Yes, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy exists and includes a Senate-appointed position, but OFPP does not have the scope or the influence to really have much control. The current scope of the office is limited in its ability to make the broader changes required to streamline and efficiently manage government purchasing and supply chains.

Congress or the White House should move aggressively to expand the scope of OFPP and create a new position of Chief Supply Chain Office (CSCO), similar to the position of federal CIO created by President Obama in 2009. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy should be renamed the Office of Federal Supply Chain Management. The CSCO should head the new office and focus on gaining visibility, improving coordination, and reducing costs across the largest and most critical government supply chains. The CSCO should also coordinate new initiatives, and facilitate the sharing of best practices. The CSCO should also be empowered to coordinate management and collaboration with government's largest and most strategic suppliers.

This recommendation is similar to the Professional Service Council's call to expand the responsibilities of the OFPP. And while that organization is largely focused on the bid protest process, it's clear that suppliers desire stronger leadership in federal procurement, something a CSCO would immediately install.

Read Full Article