Strategic Sourcing and Federal Government Transformation

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Else, Steven E.

Affiliations: Executive Director, Center for Public-Private Enterprise, Alexandria, VA, USA

Abstract: The Bush Administration has acknowledged the need to transform governments business processes. This article presents the case that a more strategic approach regarding human capital, best business practices, sourcing and transformation is required in order to achieve enterprise-wide, long-term success in government re-form. It begins by highlighting the GAOs new sourcing principles and then moves into an analysis of strategic sourcing concepts. Focus then shifts to a portrait of an ideal public-private partnership. Subsequently, the article spotlights the Department of Defense, considered to be on the bleeding edge of outsourcing. A local government case study highlights the differences between taking a tactical and a strategic approach to sourcing. The article includes a discussion on the relevance of strategic sourcing to a government chief information officer's undertakings. It concludes with recommendations for greater success in both transformation and strategic sourcing efforts and the observation that the two should be intricately linked.

Journal: Information · Knowledge · Systems Management, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 31-52, 2002