Paying for Infrastructure

Our crumbling infrastructure can be fixed if we change how we fund capital investments and maintenance.

  • By John Brown Miller

Buying Into the Internet of Things

States need to be smart and strategic when purchasing connected devices, according to Alaska's chief procurement officer.

  • By Jason Soza

Washington State's CIO on the Impending ‘Sea Change’ in Purchasing Government IT

WATCH: As Michael Cockrill leaves public service, he reflected with Route Fifty on rebranding ‘public service’ and how purchasing IT is fundamentally changing.

  • By Mitch Herckis