Censeo Consulting Group CEO Co-Founds Federal Acquisition Innovation and Reform (FAIR) Institute

New Nonprofit Will Promote Innovative and Comprehensive Change in Federal Acquisition System

Washington, D.C., April 22, 2009 - Censeo Consulting Group President and CEO Raj Sharma today announced the launch of the Federal Acquisition Innovation and Reform Institute, or FAIR (www.thefairinstitute.org), which he has co-founded with several other prominent leaders and thinkers in the area of acquisition reform.

The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization will bring together leading ideas and thinking from not only from government acquisition experts, but also from leading commercial practitioners, academics, and industries.  With a singular focus on the federal acquisition system, FAIR will provide an important link between policy and execution.

“Through FAIR, we will work with key constituencies to promote a federal acquisition system that continually innovates to meet government policy objectives, exceed world class standards of performance and ensure the prudent use of taxpayer dollars,” said Mr. Sharma. “We will stress the need for acquisition reform to be as comprehensive as possible, elevating the current discussion from tactics such as type of contracts to a more strategic one that focuses on the outcomes and capabilities required of a world-class acquisition system.”

FAIR’s initial priorities are two-fold. First, it will provide input and guidance to decision makers within OMB, Congress and federal agencies related to the implementation of stimulus funding; and, second, it will address the issue of comprehensive, government-wide acquisition reform. 

As part of its work, FAIR will publish research, bring together policy makers through conferences and events, and act as a resource for Congressional leaders as they address the issue of acquisition reform.

Mr. Sharma, who will serve as President and Board Co-Chair of the Institute, is a recognized leader on issues of federal acquisition reform in his role as Founder, President and CEO of Censeo Consulting Group, a leading provider of supply chain management, operations and procurement solutions to the federal government. He has worked with leaders across the government to address complex and pressing issues facing the acquisition community such as workforce development and stimulus spending. He recently co-authored a white paper titled, “From Theory to Reality: Operational/Acquisition Planning and Coordination Required for Realizing the Goals of the Economic Stimulus.”

Other founding board members of FAIR include:

	Dr. Allan V. Burman (Board Co-Chair), President of Jefferson Solutions, the government division of the Jefferson Consulting Group, and a former Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy in the White House’s Office of Management and Budget
	Mr. David Litman (Board member), former Senior Procurement Executive for the U.S. Department of Transportation
	Mr. David Nelson (Board member), Chief Supply Chain/Strategy Officer for HTC Global Services Inc. and a former senior supply management executive for Delphi Corporation, Honda of America Manufacturing, and Deere & Company
	Mr. Joe Sandor (Board member), Hoagland-Metzler Endowed Professor of Practice in Supply Management at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad Graduate School of Management and former President and CEO of Creative Procurement Strategies