Expert Insights
Expert Insights
As President and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., Mary Scott Nabers has decades of experience working in the public-private sector. A well-recognized expert in the P3 and government contracting fields, she is often asked to share her industry insights with top publications and through professional speaking engagements. Get an exclusive look at upcoming trends and insider tips from Mary herself on the SPI blog.
Billion-dollar bridge projects will launch in 2026 as officials tackle decades of deferred maintenance
America has a critical bridge infrastructure problem! At least 221,800 bridges throughout the U.S. need major repair or replacement. Nationwide, more than 42,000 bridges are currently classified as structurally deficient, and time is running out to address the...
As housing shortages escalate, cities turn to an unlikely ally: Aging shopping malls
An interesting and visionary trend is creating incredible benefits throughout the U.S., and the momentum is notable. It starts with the recognition that hundreds of traditional indoor shopping malls are struggling, and yet they represent properties that could be...
The Final Mile – the U.S. simply must rush to finish its critical lead pipe cleanup!
An estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the U.S. Lead water lines pose an extremely high public safety issue. This has been a known fact for many years, and...
Billions continue to flow into parks and recreation projects
City and county leaders throughout America are investing heavily in upgrading local parks and recreation assets. They are transforming aging facilities into modern, multi-use public spaces that enhance quality of life environments for citizens and stimulate local...
The Downtown Comeback: Cities of all sizes are building for the future
Across the United States, downtown areas are undergoing a striking resurgence. After years of pandemic-era disruption, cities large and small are reinvesting their urban cores, modernizing infrastructure, redesigning public spaces, and reimagining how people live,...
Transit-Oriented Development gains steam as 2026 funding holds firm
As 2026 approaches, transit-oriented development (TOD) continues to gain traction in cities throughout America. Federal funding support is holding steady, and new financing tools are available to broaden the field for planners, builders, and public agencies. The...
A new federal marketplace is emerging – Big changes should be noted
Federal procurement is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades. Big changes have been made, and private sector contractors will need to prepare for these new procedures while also monitoring other evolving anticipated changes so that they are...
The rise of sports infrastructure: Where civic pride meets economic power
Throughout America, local governments are betting big on recreation as a catalyst for growth. From sprawling youth-sports complexes and gleaming aquatic centers to billion-dollar stadiums and multipurpose arenas, these types of projects draw visitors, fill hotels, and...
Rebuilding the Rules: Contractors face most significant DBE shake-up in 40 years
For more than four decades, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program has served as one of the federal government’s cornerstone efforts to ensure fair competition in transportation contracting. The DBE program originated...
The move toward faster, shared-risk construction delivery is transforming how America builds
In today’s construction industry, the steady transition away from traditional Design-Bid-Build delivery toward more collaborative, integrated, and risk-balanced models is no longer a prediction — it is a measurable fact. Data from the Design-Build Institute of...
Building for tomorrow: the shift toward unified climate resilience initiatives
In the face of escalating climate threats — from intensifying storms and sea-level rise to extreme heat, flooding and landslides — U.S. cities, counties and states are launching bold, multi-agency infrastructure efforts that blur the lines between governmental...
Capital Improvement Plans reveal next wave of public investment
Across the United States, government officials in all jurisdictions are quietly publishing multi-year Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) — roadmaps that translate long-range community visions into shovel-ready projects. A typical CIP spans four to ten years, ranking...
Billions in bond approvals signal upcoming contracting opportunities
There are several types of bond options that government officials can use to secure funding for major capital projects. Each of the different options balance repayment security, funding sources, and investor risk. It’s important to understand the different types of...
A quiet revolutionary trend is accelerating large, complex and critical projects nationwide
Over the past four months, Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana have emerged as the nation’s most active adopters of public-private partnerships (P3s), which are often referred to as comprehensive development initiatives (CDIs) for large infrastructure projects. Federal...
Public safety drives nationwide spending surge for municipalities
In mid-2025, data shows the annualized rate of the U.S. construction spending for public safety in the U.S. to be approximately $19.35 billion. That number includes both new construction, renovation and repair projects, representing near-record highs heading into...
Billions flow into next-generation city halls and municipal campuses
Across America, cities are teeing up billions in funding for hard infrastructure, digital upgrades, sustainability and climate resilience projects. Municipal planning documents signal a multi-year construction cycle that folds in law enforcement, new municipal...
States fund massive capital projects for infrastructure in 2026
State budgets for FY 2026 share a striking set of priorities. Almost all are channeling major resources into long-term infrastructure strategies, especially transportation networks, water supply systems, broadband expansion, and energy resilience. Already, New York...
Nationwide, tunnel projects are far from boring
Over the past two years, the country has witnessed a surge of tunnel construction projects. The work has not involved band-aid repair to failing pipes or bridges, but it has been massive, strategic investments in tunnel infrastructure nationwide. According to Tunnel...
Enrollment growth fuels campus building boom nationwide
It appears that a one-time worry that online learning might cause demand for campus housing to decline is no longer an immediate concern. There is a real, very current development-boom on college and university campuses nationwide. Student housing projects are up...
Water and power projects loom in abundance throughout the U.S.
We are living through a time that in later years may be referred to as a generational reinvestment era. America’s most critical infrastructure is being rebuilt, restructured, expanded and sustainably upgraded for future generations. Decades old water and power...
FEMA at a Crossroads… What Americans Need to Know
For many decades, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been the backbone of disaster response and recovery in the United States. From coordinating emergency activities to allocating billions in grant funding for recovery, FEMA has been the ‘Go-To...
Cybersecurity is no longer local — America is moving toward a centralized defense model
Throughout America, a growing number of states are turning to regional and shared cybersecurity operations centers (SOCs) to strengthen state and local defenses against increasingly sophisticated network threats. From New York’s Joint Security Operations Center to...
America’s airports race to expand capacity under building boom
America’s airports continue to experience one of the busiest building cycles in decades. This is an area of activity that should not be ignored. Construction cranes are rising over terminals, runways are being resurfaced, and new security technology is rolling out to...
Here’s a unique gift for technology firms looking for exciting new contract pursuits
There is the usual type of data and research...and then there is research so unique it is difficult to find. The Strategic Partnerships Team has never been interested in providing ordinary research and data. Instead, the team pushes beyond the norm – always –tracking...
U.S. cities are reshaping venues to attract the next big events
Many city leaders throughout the U.S. are advancing expansions or major overhauls of their convention centers as competition for large events intensifies and cities chase visitor spending. Notable examples include Houston, where a $2 billion convention-district plan...
Insights and guidance shared by former public officials
Here’s a bit of advice for government contracting companies from a team of former government executives. The issues covered and the questions answered are ones that the Strategic Partnerships Team is asked about often – even by experienced sales execs. I’m sharing...
A trend to watch – one gaining strength and expected to grow even stronger
Across America, state and local leaders are reimagining how public spaces can serve growing populations, balancing recreation, sustainability, and economic development. From state parks and community sports complexes to multimillion-dollar urban redevelopments,...
These upcoming projects will call for multiple contracting services
Public officials throughout the U.S. are carefully watching to see what happens when Congress resumes its work after the summer break. All eyes will be on the necessary passage of the 2026 budget bill, which has not yet been adopted even though the federal...
A new era in federal procurement has launched
Federal procurement is getting a major makeover. Big changes have occurred, and more are on the horizon. Companies that sell into the federal marketplace definitely need to carefully monitor what is happening. A couple of months ago, the General Services...
Nearly $2 billion in funding available but very little time to apply
If you blinked, took a short summer vacation or shifted your focus to another task, you may have missed the announcement that approximately $2 billion in federal funding was just made available. Here’s hoping you didn’t miss the initial announcement because the...
May bond approvals drive planning surge for billions in upcoming projects
Because the company I lead does extensive research to monitor and provide data related to bond elections in all 50 states, I am shocked to see how many billions in funding are allocated through bond elections annually for upcoming projects. In Texas alone, bond...
New directives, rules, guidelines, and expectations are surfacing in the U.S. government marketplace
Things are changing rapidly at the federal level of government from the acceptance of new project delivery models to the consolidation of federal procurement. Here are a few examples and as much as we would all like to proclaim that these actions allow us a glimpse of...
Billions in recently approved funding should not be missed
U.S. bond elections each year routinely involve hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed funding, and approximately 80% of the funding receives voter approval nationwide. The bond funding is used for major capital projects and initiatives such as school...
Mental healthcare needs are driving immediate upgrades to U.S. healthcare infrastructure
There are many reasons why the historic effort to improve healthcare infrastructure in America has created a sweeping trend throughout the nation. Somewhat shocking is that it is driven primarily by the high demand for more mental health facilities. It is almost...
Climate change and weather events create great need for sustainability projects
Although the federal government’s fiscal year 2025 ends in September, Congress has not enacted a 2026 budget. Federal agencies are operating under a ‘continuing resolution’ that provides funding for 2025 and the uncertainty of funding for 2026 makes planning very...
Projects continue to be abundant despite massive funding cuts for educational institutions
Education funding, previously available to communities and every state for decades, has been drastically reduced. Last month, the White House released a budget that includes educational reductions of more than $4.5 billion in funding for K-12 schools. The overall...
Government contracting is evolving rapidly with new mandates and technological innovations
Public officials throughout the U.S. are seeking leading edge technology and innovative solutions as essential components of planned projects are developed. Government adoption of artificial intelligence and automation is gaining acceptance quicker than was ever...
AI Integration Accelerates Across Public Sector Projects
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is invading our lives, businesses, government, and personal space. It is no longer an emerging technology, it’s the fastest-moving transformation engine our society has ever seen. The technology is moving at a pace that defies prediction....
Big Beautiful Bill Signals Big Changes for State and Local Governments
For decades the Strategic Partnerships Team (SPI) has advised companies conducting business in the U.S. government marketplace. Many of our consultants are former government executives and because we provide services throughout the U.S., we closely monitor...
School construction projects boom as education systems address aging facilities and growth
Construction opportunities are almost always abundant, but currently there are more than usual construction projects being launched for public school campuses. Common objectives include major renovation or expansion of aging facilities, total replacement of...