As Analysts who cover our respected Markets: I have noticed an increase within recent years of Agency utilization on Consulting Engagements, Advisory Panels and Consortium Committees which gather to make sure the needs of the Agency are kept on-point - and acknowledged throughout the procurement cycle – when dealing with Government Contractors. It has become something that many Agencies have implemented – despite the added costs to the project – to make sure they don't end up shelling out a lot MORE unexpected money on the backend. One additional step to this measure is the hiring of Law Firms and other Liaison Consulting Firms which work on behalf of protecting the Agencies assets, best interests and technical requirements, when dealing with the Vendor Community.

These firms represent an additional layer, now even more present in procurement cycles, and also have a niche within Conferences such as APCO. On Wednesday here in Las Vegas, one such firm, Deltawrx, presented a "Top 10 Procurement Mistakes" Presentation which gained a wide audience participation of Agency Buyers and IT Personnel wanting to make sure they had their bases covered! I wanted to share this list – and paraphrase it highlighting what Agencies SHOULD DO when going out to bid on new IT Projects – as I think it provides some sound advice for Agencies and the Vendors who cater to them. All should be aware of these rules....

1. Consider End Users. Management, the Technology Department and some End-Users should all be involved in each phase of the procurement process and evaluations. Not only does this create better "buy-in" for all involved, but your better armed with a multitude of loyal influence, support and oversight.

2. Consider the Budget. It's best to keep in mind worst case scenario "slush funds"; to also secure funding PRIOR to procurement, AND think of "on-going" maintenance costs beyond the original 1-time deployment costs.

3. Consider the demand placed on the Department with regards to Implementation. Agencies are wise to dedicate resources (and protect their interests) to Training needs, Project Management and already have their "Implementation Team" in place!

4. Need Executive Champion. Both to confirm the personnel and budget resources, and to make sure things continue to roll when completion obstacles present themselves.

5. Do not accept a poorly written contract. Agencies are encouraged to make sure they have wording into the contract to make sure their expected interests are met. They are further advised to not accept a Vendors "Standard Contract"; and once received are asked to compare other Awarded Contracts the Vendor has issued to neighboring Agencies.

6. Do not become infatuated with a Vendor. While many consider this an argument for the benefits of "competitive bidding", the truth is even sole-source awards should be based on the merits of a given solutions specific benefits to fixing the unique needs of YOUR Agency. "Dazzling Technology features" do little benefit if your Agency doesn't have the infrastructure present or integration abilities to take advantage of them.

7. Have a structured Evaluation and Selection process. This should include a Voting and Advisory Group: where all members should evaluate all documents, reference checks, neighboring deployments, site evaluations, and pilot projects.

8. Do Not Under Specify Requirements. Know what problems you need to solve, and what areas have little room for negotiation; let the Vendor prove their worth.

9. Do Not Over Specify Requirements. Don't design the solution yourself. Do provide enough details and desires, but again let the Vendor prove they have a solution that can address these issues (and perhaps offer advantages you may not have considered).

10. Get the Legal Team involved early. Including Purchasing and Procurement Officials. The larger your oversight Team, especially when focused on each particular niches of expertise, the more assured you are of not running into issues (costly issues) later.

The main reason I think its valuable to highlight this list, is Government Contractors need to be cognizant of these new buying styles and trends within the Agencies they pursue. In the future, it is expected that not only huge Federal Agencies will have go-betweens to the Procurement Cycle, but that small local niche departments will too (and are already doing so NOW): Agencies of all sizes are suiting up and bringing added "players" to the contract negotiating table. Accordingly vendors better have their game on!