In Silicon Valley, tech execs brag about moving fast and breaking things. But in the neighboring Mt. Diablo Unified School District, IT officials need to be more careful and deliberate as they deploy new technologies.
“We’re supporting teachers and kids,” says Robert Sidford, director of technology and innovation for the 29,000-student district. “We don’t want to be out there making a bunch of mistakes. So, we need to know what works, what we can afford and what is sustainable.”
Modern IT procurement processes are key to supporting these aims. And while procurement is a sometimes-overlooked part of technology initiatives, especially in smaller districts that lack dedicated purchasing staff, much can be done to improve the process.
In “The Power of Procurement: How Effective District Procurement Operations Can Make a Difference for Students,” a September 2022 report from Chiefs for Change, the authors note that a thoughtful, systemic approach to procurement could “develop capacity and deliver more, higher-quality services to students.”
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