We dig into the mechanics of a strong CPO-CIO partnership, from regular check-ins to creating a culture where procurement brings IT in early and IT brings procurement in early. You’ll hear how cooperative contracts like NASPO ValuePoint can speed up acquisitions while staying competitive, why an RFI can be the smartest first move, and how both teams handle the real tension that shows up when speed, compliance, and long-term value collide.
Software also isn’t a simple commodity anymore. We talk about evaluating technology risk through both lenses: procurement fairness and technology governance. Utah shares a real example of an AI tool tied to sensitive data (HIPAA, CJIS, and PII) that had to be paused because security controls didn’t match the stakes. From there, we zoom out to AI procurement and contracting, including how fast-evolving capabilities force updates to cloud terms and conditions, and how frontier AI models raise the cybersecurity baseline for every state.

If you care about public procurement, state IT, cybersecurity, and responsible AI governance, this conversation is a practical blueprint.

Season 7, Episode 12

Season 7, Episode 12 Transcript

Got a comment or an idea for an episode? Email [email protected]. We would love to hear from you!

Make sure to follow the Pulse Podcast and subscribe to the blog to be updated for every new episode! You can subscribe to Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen.