Joyful Procurement: The Art of Digital-Services Acquisition
TL;DR — I’m writing a book on how government officials should effectively acquire digital services. If you’re interested in learning more or want to show support for the effort, please consider signing up for my newsletter!
Upon leaving government, I knew that one of the things I would be passionate about would be teaching public servants about how to effectively buy digital services. I wrote at the time:
As a longtime public servant, I know the pain associated with outdated technology and poorly designed interfaces. And I’ve learned the hard way, through experimentation, failure, and learning from others, about how to do it the Right Way. Now I want to pass on those lessons to public servants — whether it’s a contracting officer, lawyer, budget analyst, or executive — looking to improve their organization’s use of technology.
Since then, I have been co-facilitating the Digital IT Acquisition Professional training program and chatting with numerous folks within government about the challenges and opportunities they face in delivering effective digital services in government. And one of the larger challenges is the lack of a clear reference guide on how to best acquire digital services. I intend for this book to be that guide.
Over the next few months, I plan to conduct additional research, write, and edit the book. But before I spend a ton of time and energy doing it, I want to make sure that folks will actually buy it, and more importantly, read it.
So, if you are an acquisition professional who wants to learn more about buying digital services. Or if you’ve seen effective acquisition of digital services out “in the wild.” Or if you’re just a friend who wants to show support for this crazy idea of mine, please consider signing up for my newsletter.
It’ll only take a few seconds of your time, but it will mean the world to me. And, hopefully, the book will make it easier for acquisition professionals throughout federal, state, and local governments to learn how to best procure digital services!
