We sit down with three NASPO ValuePoint suppliers across furniture manufacturing and public sector IT to unpack what buyers often can’t see. We talk about what transparency means in practice: sharing context early, making sure suppliers know when a contract manager changes, and building a cadence of meaningful touchpoints like quarterly business reviews. We also dig into the “three-sided” reality of public procurement, where procurement teams, end users, and suppliers all influence whether a contract actually works on the ground.

When should agencies lean on cooperative purchasing and existing cooperative contracts instead of launching another standalone RFP? How do vague market baskets and unclear evaluation criteria create “subjective” scoring that frustrates bidders? What does useful post-award feedback look like, and how can better debriefs reduce FOIA requests and protests? We also tackle pricing pressures, multi-year market shifts, and why a race to the bottom bid can cost more in the long run.

If you care about best value procurement, RFP evaluation criteria, sustainable pricing, and buyer-supplier partnerships that hold up over time, this conversation is a practical reset.

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We dig into the mechanics of a strong CPO-CIO partnership, from regular check-ins to creating a culture where procurement brings IT in early and IT brings procurement in early. You’ll hear how cooperative contracts like NASPO ValuePoint can speed up acquisitions while staying competitive, why an RFI can be the smartest first move, and how both teams handle the real tension that shows up when speed, compliance, and long-term value collide.

Software also isn’t a simple commodity anymore. We talk about evaluating technology risk through both lenses: procurement fairness and technology governance. Utah shares a real example of an AI tool tied to sensitive data (HIPAA, CJIS, and PII) that had to be paused because security controls didn’t match the stakes. From there, we zoom out to AI procurement and contracting, including how fast-evolving capabilities force updates to cloud terms and conditions, and how frontier AI models raise the cybersecurity baseline for every state.

If you care about public procurement, state IT, cybersecurity, and responsible AI governance, this conversation is a practical blueprint.

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AI is showing up in procurement workflows whether we invite it or not, so we wanted a grounded conversation about what actually works and what can backfire. I’m joined by Jennifer Lyons, Deputy General Counsel at the Operational Services Division for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to talk practical AI in public procurement with real examples from the field, not theory.

We dig into where AI delivers immediate value, like speeding up repeatable administrative tasks, summarizing complex RFP and RFR documents, and generating better options during policy development. We also talk about how suppliers are using AI to quickly decide whether to respond to a solicitation, and what that means for clarity and competition.

We explore how AI can help maintain continuity across supplier issues, surface patterns in supplier performance, and support risk awareness. Jennifer also explains why Massachusetts built tools inside secure environments, including a procurement chatbot used for onboarding and help desk support, plus a contract editor nicknamed 1L that accelerates first-pass redlining. Throughout, we keep coming back to the non-negotiables: transparency, fairness, bias awareness, and the reality that humans remain accountable for accuracy and final decisions.

If you’re building an AI policy, planning a pilot, or trying to choose your first “quick win,” this conversation will help you separate safe productivity gains from high-risk automation.

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What does it take to manage procurement for one of the largest and most decentralized governments in the country? Texas Chief Procurement Officer Bobby Pounds shares how the state balances consistency with agency autonomy, strengthens supplier participation, and uses vendor performance data to improve procurement outcomes. Along the way, he offers practical leadership lessons—including why procurement leaders should be "coaches, not cops."

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In this episode of NASPO Pulse, host Julia McIlroy sits down with Nebraska Chief Procurement Officer and General Counsel Michelle Potts to explore how the state balances centralized oversight with agency flexibility across a large state. Michelle shares insights from her unconventional path into public procurement, discusses leading with both legal and procurement perspectives, and explains how Nebraska is supporting local vendors, empowering agencies through training, and navigating challenges like AI, evolving legislation, and limited resources.

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Successful technology contracts depend on much more than well-written terms and conditions. In this episode, NASPO's Director of Legal Education, Megan Smyth, discusses the real challenges of SaaS contract management, including data security, vendor relationships, decentralized purchasing, and strategic risk management. She also explores how states are beginning to use AI to streamline contract reviews while maintaining oversight and compliance in an increasingly complex technology environment.

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As government agencies increasingly adopt cloud-based technologies, traditional procurement models are evolving. In this episode, NASPO's Director of Legal Education, Megan Smyth explores how SaaS and subscription-based services are changing the way states purchase, manage, and think about technology. From ownership versus access to the hidden risks of click-through agreements, Megan shares practical insights for procurement professionals navigating today's digital landscape.

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We're joined by Samantha Willis, Chief Procurement Officer for the State of West Virginia, to unpack what state purchasing really looks like from the inside and what makes procurement leadership work when the stakes are high, and the days never look the same.

Samantha shares how she found her way into government contracts through a love of contract law, negotiation, and problem-solving. We talk about the “gravity” of leading a statewide purchasing division, why leaders need to listen first, and how institutional knowledge from experienced staff turns theory into practice. She also challenges a common trap in government procurement: assuming the rules always mean less flexibility than they actually do, and how careful legal interpretation can open better, still-compliant paths forward.

We also get practical about building a strong procurement team and attracting new talent, focusing on people skills, customer service, and a willingness to learn over perfect resumes.

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