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Censeo Releases Study with Recommendations for Implementing Stimulus Spending

Posted on: Friday, 6 March 2009, 09:35 CST

Planning, Coordination and Workforce Development Key Issues

WASHINGTON, March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of the announcement by President Obama that reforming the government contracting system is a top Administration priority, Censeo Consulting Group today released a study with recommendations on ways to implement the stimulus spending that will cut down on waste and inefficiencies.

The study, "From Theory to Reality: Operational/Acquisition Planning and Coordination Required for Realizing the Goals of the Economic Stimulus" is authored by Raj Sharma, Censeo President/CEO and Dr. Timothy Laseter, University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business.

"We believe the biggest barrier to achieving stimulus objectives will be overcoming a general lack of planning and clarity on performance objectives," said Sharma and Laseter. "Additionally, workforce issues--including an insufficient number of program management and contracting personnel--pose a significant challenge to achieving stimulus objectives."

The study applauded the Administration's accountability and transparency measures but cautioned that without addressing workforce and planning and coordination issues, "we will be left in a situation where all we can do is track contracts and point fingers for resulting program failures."

The study outlines a series of recommendations, including:

• Implement Program Planning and Coordination Councils- Implemented as part of a government-wide governance structure, these "loosely structured" Councils (as opposed to creating large new federal bureaucracies) should be set up for major program areas (e.g. Clean Energy) and bring together key stakeholders responsible for program and acquisition management.
• Coordinate and leverage resources and knowledge across agencies- Through the Recovery and Accountability Transparency Board, a subgroup should have the sole responsibility for developing program resource plans in coordination with Agencies and Program Planning and Coordination Councils.
• Leverage and/or jointly develop sourcing and acquisition tools- With the enormous amount of spend focused on specific program areas, agencies should work together to define high-level program areas, agencies should work together to define high-level program requirements and jointly pursue acquisitions, when possible.

Censeo will be examining this issue and discussing further the recommendations in the study in a webinar on March 10th at noon. The discussion will be facilitated by Raj Sharma and Dr. Allan V. Burman President, Jefferson Consulting and Former Administrator of OFPP. For more information, contact Debra Reed at (202) 528-4214 or Debra@PointBlankpa.com.

To read the complete study, visit www.censeoconsulting.com.

About Censeo Consulting Group

Censeo Consulting Group, a leader in supply chain management and procurement, works with management teams to drive practical innovation and efficiency across supply chains worldwide--resulting in implementable, lasting solutions. Censeo delivers exceptional ROI through comprehensive and collaborative approaches that help our clients achieve real change and real result." For more information, visit Censeo at www.censeoconsulting.com.

SOURCE Censeo Consulting Group

Source: PR Newswire

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