Policy & Practice | Fall 2023

By Kevin Sutherland Innovative Alternatives to Current Practices for More Effective Delivery Revolutionizing Government IT Procurement

G

overnment IT procurement practices have long been plagued by challenges and failures. Lengthy lead times, legal disputes, and unsuccessful projects have become all too common. In this article, we explore the deficiencies of government IT procurement and present a transformative hypothesis: the need to create small glasses of cucumber water. Our hypothesis draws inspiration from Gerald Weinberg’s Prescott Pickle Principle. Weinberg compares vinegary pickling brine to an organization’s culture and individuals seeking change to cucumbers. According to Weinberg, “cucumbers get pickled more than brine gets cucumbered.” In other words, well-intentioned individuals working to make improvements are more likely to become assimilated than drive significant change. However, when liberated from the brine, teams can achieve amazing results and shift cultural norms. Let’s explore how we might leverage procurement to create brine-free teams.

17

Fall 2023 Policy & Practice