https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Administration


Your new tech buying team

  • Written by American City & County Administrator
  • 9th May 2017
Members of your technology buying team should represent the what, why and how of any purchase.

What is in this article?

  • Your new tech buying team
  • Your new tech buying team
  • Your new tech buying team
  • Your new tech buying team

Your new tech buying team

By Michael Keating

Purchasing technology requires different mindsets and skillsets than other types of procurements. Consider the parking meter, a staple of municipal governments.

Marcheta Gillespie, director of procurement at Tucson, Ariz.’s Department of Procurement, says procurement teams need to be aware of the opportunities that might be possible through new technology.

“An agency may have no issue with conventional parking meters. However, when approached by solution providers with a parking app, they may realize the efficiencies, revenue opportunities and boosts to community service that exist by moving to that new app.” Gillespie asks, “How do we embrace the opportunities before we know they are out there in our old models? We don’t. We have to change our model.”

Personnel and processes are key in technology buys, and it’s crucial that procurement teams have the right makeup when they make these purchases. And yet, trained staff is leaving. Phil Bertolini, the CIO for Oakland County, Mich., says that the brain drain among his IT staffers is keeping him awake at night. Bertolini’s photo is to the right.

“Thirty percent of our skillsets are going to retire in the next three years,” he says. What are we going to do to fill the void when we don’t have that many skilled, trained candidates out there to choose from? It’s going to be a tough next several years in recruiting and retaining good-quality IT talent.”

A recent report from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) mirrors Bertolini’s views at the state level. Forty percent of NASCIO survey respondents say that 11-20 percent of their state IT employees will be eligible for retirement in the next year. Twenty-two percent of respondents say that 21-30 percent of their state IT employees will be eligible for retirement in the next year. The 2015 NASCIO report, “State IT Workforce: Facing Reality with Innovation,” has the survey data that spotlights the coming IT workforce brain drain in state governments.

CIO offices in state government are partnering with universities and the private sector to recruit and retain qualified personnel, says Meredith Ward, a senior policy analyst at NASCIO. She says that state governments can stay innovative and aware of new technology if they are successful in maintaining a qualified and adaptable workforce. NASCIO has researched state workforce trends extensively at this site.

For technology buys, procurement workforces need to be focused, says Gillespie of Tucson (photo to the left). “We need to train our contracting staff to become more specialized in the IT industry and how to buy procurement technology. We should seek to hire IT buyers who bring a combined background of procurement and IT,” Gillespie explains. She adds that those kinds of IT hires may not be a slam-dunk. “It’s not an easy feat, particularly when we look at our pay structures in government,” she says.

It’s important that procurement departments train their IT buyers and immerse them in technology, Gillespie adds. “We need to send them to conferences and get them engaged with the IT professionals. Departments also need to invest in developing their expertise.”

Using agencies are leaning on procurement departments, Gillespie says. “More and more, I find our client departments are relying upon us to be more ‘experts’ than ‘generalists’ in the more complex procurements. So, we must rise to that challenge and prepare our staff for those opportunities.”

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Your new tech buying team
Tags: Administration Economy Procurement Smart Cities & Technology Article

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions
  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings
  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery
  • Today’s infrastructure needs greater than roads and bridges - It’s time to face our digital connectiveness

White papers


How to Assemble a Rockstar Website Redesign Steering Committee

7th June 2022

Hand Hygiene: Compliance Matters

23rd May 2022

What it Takes to Build a Winning Esports Program

23rd May 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Seamless Cooperative Experience Saves Indiana City Exponentially in Time and Money dlvr.it/SSxp95

27th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

10 best large cities for fishing dlvr.it/SSxbSZ

27th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Generational differences present an opportunity to reinvent public sector service delivery dlvr.it/SSxbN7

27th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come dlvr.it/SSnmS7

24th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid an unprecedented increase in federal spending, cities and counties stand to benefit from partnerships dlvr.it/SSkGBn

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Governments using technology to harness data and improve decision-making dlvr.it/SSk3H0

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses dlvr.it/SSgBck

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Oklahoma City puts the focus on employees when implementing changes in office technology dlvr.it/SSfyns

22nd June 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X