Local governments need flexible procurement policies as they work to acquire up-to-date technology

Streamlining procurement processes is a top 10 priority among local government IT officials. That’s one of the findings in the new “2022 CompTIA Public Technology Institute (PTI) State of City and County IT National Survey” from CompTIA.

“Our latest 2022 local government survey has procurement as one of its top priorities for the first time—ranked number eight,” says Dr. Alan R. Shark, vice president public sector and executive director of the CompTIA Public Technology Institute (PTI). The survey shows the following as the top three city/county CIO technology priorities over the next two years:

1. Cybersecurity/data loss prevention
   2. Modernizing outdated IT systems
   3. Innovation

On the subject of IT procurement, Shark says it is crucial that an agency’s procurement rules allow for expediting purchases as well as permitting more sole-source opportunities. “Today’s IT environment requires flexibility and being agile. Such flexibility also includes the recognition that sole-source can often be the best solution, especially when it is well documented, and time is of the essence.”

Shark spotlights some key considerations for cities-counties when they buy technology. “The most important thing for local governments is to have some degree of flexibility when making purchases and recognizing that the cheapest solution can often be the poorer choice.” He adds that local governments need to do a better job of understanding the total cost of a product or service which includes ongoing required upgrades, training and maintenance. “There is a need for greater flexibility in choosing various product configurations taking into account volume discounts as well as speed of delivery.”

Local governments typically operate under state purchasing regulations as well as local policies when they do technology buys. Shark says he’s heard complaints that purchasing policies and procedures are often outdated, too restrictive and in some instances, out of sync with state procedures. “The ideal situation would be for CIOs and purchasing officers to work towards having a stronger and more meaningful working relationship. There can be friction on both sides where a better working relationship could iron out miscommunication, lack of awareness as to what a particular problem might be and seeking common strategies for obtaining the best IT solutions.”

Shark says that for the past decade, cybersecurity has been the No. 1 concern for all IT managers. What’s more, the threat landscape is growing faster than IT managers can keep up with. His conclusion: “Cybersecurity requests must receive special priority attention to help identify solutions that can scale up and down and have the ability to adjust along the way.”

He notes that many IT leaders have been forced to outsource some or all their cybersecurity monitoring and mitigation services. “This places an extra load and burden on annual operating budgets as opposed to capital budgets where products and services can be amortized over a period of time.”

Shark says most IT managers in the public sector are switching to a more agile way of carrying out their responsibilities. “This means they need a long-term vision with incremental and flexible spending plans. There are few long-term solutions today as the technology is changing ever faster; as is the way it is being deployed.” Shark’s group advises local government IT administrators to avoid inflexible long-term commitments when making technology buys.

Shark says recent trends and events show governments’ ongoing need for current technology. “The pandemic certainly proved the need for greater mobility and the need to pivot to a largely remote workforce. Many of the improvised practices are now becoming institutionalized. As a result, local governments are more dependent on technology than at any time in history.” He adds that it is imperative for cities and counties to stay up to date in their technology profiles to serve their citizens and internal customers with the higher level of service they have come to expect.

Shark believes cooperative procurement agreements can play a role in technology buys. He notes, however, that while cooperative purchasing deals are great for commodity-based products, they do little for customized solutions. “Smaller, self-developed ad-hoc agreements among a small but focused group are often a better alternative,” is his conclusion.

Shark has broad experience serving the public sector, having led the PTI in Washington D.C. since 2004. He is a fellow of the National Academy for Public Administration and chair of the Standing Panel on Technology Leadership, as well as an associate professor for the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, and is course developer/instructor at Rutgers University’s Center for Government Services. Shark also the host of the bi-monthly podcast, Sharkbytes.

Shark’s group is all about making public sector connections at all levels of government. CompTIA, parent to PTI, provides a Public Sector Procurement Council that connects members with policy and decision-makers in federal, state and local government. “The council works closely with agencies, Congress, and the White House to help define, outline, and implement an IT-focused modernized acquisition framework,” Shark tells Co-op Solutions. CompTIA PTI will hold its annual Local Government Cyber Leader Summit on October 26, 2022 in Washington D.C.

Michael Keating is senior editor for American City & County. Contact him at [email protected].