Because many of the most important functions of state and local governments involve contracting for goods and services supplied by the private sector, improving procurement processes is an important way to strengthen outcomes for citizens. That is the motivation behind our series on results-driven contracting.
Our focus today is Seattle, Washington, whose Human Services Department worked with the Government Performance Lab (GPL) at the Harvard Kennedy School to improve outcomes for its homeless population. The changes included:
- Consolidating contracts and allowing for more flexibility
- Establishing goals for homeless service providers and tracking progress
- Using active contract management
To learn more, we are joined by is Jason Johnson, the Deputy Director of Human Services Department in Seattle.
Additional information: Check out the brief by the GPL about Seattle’s contracting reforms. [click here].