Government Procurement Policy: A Question of Synchronization Versus Compression

Government is never boring. On one hand you have the Government of Canada who despite earlier hopes has once again reverted to muscling a shared services platform down the unwilling throats of the majority of stakeholders. A move which is ironically being introduced at the expense of the very business and innovation the mandate is purported to protect. On the other hand, you have the Commonwealth of Virginia whose eVA program has been one of the few bright spots (I actually used the word beacon in a recent speech) in a sea of failed public sector initiatives perhaps heading precipitously towards a self-destructive end. What’s the old term, “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory?” The one common element in both situations is the paucity of either statistical or empirical proof to support the current mandates. Join me as we discuss the controversial and dramatically evolving policies that have polarized the business community. NOTE: The "lines will be open" to welcome your comments.