Policy & Practice | August 2019

Change is hard, but it isworth it.Wemust continue to challenge the status quo and innovate approaches to technology procurement and contractmanagement for public-service programs.

performance measures as part of their response to your procure- ment. This allows the performance measures to be tailored to a specific approach and solution. The method by which services are delivered in the public space has changed drastically in the last five years. Most governmental programs are focused on self-service, person-cen- tered care, cross-programmatic service delivery, and more. At the same time, the landscape of technology solutions available in the public space has also changed significantly. Change is hard, but it is worth it. We must continue to challenge the status quo and innovate approaches to technology procurement and contract management for public- service programs. By doing so, state government agencies will expand their ability to operate and provide quality service delivery in the most cost- effective manner possible, while also fulfilling their missions to the clients they serve. Carole Hussey is an Associate Manager at Public Consulting Group (PCG). She has spent 20 years working within state government technology consulting, and nearly 10 years of that with PCG. She leads PCG’s Human Services Information Technology business development efforts nationally. Most recently, Hussey has been focused on advising states how best to approach their transitions to Comprehensive Child Welfare Information Systems (CCWIS) in a way that most effectively supports the programs and operations of child welfare agencies.

to help you move the needle in your own organization. n In advance of writing the request for proposal (RFP), clearly define the business results you expect from the investment, and the methods by which you will measure project progress and success. To do this well, you need everyone at the table (e.g., IT, program, procurement, legal, budget/finance). n It is not necessary to tell the vendor how to do the work, only what you want out of it and then measure to that. n Design incentives, not just penalties. Traditional service-level agreements (SLA) increase risk for the vendors, which inflates the price. SLAs are certainly important, but only include those that are most important to your organization. n Develop a collaborative relationship with your procurement team and involve them early and often. Get them engaged so they understand what it is that you are trying to achieve from a business perspective. n Create a performance management tool and process. Document it in your procurement vehicle and make sure the vendors are clear on how they will be managed throughout the project. n Use pre-approved vendor pool or master services agreements (MSA) with multiple awards, from which you can create task orders. This expedites the procurement process. n If you do not have access to MSAs, consider using federal or regional blankets (e.g., reciprocal, cross-state procurement vehicles) that can be shared, sometimes for a fee. n If you are really open to change, invite vendors to propose

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Policy&Practice   August 2019