The president’s procurement order offers a real opportunity. Let’s not squander it

Less than a month ago, I wrote in Nextgov/FCW about serious concerns I, and many others, have with a number of the Trump Administration’s early procurement-related actions. These include refusing to pay for contracted work already duly performed; the dramatic increase in the government’s use of “termination for convenience” clauses; questions about the appropriateness of GSA mandating contract adjustments mid-performance; arbitrary staffing cuts; and more.

As I said then: buckle up, there’s more to come.

Indeed, on April 15, the president signed what could be a very impactful, procurement-centered executive order. And this one has the potential to move the needle forward in important and positive ways.

To start, let’s set aside some of the rhetoric surrounding the order and focus instead on what it actually requires. There are two key parts. The first is establishing a requirement for agencies to procure commercial, rather than custom, software. The second is a major streamlining of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the 2000+ page tome that governs most all federal procurement.

While not entirely new, both goals are well worth supporting and pursuing. Done right, the order offers the potential for real transformation. So, what will success require?

First, it is essential to pay attention to and learn from the lessons of the past. For example, the development of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, the most significant reform effort in recent history, was one of the most collaborative policy initiatives I have ever been involved in. Great care was taken to involve all relevant stakeholders to engage in open dialogue amo ..

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