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 across a multitude of segments, from health and human services to transportation to education. IT spending continues to rise every year as governments prioritize cybersecurity, data governance, and application and infrastructure modernization. And yet, while IT may be critical to government operations, it can also be one of the most difficult things for state and local governments to procure.
In the first installment of this four-part series, we frame common challenges governments face when procuring for IT and explore strategies for applying a results-driven approach to IT procurements.