New Office of Federal Procurement Policy Administrator Anne Rung released her three-pronged approach to acquisition reform last week.  While there are few surprises, the framework does provide a look into OMB thinking on acquisition and can serve as a general guide to contractors trying to anticipate “What will the government do next?”

The three prongs are:  Increased use of Category Management, Improved Acquisition Workforce Development, and Stronger Vendor Relationships. Acquisition workforce development is an issue everyone can get behind.  Whether you’re in government or industry, you want smart, talented business partners.  The government also needs closer relationships with its supplier base.  We can’t be viewed as the enemy consistently trying to defraud the government.

The concept of Category Management is still too abstract for most to get their arms around.  Will it, for example, be an attempt to “commoditize” multiple types of acquisitions? Such an approach would find tough sledding, and not just in industry. If, on the other hand, it develops into a forum for sharing best practices that aid in the educational process of buyers that could be a good thing.