The Harvard Kennedy School’s Government Performance Lab has launched a new resource to help state and local governments make better procurement decisions. The Procurement Excellence Network is a free online hub, open exclusively to those working in government, and serves as a “centralized place to access resources, learn best practices, and find community.”
“Procurement is one of the most important and strategic tools leaders have at their disposal and can be a real force for transformational change,” Jeffrey Liebman, director of the Government Performance Lab. “We are pleased to expand our support for state and local governments through this new initiative and look forward to helping cities, counties, and states maximize their impact by making procurement practices more efficient, results-driven, equitable, and strategic.”
The Network draws upon a decade’s research the Government Performance Lab has performed, working with state and local government staff involved in purchasing, legal, policy, programs, data, and finance functions.
The Procurement Excellence Network (PEN) includes:
- A member directory and online discussion board to encourage knowledge sharing;
- Virtual peer roundtables to discuss selected topics with other members;
- A resource library with how-to guides, articles, and templates to help members implement procurement transformations and learn about recent innovations;
- Interactive training and webinars;
- Office hours with GPL experts for live one-on-one and group support; and
- A newsletter to hear about upcoming events, opportunities, and new resources.
The Government Performance Lab also provides support to cities interested in transforming procurement through its leadership training program – Leading City Procurement Reform. The program has provided support to 16 cities in 2022 and is run in conjunction with the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University.