NIGP Code and Consulting President Marcheta Gillespie shares three obstacles impacting transparency in procurement and how technology can overcome them.
Transparency is a guiding principle in the procurement world.
“One of the pillars of public sector procurement in the government structure is to protect the public's trust," said NIGP Code and Consulting President Marcheta Gillespie. “Transparency helps foster and build that trust.”
Yet, procurement professionals are up against forces out of their control that can stifle information sharing.
We talked to Gillespie about what she thinks makes openness more opaque in public procurement and why it’s important to overcome those barriers.
Marcheta Gillespie - President, NIGP Code and Consulting
Missing Data and Access to Information
Despite their best intentions, procurement offices often don't have the tools to track and share data for full transparency.
For example, Gillespie said years ago the federal government launched the Public Checkbook initiative to make government spending public on one website. Many entities struggled to pull all that data together because it was either too unorganized or it didn't exist. Tracking tools cost money, and procurement isn't always at the top of the funding totem pole.
Gillespie said exposing partial data risks telling a misleading story that could do more harm than good. So while professionals might want to share all the purchasing data, missing information makes it difficult to do so.
Fear of Scrutiny
Some procurement officials may worry that transparency would be used to spotlight mistakes rather than an opportunity to share information, refine processes, and improve. There may be a concern that people who disagree with a decision will seek to discredit the decision maker, even when the process was handled appropriately and the individuals involved acted appropriately.
"In government, you live in a fishbowl where everything you do can be questioned," Gillespie said. "… There's some fear in the public sector around that."
Different Perspectives
Gillespie also says there may be disagreements within the entity on how much information to share with the public.
"While procurement's value may very much be transparency, that may not always align with others within the entity, who may have authority over procurement or who may not fully embrace that same value," she said.
A Better Path Forward
Transparency in procurement is both a goal and a challenge. Missing data, fear of scrutiny, and differing perspectives make achieving full visibility difficult. However, addressing these barriers is critical to strengthening trust and improving public sector operations.
Fortunately, technology is making transparency easier to achieve. For example, with Civic Marketplace, governments access pre-vetted, trusted contracts awarded by one of the nation’s leading cooperative’s TXShare, the purchasing arm of the North Central Texas Council of Governments. In addition, strategic partnerships with top industry procurement experts NIGP Code & Consulting and innovation partners such as Alliance for Innovation ensure Civic Marketplace is always up to date on the latest government technology and the best practices in procurement to go get it.
By investing in better tools and cultivating a culture that values collaboration and accountability, procurement offices can move closer to the ideals of openness and integrity that benefit their organizations and their communities. Schedule your free consultation today to learn more about how Civic Marketplace is revolutionizing procurement.
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