Government Procurement Magazine - August/September 2018

The August/September 2018 issue of Government Procurement magazine's in-depth article "Cooperative Procurement's Evolution" focuses on the changing role of cooperative procurement. Public procurement's role within an organization becomes more strategic as it evolves. Government teams can leverage the tool of cooperative procurement in new ways by focusing on more than just the price of a bid when selecting suppliers. This issue includes the conclusion of the five-part series "Five Keys to Negotiating Energy Supply Agreements," with an article that focuses on material change language. This edition's "Language Matters" focuses on the importance of listening in the procurement profession. The article "Finding an Ally: These are the Relationships that Procurement Professionals Should Prioritize" provides a thoughtful look at the supplier/end-user relationship and explains why procurement professionals should put as much work into cultivating this relationship as they do cultivating relationships with members of the C-suite or government leaders. Finally, the article "Reader Response: Thoughts on Responsive and Responsible" comes from a reader and procurement professional who was inspired by the June/July edition of "Language Matters" to contribute additional points on the differences between the terms "responsive" and "responsible" in procurement.