The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) introduced its new Partnership Forum, held at North Carolina State University on October 2-4, 2024. This event replaces what was previously called the NASPO Academic Forum. A key innovation was the inclusion of select strategic partners alongside state procurement leaders and academic representatives marking this the first time these groups collaborated in a single forum. This year’s program focused on Talent Management, exploring workforce challenges and strategies for advancing public procurement.

Key highlights included:

• An ideation exercise where attendees explored creative ways to innovate, led by Ken Szymusiak, Managing Director of Academic Programs, Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Michigan State University.
• A Talent Management panel modeling collaboration between academics and state procurement offices as they address issues in recruitment and succession planning.
• A student presentation on the visibility of public procurement for students considering internship opportunities.
• Workgroup discussions targeting seven specific Talent Management topics addressing unique challenges faced by state offices.

“Talent Management is at the core of this year’s Forum, as building a strong workforce is essential to the success of public procurement. Our discussions have laid the groundwork for innovative strategies in recruitment and professional development,” said Brandi Ann Willard, NASPO Director of Partnerships. “We look forward to supporting the collaborative projects and resources that result from this redesigned format.”

NASPO’s Research and Innovation Team will produce a summary report detailing the key insights and ideas generated from the workgroup discussions.

About NASPO: The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing public procurement through leadership, excellence, and integrity. It is made up of the directors of the central purchasing offices in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and territories of the United States. NASPO is an organization that helps its members achieve success as public procurement leaders through the promotion of best practices, education, professional development, research, and innovative procurement strategies. To learn more, please visit www.naspo.org.

Media Contact:
Kate Davila
Director of Marketing and Communications, NASPO
kdavila@naspo.org