The IBM Center for The Business of Government
Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise
University of Maryland

About the Forum

This Thought Leadership Forum will bring together policy leaders, market-based sourcing experts, and key perspectives from government agencies, as well as the private sector, to develop policy recommendations for the next four years. The federal government will face ever greater demand to provide outstanding services at lower costs because of the growing budgetary pressures - driven by increases in critical public expenses such as medicare, social security, and international/homeland defense. Facing these budget pressures and increasing demands for services, alternative market-based sourcing approaches (competitive sourcing, public-private partnerships, outsourcing, privatization, etc.) offer agencies important, yet challenging, means for achieving their missions-improving performance as well as reducing costs.

Through thought-provoking speakers, case study presenters, review of new research data, and in-depth discussions, we will explore key issues of market-based sourcing. What are the motivations and incentives to use market-based sourcing? What has worked and what hasn't? How have the changes in OMB Circular A-76 affected the process? Where are the barriers and where are the opportunities? How are we learning from the past and current experiences and how can we continue to learn and improve these processes? Valuable lessons can be found in recent sourcing cases. The forum will feature case studies and discussion of the specific challenges and lessons learned to identify key issues and recommendations.

Hosted at the River House of the Aspen Institute's Wye River Conference Center in Queenstown, Maryland, this forum will engage a select group of senior leaders in examining case studies and key issues, exchanging ideas, and developing public policy recommendations for improving market-based sourcing. A resultant report, to be shared with the coming administration, will highlight the recommendations from this Thought Leadership Forum.