ARLINGTON, Va. — The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) today proudly announce the release of a white paper titled “Procurement Solutions for Modern Transportation Technologies,”created by a task force of members from both organizations. ITS America and NEMA recently entered into an MOU to work together to share information, promote shared policy objectives, and scale the deployment of intelligent transportation systems across the United States.
As transportation infrastructure continues to more fully incorporate digital solutions and connected technologies, traditional procurement methods are proving insufficient to support evolving needs. The white paper makes a compelling case for Outcomes-Based Contracting (OBC) as a transformative solution to modernize infrastructure procurement, streamline innovation, and deliver better public value.
“Public agencies are grappling with outdated procurement models in a digital-first transportation era,” said Bobby McCurdy, ITS America Vice President of Policy and Advocacy. “This paper provides a practical roadmap to unlock innovation and improve performance, from traffic signal systems to integrated crash response platforms.”
Key highlights of the paper include:
- An in-depth explanation of outcomes-based procurement (OBP) principles: identification, alignment, measurement, and adjustment
- Case studies from Alpharetta, Georgia; the Virginia Department of Transportation; and Southern Nevada demonstrating OBC’s effectiveness in real-world applications
- Guidance for federal leadership in aligning policies and funding mechanisms with modern infrastructure needs
- Recommendations to help state and local agencies address cybersecurity, software licensing, and resource challenges
“The evolution of intelligent transportation demands procurement frameworks that are just as smart,” said Steve Griffith, NEMA Executive Director, Regulatory & Industry Affairs, Mobility. “Outcomes-based models offer governments the flexibility and incentives needed to deploy cutting-edge technologies and maintain them over time.”
The white paper also outlines the critical role of the U.S. Department of Transportation in promoting outcomes-based procurement through initiatives like Every Day Counts and ARPA-I, and urges Congress to modernize procurement and funding policies to ensure long-term adaptability.
In developing the paper, ITS America and NEMA worked closely with members from both of their organizations, utilizing a task force that included broad perspectives from the transportation industry. Representatives from Rekor and ASSA ABLOY, who contributed to the paper’s development, emphasized the importance of its findings:
“Outcomes Based Contracting represents a practical and effective way to agencies to keep up with technology advancements that support safer, more efficient, and more resilient transportation systems. By focusing on results vendors can provide solutions to agencies problems that fit within their existing infrastructure,” said Guerry Bruner, Manager ITS & Unmanned Infrastructure Solutions, ASSA ABLOY.
“Outcome-Based Contracting (OBC) is increasingly important in the transportation industry because it shifts the focus from what is being bought to what results are being achieved. Instead of procuring specific products or services (e.g., cameras, software, or engineering hours), agencies define success in terms of outcomes — like reduced traffic fatalities, improved travel times, or increased access to transit — and hold vendors accountable to those outcomes,” said Alison Boan, National Capture Manager at Rekor. To read the full white paper, visit here.