David Perera

Fall 2012 - The Public Manager

Service or product? As cloud services gain in popularity, technology and procurement managers need to navigate the murky waters of regulations governing the purchase of those services. In May 2011, the General Services Administration (GSA) did something it does all the time—it issued a request for quotations (RFQ), in this particular case for cloud-based email, office suite applications, and records-management services. In the RFQ, it also made what it thought was a routine stipulation: Data centers, if located outside the United States, should be located in country designated by the Trade Agreements Act (TAA). A few months later, in October, it learned that it in fact made a serious misstep when the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a protest decision telling GSA to recompete the solicitation, because the criteria by which the TAA sets the country of origin of a service depends on where the service company itself is established, not where the service is performed.

Buying American in IT Procurement

Chapters are an important component of ATD. With almost 100 across the US, chapters provide ATD members with opportunities to be involved in ATD at the local level. Each year, ATD offers opportunities for chapter leaders from around the country to gather together and network, share ideas, and learn about ATD resources—one of those is Chapter Leader Day. Kelli Zohar Davis shared that the chapter leader community is her chosen family.On Sunday, the chapter services team, members of the National Advisors for Chapters, and 40 chapter leaders came together at ATD21 for another successful Chapter Leader Day. Attendees participated in guided activities during this exclusive, interactive half-day event. The time together helps strengthen chapters by providing chapter leaders with additional resources, knowledge, and learning as well as recognizing the power and impact they have at the local level.“Attending Chapter Leader Day is always like going back to camp, you get to see your friends, make new ones, and ultimately, makes the conference more approachable,” says Jennifer Labrie Pereira, Nebraska Chapter.Leaders shared ideas and best practices about reflecting on the past year, imagining where their chapters could go, and creating an action plan to advance in the future. “The tools, resources, and support further chapter members' ability to tell the kind of stories you want them to be telling,” relayed National Advisors for Chapter Stephanie Hubka, Metro DC Chapter.As a reminder, chapter leaders attending ATD21 are welcome to continue networking throughout the conference in the Chapter Leader Connection Room located in the Wasatch Ballroom of the Radisson Hotel. Current chapter leaders are encouraged to use the connection room as their home base throughout the conference. Stop by to network with other chapter leaders, recharge your phones and other devices, and gather ideas for growing and sustaining your chapter. Additionally, you can visit the ATD Membership and Chapter Services Booth in Hall A of the Convention Center to pick up your Power Member gift.Inspired to get involved in your local chapter? Visit td.org/chapterlocator to find the chapter closest to you.

David Perera

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