Seven Steps to Success: Jump Start Government Contracts Series (Part 6)

"Transparency is not the holding fast to the illusion of a level playing field, but is achieved through a clear understanding of the layout of the field itself." The above is from a PowerPoint slide that I referenced in my keynote address at the 3rd Annual Business of Government Summit in Washington, D.C. on the 27th of April (this past week). The point I was making, and one that Judy Bradt had emphasized when she made the statement that "the process for winning government contracts is truly based on the ability of the supplier to legitimately and transparently win preference with government buyers," is that at the end of the day relationships both matter and are essential. The axiom I often use that people buy from whom "they know, like and trust" underlines this importance. Yet despite the immutable truth of the above statements, suppliers and government buyers are often operating at seemingly cross-purposes with the supplier believing that the relationship begins when an RFP is issued and, the buyer avoiding or obfuscating relationships because of the fear that it will be viewed as favoritism. In this the sixth segment in Judy Bradt's critically acclaimed Seven Steps to Success: Jump Start Government Contracts Series, we will examine both the importance of relationships in the public sector procurement process, and how relationships can be legitimately and transparently fostered to the benefit of all stakeholders.