Discussions with interesting people in public procurement across State, Local and Education in North America led by Dustin Lanier, Certified Public Procurement Officer and Founder of Civic Initiatives. Recognized as a top 10 procurement podcast by Feedspot. Find out more about Civic Initiatives at https://www.civicinitiatives.com
It's 5 for Friday on November 6th. I curate 5 articles every Friday for people interested in public sector operations in general and public procurement specifically. And from time to time I record an audio companion, which is what you're listening to now. So first, congratulations to 247 newly certified public procurement professionals. The UPPCC welcomes 193 new CPBBs and 54 new CPPOs to its fall 2026 certification class. A great accomplishment for these professionals. Are your friends on the list? Go take a look. Second, Anthropic and GSA have expanded their agreement to provide a 40% discount on CLOD offerings, extending access to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. An interesting new development as governments evaluate their AI options and purchasing strategies, especially as many initial agreements have started expiring. So, third, staying in Fed land with the GSA. There are new contracting requirements for large language model AI systems that process government data. The clause establishes standards on data security, subcontractor responsibilities, human oversight, incident reporting, ideological neutrality, and restrictions on the use of government data to train AI models. Federal standards often roll to the rest of the country, so stay informed. Fourth, just over half of local governments engage in strategic planning according to the GFOA survey. GFOA explores how governments can make strategic planning more practical, achieve meaningful results at a reasonable cost, and avoid making the planning process itself an overwhelming undertaking. Great insights for organizations working to balance strategy with limited resources. And finally, what are the trends shaping state procurement these days? NASPO highlights five trends from its survey of state procurement practices, including AI adoption, e-procurement investments, hybrid work, and sustainable purchasing. A useful look at how state procurement offices are evolving and where the profession will be heading next. Ahead, it's a busy November. We will be at many conferences through the month. I just came back from Skagpo in Charleston. Next week I'll be going to a nonprofit conference and participate in a panel in Kansas. And then it just keeps rolling from there. Also, I will pretease that we have some big news next week. So look for that, and I think you will find it interesting. And with that, have a happy Friday.