Other Transaction Authorities: After 60 Years, Hitting Their Stride or Hitting the Wall

IBM Center for the Business of Government (2021) report by Stan Soloway, Jason Knudoson and Vincent Wroble availabe online at https://www.businessofgovernment.org/sites/default/files/Other%20Transactions%20Authorities.pdf In this report, authors Knudson, Soloway and Wroble address how OTAs have evolved over the last several decades; how different Defense agencies have used OTAs; what that experience teaches other agencies about using OTAs effectively; and the impact of OTAs on the COVID-19 vaccine initiative. The report also identifies key challenges for OTA use, including cybersecurity, workforce skills, and how OTAs enable production of public goods and services. Throughout the analysis, the authors address key questions regarding OTAs, including: • To what extent do agencies use different strategies to award OTAs? • How effective are OTAs in achieving their stated goals of attracting new and innovative solutions and providers to government? • To what extent do OTAs align with the tenets of public procurement? • How prepared are government agencies to utilize OTAs effectively? • How does the changing technology landscape impact the need for or value of OTAs? The report concludes with findings and recommendations on how to improve OTAs, including how they can best be advanced as part of a larger procurement innovation landscape.