IJIS Institute Publishes Final Report from Procurement Innovation Task Force

Task force focused on the technology procurement process as it applies to the state and local government sector

Ashburn, VA (January 7, 2014). The IJIS Institute—a nonprofit organization that focuses on mission-critical information sharing for justice, public safety, and homeland security—is pleased to announce the report entitled, Strategies for Procurement Innovation and Reform. The report, developed by the IJIS Institute’s Procurement Innovation Task Force, was funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Program Manager of the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE).

Bob Shumate, Member Emeritus of the IJIS Institute and one of the project leaders, explained, “There has probably never been a time when management of the procurement process has been so important. With technology evolving at an ever-increasing pace and shrinking public budgets, existing procurement practices for technology projects no longer meet today’s requirements. This report offers many recommendations for modifying current procurement practices. The Task Force, comprised of seven members from the private sector and seven members from the public sector, offered a unique perspective from both the Buyer and Seller’s viewpoints. The report is an essential read for those involved in the procurement process within state and local government.”

This initiative is primarily unique because of the multi-disciplinary composition of the Task Force. Rather than presenting a bifurcated view of the procurement world, the Task Force made a concerted effort to present a unified, comprehensive viewpoint that can be an effective tool for both public and private sector stakeholders. In addition to offering guidance on procurement issues for state and local government officials, the Task Force’s report aims to not only provided high-level suggestions aimed at addressing general procurement issues but it also provides recommendations that may solve specific procurement challenges. Perhaps the most ambitious goal of the Task Force was to clearly define how technology, in general, and the investment in and adoption of technology standards, in specific, can play a role in ameliorating some of the issues inherent in procurement.

Steve Ambrosini, executive director of the IJIS Institute, said, “Both government and industry will tremendously benefit from the work done to examine how to encourage innovation in procurement and to ensure that standards become an integral component of the procurement process.” Ambrosini further stated, “Moreover, the Institute is thrilled about strengthening the partnerships with technology industry associations and organizations—such as the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO), National Association of Counties (NACo), and TechAmerica—that not only share a common interest in advancing the issue of procurement reform and innovation but that were also tremendous contributors to this effort. We look forward to continuing to work together with our government and industry partners on this important initiative.”

For more information on the report or the task force, please visit: http://ijis.org/_resources/procurement_innovation_report.html

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About the IJIS Institute—The IJIS Institute unites the private and public sectors to improve mission-critical information sharing and safeguarding for those who protect and serve our communities. The IJIS Institute provides training, technical assistance, national scope issue management, and program management services to help government fully realize the power of information sharing. Founded in 2001 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with national headquarters on The George Washington University Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn, Virginia, the IJIS Institute has grown to nearly 320 member companies and individual associates from government, non-profit, and educational institutions from across the United States. For more information, visit our website at: http://www.ijis.org/; follow us on Twitter @ijisinstitute; read the IJIS Factor Blog; or, join us on LinkedIn at Justice and Public Safety Information Sharing.