What to prepare for a procurement assessment
A practical checklist for the first conversation about your purchasing process.
Read the guidePlanning guide
Resource centerBetter information.
Better information.
More informed procurement.
Practical guides and independent sources to help your team understand procurement, review its processes, and ask better questions.
Start with a practical question
Guides for your next step.
Prepare an assessment, evaluate savings, or improve purchasing workflows. Each guide combines practical steps with relevant source references.
Browse government guidance and researchMeasurement guide
How to measure procurement savings credibly
Distinguish an opportunity from a realized result and make the assumptions visible.
Read the guideWorkflow guide
Where to start with a fragmented purchasing workflow
Find the handoffs and missing information that make everyday purchasing harder.
Read the guideGovernment guidance & university researchCredible sources.
Credible sources.
Practical context.
Explore 12 resources from state and local governments, federal agencies, and university researchers. Each entry identifies its audience and scope.
Guidance applies to the named jurisdiction or funding program. Research findings reflect their study setting. Our takeaways are editorial context; inclusion does not imply endorsement or partnership.
State guidance
Official starting points from four states. Check the intended users and current policies before applying a resource.
Michigan procurement programs & policies
Michigan DTMB
A starting point for the policies and laws that guide State of Michigan procurement.
Who it helps: Michigan public procurement teams.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceIdentify the authority behind a purchasing process before selecting the method or contract.
Texas Procurement and Contract Management Guide
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
A guide and update page for state procurement and contract management.
Who it helps: Texas state procurement and contract staff.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceTreat contract management as part of procurement planning, with clear responsibilities after award.
Washington State Procurement Manual
Washington Department of Enterprise Services
A manual connecting purchasing procedures with policies, contract guidance, and records resources.
Who it helps: Washington state procurement teams.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceKeep process guidance and documentation expectations together rather than treating records as an afterthought.
New York centralized contracts: buyer information
New York Office of General Services
Information about using OGS centralized contracts and determining whether an organization may qualify.
Who it helps: Public purchasers and other potentially eligible organizations.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceConfirm authorized-user status and the individual contract’s instructions before relying on contract access.
Local government resources
Municipal examples and guidance written for local officials. Each jurisdiction sets its own requirements.
Seeking Competition in Procurement
New York Office of the State Comptroller
Guidance on competition in procurement, including state-law and locally adopted policy considerations.
Who it helps: Local officials and purchasing staff in New York.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceDocument the purchasing method and the basis for selection; a convenient option still needs an appropriate process.
Seattle purchasing resources
City of Seattle
An entry point to city purchasing information, opportunities, and policy resources.
Who it helps: Suppliers and teams learning about Seattle purchasing.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceUse the municipality’s own purchasing office as the starting point for local procedures.
How New York City buys citywide
NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services
Explains citywide purchasing and points readers to Procurement Policy Board rules governing mayoral agencies.
Who it helps: City procurement stakeholders and prospective suppliers.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceDistinguish a city’s own procurement rules from general state guidance.
Federal resources
Federal research and funding-specific guidance, with their scope identified.
Key practices for procurement performance
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Examines practices at seven companies and six federal agencies, including strategic goals, end-user involvement, and outcome measures.
Who it helps: Procurement leaders evaluating performance measures.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceReview timeliness, quality, and user experience alongside cost, rather than judging performance by activity counts alone.
Procurement under grants: emergencies and exigencies
FEMA
Training on procurement under grants in exigent and emergency circumstances.
Who it helps: FEMA grant recipients, subrecipients, and procurement staff.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceConsult award-specific guidance when circumstances are urgent; a general procurement guide does not settle a funding-specific question.
University research
Research papers and practical university publications. Findings reflect their study setting, not a test of Commerce Street.
Cooperative Procurement: Today’s Contracting Tool, Tomorrow’s Contracting Strategy
Harvard Kennedy School publication listing
Examines the value propositions, challenges, and strategic uses of cooperative procurement.
Who it helps: Public procurement leaders assessing cooperative approaches.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceConsider administrative effort and scale alongside contract fit. The paper is a strategic perspective, not a current eligibility guide.
Using Data to Improve Procurement Operations and Outcomes
Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab
Introduces procurement performance indicators and regular use of data to identify bottlenecks and discuss priorities with leadership.
Who it helps: Public purchasing teams improving operations.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceStart with a few usable measures and a recurring review conversation. This is a practice guide, not a peer-reviewed experiment.
Can Electronic Procurement Improve Infrastructure Provision?
NBER · Working Paper 20344
University researchers examine electronic procurement in public works in India and Indonesia.
Who it helps: Readers studying electronic procurement and public infrastructure.
Commerce Street takeaway
Read the original sourceConsider the setting and procurement type when reading technology research. This working-paper version is not a U.S. compliance guide or evidence of Commerce Street results.
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