April 10, 2025
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Former GSA Administrator, Emily Murphy, says big changes are
Murphy, now CEO of Government Procurement Strategies and a senior fellow at George Mason University, explained that GSA is already talking with other agencies about which contracts can be consolidated and which are too mission-specific to be centralized. She emphasized the importance of intense coordination to distinguish what makes sense to streamline versus what needs to remain decentralized.
Early pilot programs with agencies like SBA and OPM, she noted, were smart starting points because of their similar contract writing systems and relatively small procurement shops. These “minnow” agencies allowed GSA to refine its approach before attempting to manage more complex, larger-scale contracting operations.
One of the key challenges Murphy identified is the need for significant personnel and systems adjustments. She pointed out that contract specialists—known as 1102s—will likely need retraining if they transition from other agencies into GSA. Those who have spent their careers as GSA customers will now be on the other side, managing contracts for others. “It’s a shift in mindset,” she said.
GSA is already internally reassigning some personnel, such as moving staff from the Public Building Service to the Federal Acquisition Service. But beyond that, Murphy stressed, the broader acquisition workforce will need support to adapt to new systems, new expectations, and a new pace of work.
With this expanded role, Murphy said GSA has the potential to deliver real benefits—reducing contract duplication, rationalizing prices, and ultimately saving taxpayer dollars. However, she warned that none of that matters if agencies can’t get the tools and services they need on time. “If agencies can't get what they need to meet their missions, no amount of savings is going to address that problem,” she said.
Murphy also sees a pivotal role for GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP), now led by Larry Allen. She believes OGP can help ensure consistency and quality through standards, service-level agreements, and rigorous reviews—even as leadership and priorities change over time.
Beyond procurement, Murphy discussed the challenge of federal building management. She noted that while the administration is eager to reduce the government’s physical footprint and avoid costly deferred maintenance, the disposal process for surplus buildings can take years. Still, she praised the agency’s recent efforts to better coordinate with other departments before deeming properties as excess.
On the future of GSA’s historic headquarters at 1800 F Street, Murphy shared her affection for the building’s history—but said the agency’s work transcends any one address. “The agency is bigger than the building,” she said, emphasizing the importance of staying close to other key federal players, wherever the headquarters ends up.
Murphy’s insights paint a picture of an ambitious, complex, and fast-moving transformation—one that could redefine how the federal government does business for years to come.