Essential Procurement Performance Metrics to Track Regularly Template

Diagnosing bottlenecks in the procurement process, understanding where contract outcomes can be improved, and prioritizing systemic challenges require the kind of clarity provided by data. Procurement data is foundational to running an efficient, effective, proactive, and...

Fostering Equitable Contract Outcomes - Part 1: Equity in Service Planning

State and local governments are responsible for contracting out many consequential products and services for residents – but historically, some communities have received disparate access to services and experienced disparities in outcomes which still persist today. To correct these disparities...

Fostering Equitable Contract Outcomes - Part 2: Designing Equity-Centered RFPs

Fostering Equitable Contract Outcomes - Part 3: Managing Contracts with Equity in Mind

How to Structure Procurement Teams: To Be Centralized or Decentralized?

How should a city, state, or county government organize its procurement function? What level of responsibility should sit within a central office versus at the department or agency level? Should authority for certain categories of purchases always be delegated out to departments or agencies?...

How to Structure Procurement Teams: What Roles and Services to Provide

How to Write a Request for Information (RFI) that Vendors Want to Respond To

Government employees often fear that collaborating with prospective vendors or outside stakeholders crosses over a legal line and creates an unfair advantage. However, it is generally acceptable to communicate with potential vendors in a fair and open way before a formal solicitation has been...

Market Research: the Key to Your Next RFP's Success

When drafting a solicitation, tight timelines, complex programs, and limited staff resources can make it difficult for governments to systematically reassess needs, gather strategic input in designing new solutions, or engage with providers to help them understand the departments goals and...

Process Mapping 101: How to Map Your Procurement Process to Reduce Cycle Times

Process mapping is an excellent first step toward reducing cycle times and building stakeholder engagement to jumpstart procurement reform. Process maps help you come to a shared understanding of all steps involved in a procurement process and foster discussion around which of those steps are... Read more about Process Mapping 101: How to Map Your Procurement Process to Reduce Cycle Times

Proposal Evaluation Tips & Tricks: How to Select the Best Vendor for the Job

The decision what to buy and who to buy it from is a pivotal moment in any procurement. For public officials, deciding who to contract with for a big, long-term project can feel akin to buying your first new car, committing to a house, or choosing your...

Request for Information (RFI) Template

Results-Driven RFP Template

Writing a Request for Proposals (RFP) can feel daunting. As you face an upcoming need for goods or services, you may be tempted to fall back on a previously issued version of an RFP, simply mimic what a peer city or state has done, or renew an existing contract - even though you know you could...

RFP Response Workbook and Question Bank Template

Solicitation Getting Started Toolkit - Getting Started Worksheet

A purchasing office can be a valuable partner in collaborating with departments or agencies on solicitations by providing strategic support, whether through helping staff write effective and clear specifications, guiding them to use correct procurement processes, or by informing them of...

Solicitation Getting Started Toolkit - Kickoff Meetings

Solicitation Getting Started Toolkit - Overview

Solicitation Getting Started Toolkit - Template Intake Form

Step Into a Vendor's Shoes: Activity Kit for Paper Airplane RFP

When drafting an RFP, it's sometimes easy to get caught up in all the compliance requirements, specifications, and legal language and to forget what it's like to actually read and respond to the solicitation. This activity is designed to help participants understand what it’s like to respond...

Surveying Your Vendor Community to Assess Satisfaction and Identify Pain Points

When the procurement process is efficient, inviting, and inclusive, more firms and organizations will want to participate in contracting opportunities, resulting in greater competition. Positive relationships between vendors and governments during the course of a contract can lead to more...

Transforming IT Procurement: Framing the Problem

Last year alone, state and local governments were estimated to have spent nearly $120 billion on information technology (IT), much of which was purchased from the private sector in the form of software subscriptions and maintenance, systems integration, infrastructure, and managed services...

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