We’ve pulled together a list of places to help those working in government rethink their procurement processes. These are just a starting point. If you have an undiscovered procurement gem, please tweet us @wearecommons and let us know!

 

Getting Started

18F’s guide to Modular Contracting and Agile Delivery provides many resources for those looking to move to modular procurement, including a Git Hub repo. The Government Performance Lab (GPL) also has a wealth of resources. We’d recommend starting with this paper for a good introduction to results-driven contracting filled with examples. For municipal governments, the Sunlight Foundation has a set of research-based open contracting data standards.

Case Studies and Policy Briefs

For deeper dives, GPL has a policy brief on how to actively manage contracts using data, and a solutions book with examples from cities around the country. If you’re looking for something more bite-sized, Governing’s blog post on 8 strategies for cities to make the most of contracting provides a nice overview.

Sample Documents

Earlier this year New York City launched their Government X Design initiative to attract newer, smaller business to work with the city. Their RFP sample docs are available on their site. Boston has also made their RFPs and related presentations available.

Communities

Federal employees can join a “Buyer’s Club” community of practice around innovative acquisition to discuss ideas and strategies.

Tools

Check the reading level of your most recent RFP and make sure to use plain language.

File Under: Procurement Can Be Creative and Fun!

Check out “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me – Procurement Edition” from the Code for America Summit.