Author: Mary Scott Nabers

Public schools have been granted approximately $190.5 billion in new funding from the federal government. In 2020 and 2021, Congress passed three stimulus bills that provided funding to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. It came in three tranches: ESSER I: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in […]

We rarely stop to consider how difficult it is to be a government leader. The responsibility to identify critical needs, focus on eminent dangers, ensure public safety, and provide citizen services are monumental tasks. Consider this: An estimated 400,000 schools and child-care facilities as well as millions of homes rely on water from toxic lead […]

Earlier this month, the country celebrated another annual Infrastructure Week. For the last nine years, leaders have convened from across America to highlight the critical role infrastructure plays in the economy, job creation, public health, and national security. But, for many years the celebrations have been rather mild since there has been little to celebrate. […]

Congress sent some rather clear messages with passage of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), and the importance of education is undoubtedly top of mind. Based on the sheer volume of school safety allocations, protecting our nation’s students is a high priority with the Biden administration and a majority in Congress. Although many governmental entities will […]

Try to read a newspaper or listen to a newscast without being reminded that the country is beginning to return to normalcy. Activity can be found everywhere. Projects, initiatives, and opportunities are being announced daily. The activity level in government marketplaces is close to an all-time high. Pent up demand and critical issues are driving […]

The government marketplace is changing rapidly, and strong trends point to a future environment that is quite different. The evolution that is occurring will impact all industry sectors as well as government. America leads the world with 16 percent of the global green economy, according to a recent research report from Palgrave Communications. That translates […]

Public officials at the state and local jurisdictions of government have overcome the first quarter of 2021, but with so many looming problems and issues, most are struggling to establish their highest priorities. Which problem needs the most immediate attention? Is it homelessness at the city level, funding shortages at school districts, broadband issues statewide, […]

Cities, counties, school districts, colleges, universities, health-care facilities, and public transit authorities are all on stand-by awaiting billions in new funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Surprisingly, a few states are still holding federal revenue received through the CARES Act for COVID relief, often to the frustration of local public leaders. Contractors, taxpayers, public […]

There is no disagreement — water is a precious asset. Without water, there is no path to survival or sustainability on the planet. Cities, counties, states, industry, trees, plants, crops, animals, and individuals cannot survive without adequate water resources. In America’s overall drive to sustainability, water is one of the most critical components. Yet, America’s […]

President Biden’s proposed infrastructure bill is front and center in Congressional offices, but it is the American Jobs Plan that is getting more attention. This proposed bill from the Biden administration also includes an abundance of funding for infrastructure. Some of the allocations include the following: $115 billion to repair and rebuild bridges, highways, and […]

President Biden recently introduced a massive infrastructure bill designed to reshape the U.S. economy while addressing infrastructure reform. Biden’s stated goal is to achieve 100 percent carbon-free power by 2035. The proposal also includes $100 billion in funding to upgrade and strengthen the country’s electric grid system, which has been weakened by worsening climate disasters. […]

When Harvard and other major universities begin offering courses to students and professionals focused on public-private partnerships (P3s), it is worthy of notice. When Wall Street announces programs designed around building revenue models for collaborating with government, it is a bellwether of change. And, when organizations hold conferences structured around P3s and thousands of public […]

The much-anticipated funding made available by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) is now moving. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has released $81 billion in funding that is destined to reach public school districts in every state. This first release of funding represents about two thirds of what is available for K-12 school districts. The […]

Industry leaders, investors, regulators, rating agencies, and governmental entities are all watching a strong trend that will likely become a competitive factor in government contracting in the future. The significance of the trend’s impact cannot yet be calculated, but it could be substantial. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) has been a topic of discussion at […]

Climate change and the need for mitigation efforts for disaster control have resulted in more federal funding available for public entities throughout the U.S.   The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) soon will  distribute up to $500 million from a new Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program for pre-disaster mitigation projects. The funding […]

Change is occurring incredibly fast – so fast, in fact, it is somewhat challenging to keep up with everything. COVID data is more positive, an extremely encouraging shift. Congress has approved billions in funding for citizens, schools, hospitals, and state and local governments – more welcome news. First-time programs, resources, and funding are available for […]

Companies that contract with governmental entities will find no shortage of large projects in 2021. Pent-up demand and all types of needs are driving leaders at state, local, and education organizations to find solutions. Construction and engineering firms should be able to find projects of every type and size in every state. Many of the […]

Dozens of media reports flood our inboxes, and there are newspaper articles daily about the COVID relief bill that Congress is expected to pass very soon. How large will it be? What will the funding cover? When and how will the funding programs work? These are all good questions!   But, once we get the […]

As the Biden administration begins to address climate change, transit authorities throughout the country will benefit from funding. Clean air is a major component of sustainability, so increased funding will flow to public transit authorities in an effort to reduce the number of automobiles on roadways. Major initiatives at the local levels of government will […]

Big changes are in the works, and it is important to take note and prepare for a somewhat altered existence. The last 12 months have been unlike anything most of us have ever experienced, and the new year has started off with numerous surprises. Until recently, we talked of returning to a normal, more traditional […]

The Texas SPI Team has struggled valiantly this week just as others throughout the state did. Because of the wicked winter storm that hit Texas over the weekend, most of us have been – and many still are – functioning without power and water and limited to no access to the Internet. In spite of […]

Billions of dollars are spent each year to renew, replace, expand, or upgrade water systems. The need to do more, and spend more, increases each year. That’s because the country’s aging water infrastructure has been neglected for too long. This is an alarming issue for public officials at all levels of government. It would be […]

It is easy for government contractors to overlook opportunities related to ports in the United States. That should not happen though because ports throughout the country have seen a surge in imports over the last several years, and many of them – undaunted by the pandemic – are launching projects that require private-sector partners. Take […]

Transportation infrastructure will be a high priority throughout the country in 2021. Many large projects have already been announced, and others are anticipated. However, there are significant indications that a major change is emerging in how transportation-related projects will be funded in the future. Transportation leaders have hoped for years that Congress would pass an […]

For many reasons, not the least of which are the recent cybersecurity breaches that have occurred throughout the country, governmental entities are announcing plans for large technology budgets in 2021. Additionally, public agencies simply can no longer wait to modernize outdated technology systems, software and equipment. Digitization demand, cloud storage, and data analysis also contribute […]