Strong acquisition planning will allow a public entity to identify the proper scope of work for its procurement, which may involve market research and even input from potential bidders or consultants. The public entity must identify an appropriate procurement methodology, and the staff or consultants who can best assist in conducting a fair procurement. Spending the time and effort in the planning stages is one of the most important steps that a public entity can take in minimizing the chance of bid protests. Similarly, potential bidders need to be aware of the planning activities that should be occurring because a procurement can be won or lost prior to the solicitation document being issued.

On November 3, 2017, Jennifer Dauer will speak on a panel about acquisition planning at the American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. The program brochure is available at ABA Public Contract Law 2017 Program. The mission of the Section of Public Contract Law is to improve public procurement and grant law at the federal, state and local levels and promote the professional development of attorney and associate members in public procurement law. The Section seeks to improve the functioning of public procurement by contributing to developments in procurement legislation and regulations; by objectively and fairly evaluating such developments; by communicating the Section's evaluations, critiques and concerns to policy makers and government officials; and by sharing these communications with Section members and the public.