{"id":26266,"date":"2021-10-06T10:51:37","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T14:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/?p=26266"},"modified":"2021-11-22T12:15:16","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T17:15:16","slug":"four-steps-to-building-a-more-innovative-federal-procurement-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/blog\/four-steps-to-building-a-more-innovative-federal-procurement-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Four steps to building a more innovative federal procurement culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The federal acquisition community supports some of government\u2019s most critical priorities\u2014from advancing racial equity and modernizing our infrastructure to addressing climate change. To deliver on these priorities, federal leaders and agencies need to develop new ways for government to procure\u2014or buy and acquire\u2014the goods and services it needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Federal Innovation Council<\/a>\u2014a group of current federal innovation leaders created by the Partnership for Public Service to forge a more innovative culture across government\u2014has outlined four ways that agency leadership and the Biden administration can support this goal. Building on emerging innovations in federal procurement, these strategies encourage acquisition leaders to take smart risks and balance compliance with experimentation to help government fulfill its mission more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From risk avoidance to mission-first<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The federal acquisition community has many tools to support mission delivery, from the acquisition authorities and flexibilities within the Federal Acquisition Regulation to specialized authorities such as the Other Transaction Authority<\/a> or the Prize and Challenge Authority<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, federal procurement remains process-focused and its culture does not yet fully support optional use of these authorities to rapidly acquire needed goods and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complexity of the federal procurement system leads to risk-adverse contracting officers and acquisition teams. Scrutiny from the oversight community, a fear of bid protests\u2014a challenge to the terms of solicitation or the award of a federal contract\u2014and red tape prevent acquisition professionals from efficiently executing the procurement process and shifts their focus away from effective service delivery.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, a more innovative culture in federal procurement has begun to emerge\u2014one that encourages a mission-first mindset and empowers acquisition professionals to use new approaches that drive improved results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groups such as the Federal Acquisition Innovation Advocate Council,<\/a> managed by the Office of Management and Budget\u2019s Office of Federal Procurement Policy, help foster this culture of innovation. Other offices like the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Procurement Innovation Lab<\/a> do the same by providing coaching resources that support federal acquisition professionals as they experiment with new ways to improve procurement processes. Industry-government resources such as the Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations<\/a> also ensure that learning is shared across and between the public and private sectors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building on the foundation of procurement innovation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is time to build on these efforts to create a more robust and permanent procurement innovation ecosystem across the federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Federal Innovation Council has created an Innovation Priority Agenda that outlines several ways that agency leadership and the new administration can support the federal acquisition community. The agenda recommends that federal leaders and the White House:<\/p>\n\n\n\n