Government information technology projects can be challenging! Tight Funding, limited staff resources, and resistance to business process change are prevalent. Projects are susceptible to risk, creating cost overruns, time extensions, and sometimes outright project failure. How can governments and their vendor partners turn risk into reward?

Most major government IT projects today are procured through detailed request for proposal processes where a clear bright line is established at the very outset, separating the customer from the service provider. Despite the processes of question and answer sessions or vendor conferences, we rarely achieve a common understanding. There is no meeting of the minds on the true outcome of the system and a commitment to project partnership and success.

It’s time we find a way to select the best vendor, create a strong partnership that supports good communication and achieves an affordable, effective outcome of the government user, on time and on budget.