The Evolving World of Government Procurement: Trends Today and Tomorrow

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By David Gragan
April 3, 2026

Over my 30 years in the world of government contracting, I have seen continuous positive change. In recent years, I have seen increased trust between buyers and sellers, more openness to dialogue, greater understanding of the requisitioner’s critical role in good contracts and a tendency for practitioners to see the procurement profession as one of art rather than blind adherence to process.

It is remarkable to consider that just 30 years ago, governments advertised contracting opportunities entirely through newspapers and trade publications. Technology has changed that, and it will always be true that new tools will emerge that will enhance our ability to do this work well.

But technology does not rule. It is simply a tool that should be put in the hands of the right people. The ingredient that I now see making more of a difference than ever is people.

Talent

What had for years been an accidental profession is now becoming an aspirational one. More students are purposefully entering the world of government service through our schools of public administration, and more are studying supply chain dynamics in our schools of business. With this combination, it is becoming more common to find procurement officers who knew they wanted to work in government contracting.

Recently, Arizona State University and the National Association of State Procurement Officials announced a partnership to create a department that may be the first of its kind dedicated to public procurement and supply chain excellence. This conscious effort to identify and recruit procurement personnel to support government is foundational to improvement in our work.

Better Communication

With a clear understanding that no contract is a good contract unless both parties benefit, public procurement professionals are becoming more open to initiating dialogue before a contract opportunity is published.

Increasingly, we see procurement forecasts being issued. They are a byproduct of the budget, which already garners public interest. However, the budget remains a static document until a contract puts that money into action. This is why recruiting and retaining talent in government contracting is essential.

Further, I see more frequent use of two communication tools that support better contracts: pre-solicitation and pre-proposal conferences. Each enhances understanding on both sides and results in clearer expectations and improved outcomes.

More Thoughtful Delegation of Authority

When spending public money, a high level of trust is required to grant authority from the chief procurement officer through buyers to employees with procurement cards. Through good training on the front end and thorough oversight on the back end, governments are increasingly comfortable allowing procurement decisions to be made at the lowest reasonable level. This reduces the mystery of the public procurement process and encourages trust in public spending.

Competitive Proposals

Until recently, governments seemed to want to reduce all needs to the commodity level, where cost was considered equivalent to value. The procurement method used most in my early years was competitive sealed bidding, a method entirely focused on price. Today, the trend is toward competitive proposals, where the government more carefully designs evaluation criteria to define value.

The request for proposal is the solicitation vehicle, and the contract often results through negotiation. This requires greater insight into the industries we buy from, deeper knowledge of value and a clearer understanding of negotiation techniques.

Training and Certification

Where procurement authority was once exercised by public servants who rose through the ranks by process adherence and tenure, today it is more often exercised by well-trained and certified purchasing professionals. There are several nationally recognized public procurement certification programs administered by organizations such as the National Contract Management Association and the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council.

It is now common to see vacancy announcements that require one of these national certifications as a prerequisite for selection, especially for chief procurement officer roles.

Final Thoughts

The taxpayer is my most important client as a procurement professional. I serve my supplier partners by maintaining a level playing field that ensures a fair opportunity to compete for the government’s business. I serve my internal requisitioners by delivering contracts that put goods and services at their disposal to better serve the public. Most importantly, I serve every taxpayer whose money is spent to make government more efficient, effective, reliable and respected.

Procurement as a function of government is behind the scenes. It is not noticed unless it fails to function properly. As technology continues to evolve, AI being the most recent example, public procurement must wisely use these tools to do the work better, offering more transparency and therefore more oversight to the process.

But ultimately, as I have written, talent rules the day. The trend I most want to see continue in government procurement is a focus on strong leaders and diligent practitioners. This combination will ensure that future tools and trends are used wisely in support of our most important client.

---

Author: David Gragan is an experienced public sector leader with an extensive background in executive leadership positions in the government, business, and non-profit settings. He has served as Chief Procurement Officer of the City of Washington DC, the states of Texas and Indiana, and the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He has served on numerous governing boards and chaired the boards of the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) and the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council. This article was written under the auspices of Barrett and Greene, Inc.

 

(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...