In this post 9/11 and Katrina world we live in – how well government operates matters a great deal to all of us. Moreover, it’s a tough new world out there. The economy is in its worst crash since the Great Depression. State and local governments are in a fiscal crisis at a time when their services are needed most.
The Obama administration has promised serious change at the federal level. Meanwhile, state and local governments must change decade-old practices and adopt innovative new ideas.
I’m using this site to convene thinkers from around the country to weigh in on a critical issue. Can we use public procurement to drive innovation? If so, how do we encourage dialogue between the public and private sector that will produce innovation?
On March 23, 2009, The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) met in Chicago for their annual meeting. One of the panel discussions addressed this issue. Please join in the discussion and provide your thoughts.
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I would really like to see the government’s procurement system used to change gun policies. As the largest consumer of guns in the world, the government should use the procurement process to put limitations on what those they buy from can do. Gun manufacturers should be told to stop selling certain types of weapons to the general public. Manufacturer’s who do not comply would be excluded from the list of companies with which the government would do business. Who knows what kind of life saving innovation this could drive?