In this episode of Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman speaks with Bonnie Evangelista, Karen Thornton, and John Willison about the “talent valley of death” facing U.S. federal acquisition. As sweeping policy reform—including the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul—promises speed, innovation, and empowered contracting officers, the panel asks whether the acquisition workforce is prepared to carry it forward. They examine persistent challenges in cultivating critical thinking, experiential learning, cross-agency mobility, and mission-driven culture. A central question emerges: Can meaningful reform succeed without first investing in people? Their conversation underscores the need to redefine education, leadership, and talent development to ensure reform endures.

On September 9, 2025 GW Law School’s Government Procurement Law program hosted a free one-hour webinar on potential reforms to U.S. government bid protests. Our panelists discuss the en banc decision in Percipient.ai from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a key report on bid protests by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, revealing data on bid protests gathered by the ABA Public Contract Law Section, and a wide range of reform proposals being debated before Congress.  

Learn more at: https://publicprocurementinternational.com/gw-law-webinar-u-s-bid-protests-progress-and-reform/

In this inaugural episode of Beyond the FAR, Associate Dean Jessica Tillipman speaks with Professor Albert Sanchez-Graells of the University of Bristol Law School, a leading scholar in public procurement and digital transformation. Their conversation explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping procurement systems, the challenges of regulating AI use in government, and the risks of overreliance on generative models. Comparing U.S. and EU approaches, Sanchez-Graells highlights the tension between innovation, accountability, and public trust. This thoughtful exchange provides lawyers, law students, and practitioners with critical insight into the future of procurement law in the age of AI.

Open contracting transforms government spending by making procurement data accessible and machine-readable, enabling better analysis and improved outcomes for citizens. This foundational webinar explores how data transparency and digital innovation are revolutionizing the world's largest marketplace through goal-driven, citizen-centered reforms.

• Public procurement represents 12% of global GDP, shaping essential services from infrastructure and healthcare to education
• Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing procurement, requiring new frameworks for oversight, IP rights, and supply chain transparency
• Ukraine's reformed procurement system saves $1 billion annually with 80% of contracts going to small businesses
• Bogotá transformed its school meals program through data-driven purchasing, improving quality while busting price-fixing
• Open contracting principles support environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and better value across government spending
• Upcoming regional webinars will showcase innovations from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas
• Data accessibility enables businesses, civil society organizations and governments to collaborate more effectively

Join us for our next sessions exploring regional innovations in open contracting from around the world. Register for the complete webinar series here: https://law-gwu-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C7gkrGdwRp2PMaAADKcyjA

On January 15, 2025, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) published its long-awaited Proposed Organizational Conflict of Interest Rule, as required by a 2022 statute - the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act (P.L. 117-324). This webinar featured a panel of experts who discussed current OCI challenges, the proposed changes, and the impact it may have on future procurements.

More information about the rule, as well as a video recording of the event, can be found here: https://blogs.gwu.edu/law-govpro/organizational-conflicts-of-interest-assessing-the-new-proposed-rule/

A webinar about rising protectionism in public procurement in the United States and the European Union. The panel addressed potential new protectionism in the Trump administration and the Court of Justice for the European Union’s landmark Kolin decision on access to the EU public procurement market.