White Papers and Issue Briefs

A 2017 Accenture Strategy study estimated that by 2024, Fifth Generation (5G) technology will bring to local municipalities an estimated $275 billion in investments, three million jobs, and a $500 billion increase to local Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on top of promises for more connectivity and even faster connections to the internet. Download

A reoccurring challenge in public procurement is: How can government keep up with procuring technological innovation? The state of Minnesota Office of State Procurement (OSP) faced this question in 2018 when the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) approached OSP looking for a procurement solution to their predicament. Download Case Study

In this publication we will address steps state governments should take to ensure cybersecurity is an integral part of the acquisition process. We will also build upon previous acquisition reformation and transformation work and publications from a partnership between NASCIO and NASPO (the National Association of State Procurement Officials) that started in 2016. In this latest iteration, we are excited to have the Center for Internet Security (CIS) join us and bring their unmatched cybersecurity expertise to the effort. View / Download

The COVID-19 emergency will be remembered as one of the most devastating disasters in modern history, with impacts that rippled across all sectors of the global economy and societies. One of the grave failures is the challenge governments faced in securing personal protection equipment (PPE) for their citizens. In Western countries, it became clear that the shortage could not be averted quickly as critical products such as N95 masks and nitrile gloves became rare commodities globally. Most PPE is produced in Asia, with ironically a large proportion produced in the Wuhan region.1 PPE shortages in the United States created a bidding war among nations, states within nations, and between United States state and federal government agencies. In this report, we focused on the PPE shortages that occurred throughout the United States in 2020. We examined the structural influence of state procurement offices on the ability to respond in an agile and effective manner. Specifically, we explored how the levels of centralization of state procurement, led by the state Chief Procurement Officer (CPOs), were associated with the responsiveness of state agencies to obtain PPE supplies during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.   View / Download

Based on input from state CPOs, the 2020 Top 10 Priorities for State Procurement reflect core procurement issues nationwide. Leading Procurement Strategy Statewide is the front-runner for the new year, holding steady among the most important topics for the past six years.  Providing leadership for statewide planning, policy setting, centralized oversight and data-gathering and analysis will be front and center for state central procurement leaders. Ranking 2^nd this year, Maximizing Statewide eProcurement Utilization and Functionality saw a jump from 2019’s 4^th place. Last year’s front-runner, Responsive Services to Agency Stakeholders takes 3^rd place for the 2020 list of priorities. For more information, please contact Rebecca Montano-Smith DOWNLOAD

An infographic on State Practices for Cloud Implementation

NASPO collected information from states through the Cloud Services Survey. This Cloud Infographic offers a snapshot of the key data points from the survey, including existing practices, contracting models that are currently used, challenges and solutions for a successful implementation of cloud solutions and many more. Downlaod

NASPO announces the release of its inaugural Top 10 Focus Areas for State Procurement for 2015. The priority areas will help narrow the association’s focus when developing new publications and research, planning conference sessions, and hosting webinars to share best procurement practices. The top 10 ranking of state procurement focus areas reflects the collective voice of State Central Procurement Officers who voted on their top 10 priorities, based on the relevance and existing or anticipated impact on state procurement policies in their respective NASPO member state. Based on the voting results, the highest priority area for state central procurement offices nationwide is Procurement Reform and Reengineering of Procurement Processes. The second highest priority is the commitment to use procurement data collection and Spend Analytics as strategic assets to enhance procurement oversight and efficiencies in all states. Planning and Managing Large Technology Procurements and the need to involve state central procurement offices early in the process came in third. Following closely in fourth place came Measuring Success in State Procurement, including outcome-based performance measurements and data-driven decisions. You can access the complete Top 10 Focus Areas for State Procurement from Research and Innovation Tab.

The paper highlights the value that state procurement professionals bring to state government, focusing on ways in which procurement generates state savings, creates and sustains private sector jobs, and ensures state procurement integrity. It also includes a discussion on how state executive leadership can help support state procurement's ability to add value to states.

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