Procurement Month 2020: 5 Reasons to Celebrate Government Procurement

Believe it or not, it’s that time of year already – Procurement Month is here! In celebration of all things public procurement, we’ve put together five reasons that illustrate how and why government procurement is a wonderful thing. Come along for a quick review and get inspired!

Government procurement:

…Makes public services more efficient.

Across the country and around the world, public procurement professionals help do the hard work of evaluating public purchases to see what makes sense, what’s not working and what could be improved. From comparing vendor offers to ensuring that taxpayers get the most value for their money when buying goods or services, to monitoring the contract progress with a focus on transparency and accountability, procurement pros spend their days making sure our government (and our tax payers’ dollars!) is on the right track.

…Invigorates the economy by investing in communities.

In nearly every region and across industry sectors, public purchasing is essential to healthy economies and thriving communities. Many states, cities and towns give preference to local suppliers for public purchases, policies that invest public dollars into the people, and companies that keep communities alive and growing. What’s more, when a government agency makes a purchase from a local supplier, jobs are created and growth is stimulated, helping to grow the tax revenues that keep communities functioning.

…Makes it easy to see how your tax dollars are spent.

Unlike opaque private corporations that are not required to explain the “how’s” and “why’s” of their spending to the public, government procurement departments are uniquely designed to serve the public. This means meticulous tracking and reporting of how public money is spent, followed by rigorous evaluation of whether or not taxpayer dollars are being allocated effectively. As an increasing number of procurement departments use digital tools to make purchasing more transparent and accountable, communities benefit from having an ever-clearer view of how essential goods and services are bought and paid for.

…Helps develop best practices for procurement and push the field forward.

When you’re in charge of spending millions of dollars to benefit the public, you must put processes and practices in place to ensure that procurement is done efficiently and effectively. The expertise of our country’s purchasing professionals is continually applied to making procurement better and generating the maximum value for taxpayers.

…Is just really cool.

Government purchasing professionals get to participate in the development and completion of large-scale projects that positively impact the lives of millions. Think about all the work that goes into evaluating, selecting and working with vendors who build multimillion-dollar bridges, expressways, dams and other critical infrastructure. Beyond the structures we see and use every day, public procurement professionals are behind the scenes making sure that when a state, city, or county invests in a fleet of vehicles, new IT infrastructure, or a new city park, the vendors selected are the best available and that high-quality work is done in a timely way. Procurement pros make life better for all of us – careers don’t get much cooler than that.

So there you have it! Enjoy Procurement Month and take the time to thank your local public purchasing professional for their hard work and dedication to making sure our tax dollars are being spent the way they should be.

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