The State of the Public Procurement Profession 2026
A Practitioner Resource Grounded in Evidence
Public procurement is often described as a rules-driven function. That is true, but incomplete. The past few years have made something else equally clear: procurement is also a capacity issue. When markets tighten, when policy shifts, when cyber risks rise, or when agencies are asked to deliver faster with fewer staff, the limiting factor is rarely the regulation itself. It is whether the organization has the tools, data, talent, and governance to execute well.
That is the premise behind The State of the Public Procurement Profession 2026: Trends, Insights, and Outlook, a new report published by NIGP’s Center for the Advancement of Research and Excellence (CARE).
It is designed as a practical “read once, keep nearby” resource: it summarizes what shaped procurement in the past year, what current data says about the profession, examples of what success looks like on the ground, and what capabilities deserve attention heading into 2026.
What the report does well
First, it treats research as something that should inform decisions, not as an academic exercise. The foreword makes that point directly, framing evidence as a tool for better choices and for strengthening the profession over time.
Second, it connects the “big context” to operational consequences. The report’s year-in-review section describes a policy environment marked by modernization efforts (for example, guidance on sustainable procurement, supplier risk management, and cybersecurity requirements) alongside a sharper compliance climate and real uncertainty around how DEI-related language and programs will be interpreted across jurisdictions.
The value here is not the politics. It is the practical reality: many procurement teams are being pushed toward risk avoidance, template revisions, and internal legal review at the same time they are expected to modernize and deliver more.
Third, the report is not only “about problems.” It includes concrete illustrations of procurement excellence that show what modernization looks like when it works. For example, Maricopa County’s public health purchase portal case shows how a fragmented, manual process can be redesigned into a centralized digital workflow that improves transparency, audit readiness, and user experience.
The Maryland reform case is also useful because it emphasizes stakeholder engagement, rapid policy design, and measurable changes (payment timelines, program thresholds, and participation mechanisms) rather than vague calls for reform.
What the data says, in plain terms
The report’s “What the Data Says” section draws from NIGP benchmarking and workforce research and surfaces a set of recurring patterns.
One is structural: procurement is still siloed from executive leadership in many organizations, even as expectations of strategic influence rise.
Another is capability-related: spend management, supplier management, and performance auditing tools are often underused, which means many organizations are leaving visibility and control on the table.
On the workforce side, the report notes that the overall average salary across positions in 2024 was $93,312 (up from $87,055 in 2023).
It also highlights the profession’s emphasis on certification and professional identity, with 58% of respondents holding a procurement-specific certification.
Through the academic lens: what research is actually focusing on
Together with Ana-Maria Dimand, I contributed to the section titled Through the Academic Lens (pp. 20–22).
We summarize a clear shift in public procurement research over the past five years: scholarship is moving beyond cost savings and compliance, and toward two linked themes.
One is resilience: how procurement anticipates and responds to crises, disruptions, and policy uncertainty, and what it takes to avoid fragile supplier networks and fragmented governance.
The second is digital transformation, with particular attention to AI. The report describes how AI is being applied across the procurement lifecycle, and also why adoption remains uneven across agencies.
The key point is simple: AI does not “plug in” easily in environments that demand transparency, auditability, and explainable decisions.
Why this report is worth your time
If you work in procurement, the report is useful because it mixes context, data, and examples without drifting into consultant-speak. If you teach or research in this area, it is also a helpful snapshot of where practice is moving and what problems are showing up repeatedly across jurisdictions.
Most importantly, it frames 2026 as a capabilities year: data quality, governance, workforce development, and practical modernization will determine whether agencies can move from pilots and workarounds to durable improvement.
You can read the full document below!
That is the premise behind The State of the Public Procurement Profession 2026: Trends, Insights, and Outlook, a new report published by NIGP’s Center for the Advancement of Research and Excellence (CARE).
It is designed as a practical “read once, keep nearby” resource: it summarizes what shaped procurement in the past year, what current data says about the profession, examples of what success looks like on the ground, and what capabilities deserve attention heading into 2026.
What the report does well
First, it treats research as something that should inform decisions, not as an academic exercise. The foreword makes that point directly, framing evidence as a tool for better choices and for strengthening the profession over time.
Second, it connects the “big context” to operational consequences. The report’s year-in-review section describes a policy environment marked by modernization efforts (for example, guidance on sustainable procurement, supplier risk management, and cybersecurity requirements) alongside a sharper compliance climate and real uncertainty around how DEI-related language and programs will be interpreted across jurisdictions.
The value here is not the politics. It is the practical reality: many procurement teams are being pushed toward risk avoidance, template revisions, and internal legal review at the same time they are expected to modernize and deliver more.
Third, the report is not only “about problems.” It includes concrete illustrations of procurement excellence that show what modernization looks like when it works. For example, Maricopa County’s public health purchase portal case shows how a fragmented, manual process can be redesigned into a centralized digital workflow that improves transparency, audit readiness, and user experience.
The Maryland reform case is also useful because it emphasizes stakeholder engagement, rapid policy design, and measurable changes (payment timelines, program thresholds, and participation mechanisms) rather than vague calls for reform.
What the data says, in plain terms
The report’s “What the Data Says” section draws from NIGP benchmarking and workforce research and surfaces a set of recurring patterns.
One is structural: procurement is still siloed from executive leadership in many organizations, even as expectations of strategic influence rise.
Another is capability-related: spend management, supplier management, and performance auditing tools are often underused, which means many organizations are leaving visibility and control on the table.
On the workforce side, the report notes that the overall average salary across positions in 2024 was $93,312 (up from $87,055 in 2023).
It also highlights the profession’s emphasis on certification and professional identity, with 58% of respondents holding a procurement-specific certification.
Through the academic lens: what research is actually focusing on
Together with Ana-Maria Dimand, I contributed to the section titled Through the Academic Lens (pp. 20–22).
We summarize a clear shift in public procurement research over the past five years: scholarship is moving beyond cost savings and compliance, and toward two linked themes.
One is resilience: how procurement anticipates and responds to crises, disruptions, and policy uncertainty, and what it takes to avoid fragile supplier networks and fragmented governance.
The second is digital transformation, with particular attention to AI. The report describes how AI is being applied across the procurement lifecycle, and also why adoption remains uneven across agencies.
The key point is simple: AI does not “plug in” easily in environments that demand transparency, auditability, and explainable decisions.
Why this report is worth your time
If you work in procurement, the report is useful because it mixes context, data, and examples without drifting into consultant-speak. If you teach or research in this area, it is also a helpful snapshot of where practice is moving and what problems are showing up repeatedly across jurisdictions.
Most importantly, it frames 2026 as a capabilities year: data quality, governance, workforce development, and practical modernization will determine whether agencies can move from pilots and workarounds to durable improvement.
You can read the full document below!