Tag: public sector

Professional Development

Be a Better Boss

When I became a new supervisor in 2008, I realized right away that I was woefully under-prepared. My agency offered no training at all! I was a newly minted public librarian so I dug into our collection and started reading. I spent the next decade reading every kind of management book, psychology book, and motivational book I could find.

Here are my reading recommendations for your path to being a better boss: Read more “Be a Better Boss”

NASPO Events & Education

A Day in the Life: Lisa Eason

This week we caught up with Lisa Eason, Deputy Commissioner for the State of Georgia, and 2019 NASPO President.
Lisa has served as Georgia’s Deputy Commissioner of the State Purchasing Division since August of 2015. She is responsible for the administration of the State’s purchasing card program, the sourcing division which includes the agency sourcing, strategic sourcing, contract management, and data analytics units. She also manages the policy and training division which administers the state’s purchasing training program and the development and oversight of Georgia’s procurement policies and procedures. The Audit and Compliance Division, which  is responsible for audits related to  P-Cards and the purchasing process, also falls under her purview.

Read more “A Day in the Life: Lisa Eason”

Contract Administration & Management

Proactive Contract Management for the Modern Procurement Professional

This article is a proponent of NASPO Best Practices: Ethics and Accountability white paper and aims to augment research in proactive ethical practices through accountability, transparency, and conflict of interest. NASPO strives to emit leadership, excellence and, integrity while elevating the profession of public procurement through best practices.  As stewards of taxpayers’ money, it is imperative that procurement staff not only choose the right path when dealing with an ethical dilemma but the ‘best’ path, in order to remain beyond reproach in the public eye.

Read more “Proactive Contract Management for the Modern Procurement Professional”

NASPO Events & Education

Workforce shortage? Have you considered emerging talent?

Article by Dana Dembrow (State of MD), Intro by Olivia Hook Frey (NASPO)

Introduction by Olivia Hook Frey:

Many of our states have expressed concerns associated with their retirement-age workforce. Even more stress-inducing is not knowing where or how to recruit new talent to fill those gaps. As part of NASPO’s higher education initiatives, student recruitment at the college-level has been a priority. This emerging talent is oftentimes overlooked in the public sector, but NASPO is working to change that. Through our partnership with impressive colleges and universities across the country, we work to place these quality students in both internships and full-time positions within our state purchasing offices.

Read more “Workforce shortage? Have you considered emerging talent?”

Professional Development

3 Procurement Leadership Models for the New Year

Centralization and strategic leadership continue to be focus areas for state procurement offices around the country in the new year. This article recaps key takeaways from the 2018 NASPO Annual Conference townhall session on the leading role of the state central procurement office and three existing procurement authority models: centralized, decentralized/delegated and the hybrid procurement authority models. All three models create efficiencies and savings for the state. However, the centralized procurement authority model maximizes resources and outcomes while providing increased oversight, accountability and consistent application of standards and policies statewide.

Continue reading if you are a public procurement leader looking to improve your strategy in 2019!

Read more “3 Procurement Leadership Models for the New Year”