Francis welcomes Dr. Jerry McGinn—Executive Director of the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University and former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense—for a deep dive into one of the most urgent and complex questions in federal policy: Can the government truly lead innovation at scale? 

Jerry unveils new research showing a staggering 220% increase in Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract spending since 2018, while also revealing why much of that growth remains difficult to quantify in terms of real-world outcomes. You’ll learn why OTA contracts and SBIR programs have exploded in use, yet lack consistent measures of success; what truly incentivizes innovation in the federal marketplace (hint: it’s not just money); and how outdated definitions and regulatory hurdles are holding back the involvement of non-traditional contractors. 

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