Challenge:
Faced with the urgent need for a contact tracing system during the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado needed to rapidly procure an effective solution. Traditional government procurement processes are often lengthy and paper-heavy, potentially delaying critical public health responses. The Colorado Digital Service (CDS) needed to find a way to prioritize real-world functionality and speed without sacrificing quality or due diligence.
Solution:
CDS orchestrated an innovative "vendor bakeoff" – a significant departure from traditional, lengthy government procurement processes. This approach prioritized real-world functionality over paperwork, requiring vendors to provide working test environments for evaluation by state employees, including local public health agencies.
Key elements of the "vendor bakeoff" included:
- Emphasis on functional test environments rather than extensive written proposals
- Direct involvement of end-users (state employees and local public health agencies) in the evaluation process
- Rapid, yet thorough, assessment of vendor capabilities in a real-world context
Implementation:
- CDS orchestrated the vendor bakeoff in just 19 days.
- The evaluation process included:
- 35 usability sessions
- 11 team leads and 12 contact tracers/case investigators involved
- Technical interviews with vendor experts
- Review of 58 technical documents
- API and low-bandwidth environment testing
Results:
- Selected a vendor that met Colorado's complex needs in record time (19 days).
- Saved $15 million over three years compared to the initial budget.
- Increased buy-in and adoption by local public health agencies due to their involvement in the selection process.
- Choose a more user-friendly solution requiring less configuration.
Impact:
This innovative procurement approach not only addressed the immediate need for contact tracing but also set a precedent for future emergency responses. It demonstrated how agile procurement practices could transform the government's ability to respond to crises quickly and effectively while saving taxpayer money.