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.
It’s not a certainty yet…but it could be a boon for public facilities
Something good could happen as a result of congressional action. A recently introduced bill would provide a $5 billion boost for the construction and rehabilitation of government-owned buildings. The Public Buildings Renewal Act (S. 932), if passed by Congress, will...
Repairing and/or replacing bridges in the U.S. will open up thousands of contracting opportunities in 2019
A few motorists - those who are aware of America’s bridge conditions - are occasionally selective about the bridges they cross. Millions of other motorists, however, are unaware of the fact that government leaders nationwide are scrambling to find funds to repair old...
Big, efficient convention centers are in high demand!
Municipal leaders throughout the country are focusing lots of attention on convention centers. That’s because convention-related business contributes millions to city coffers. Two years ago, communities in the United States with convention centers shared in $845...
U.S. airports are launching huge renovation projects
The United States has incredibly busy airports – in fact, some of the busiest in the world. That’s good, because it indicates that many of the more than 4 billion global air passengers each year are flying in or out of America. However, a sobering statistic is...
Looking for funded transportation projects? Check out transit authorities…you may be surprised!
Lots of funding is flowing to public transit authorities. An American Public Transportation Association (APTA) report points out that there’s approximately $232 billion in critical public transportation needs across the country, and if that $232 billion were spent...
Government data centers may become extinct
Government data centers reached a tipping point some time ago and now big changes are occurring. A recent Gartner report explained that traditional (and older) data centers, which are exactly what most governmental entities rely on, are being relegated to legacy...
Addressing critical needs at lower levels of government will result in thousands of collaboration initiatives
A number of national issues which were previously relegated to “back burner” status in Congress are now front and center. This is a result of public awareness, citizen concern and media reports outlining the danger and the cost of doing nothing. Renewable energy,...
Alternative funding sources of all types – readily available for capital projects
Most elected officials, especially at the local levels of government, desperately need more revenue. There are critical needs in their communities but they have no funds to address the problems. Although alternative funding is available, government leaders in many...
Smaller projects in rural and mid-size regions are attracting funding from new sources
Cities and counties have common problems throughout the U.S. And, these common issues are opening up a new marketplace that is catching the attention of investors and contractors. There’s definitely a trend developing here. Public officials at the state and local...
Charter schools – offering up a brand new marketplace in the U.S.
A new U.S. marketplace is growing so fast many have not noticed it - the charter school network. It is already extremely large and it touches almost every region of this country. Contractors of all types and sizes should take notice of the abundance of upcoming...
Water projects get funding boosts nationwide
After a long period of totally inadequate funding for critical water projects, the tide appears to be turning and funding is becoming more readily available. Late in 2018, authorization was given for almost $6 billion in funding for water infrastructure projects. The...
U.S. border crossings – a large new marketplace for contractors and technology companies
Ports of entry in the United States will hold an abundance of contracting opportunities in 2019. That’s because the needs are great and these border crossings are receiving lots of scrutiny. Long neglected, the country’s border crossings now face a $4 billion deficit...
21st century libraries are the new gathering places
Public libraries are no longer just repositories for books, newspapers and magazines. They are much more, and new libraries bear little resemblance to libraries of the past. Twenty-first century libraries are state-of-the-art facilities - innovative, thoughtfully...
Construction related to healthcare facilities will require many changes
President Trump talked a lot about health issues (cancer treatment, HIV research, drug prices, etc.) in his recent State of the Union address. Other elected officials throughout the country are also speaking out about healthcare issues. There is no alternative to...
Funding programs open up for rural joint ventures between public and private sector partners
While response to public-private partnerships (P3s) at the state and local levels of government has been a little tepid in some parts of the country, federal agencies are forging ahead with all types of collaborative initiatives. Federal officials have acknowledged...
Watch the utility marketplace – huge changes are occurring!
Public utilities are under extreme pressure and their needs, which fall into the critical category, are common. Almost every public system that supplies citizens with electricity, gas, water and sewage services is old. They suffer from decline that comes with age,...
Cybercrimes continue and the cost of protecting data is a high-ticket item for government – and also for private-sector firms
Two rather shocking predictions are worthy of note. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrimes are expected to cost $6 trillion annually worldwide by 2021… and 2019 could be the worst year yet for cyberbreaches. Government portals are immediate targets for cyber...
Port funding falls into the critical category!
Across America, ports are expanding and posting record cargo growth. This will result in huge economic gains throughout the country. However, the positive impact is vulnerable because many critical components in the infrastructure network that allow the movement of...
Funding from a multitude of sources will boost campus construction in 2019
Growth and change are descriptors common to colleges and universities throughout the country. That’s where the focus is…but managing the two is almost impossible without an abundance of human effort and financial investment. It would be hard to find individuals...
Demand for public safety technology has created one of the country’s hottest marketplaces
People in law enforcement have been under siege throughout the country for the past several years. Criticism comes from citizens who aren’t satisfied with the norm and want more protection. Angst, anger and fear are also evident from citizens who believe law...
Artificial intelligence now a trusted partner in emergency situations
Sometimes bad things happen…and lately, a number of calamities have stretched emergency operations almost to the brink of failure. Lives have been lost and damages have resulted in horrifically high costs. Natural disasters are on the increase, affecting millions of...
Funding for public spending is currently being evaluated in almost every state
While most people are preparing to file tax returns, elected officials throughout the country are looking at government coffers and evaluating whether they will raise taxes. They are also making decisions about how to spend funding that has not been available to them...
Is infrastructure (once more) emerging as a federal priority?
Although the federal government shutdown has dominated media headlines for more than a month, another subject - a cornerstone of the Trump presidential campaign - is sneaking its way back into the news. Trump’s proposed multi-billion-dollar infrastructure plan was...
Transportation infrastructure is bearing much of the brunt of the government shutdown
The longest government shutdown in history continues and the impact has spread far beyond government workers and their families. It is difficult to find any business, school, hospital, city, county, college, university or local government organization that is not...
Urban Park upgrades will result in thousands of new contracting opportunities in 2019
Hard to believe…but spending on urban parks is up 30 percent over last year. At least that is what the U.S. Department of Commerce reports. This statistic is important because it represents millions of dollars of new contracting opportunities for companies from...
Government shutdown has halted federal funding for critical rebuilding needs throughout the country
Citizens and public officials continue to wait…and wait…and wait! It has been almost 18 months since Hurricanes Harvey and Irma devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast. It’s been almost a year since Congress earmarked $16 billion in federal funding for rebuilding and...
Another disruptive and transformative technology? That appears to be the case!
Blockchain technology is relatively new. However, it is having a widespread impact on state and local governments… and, it is likely to impact citizens and taxpayers in the very near future. Public officials and industry executives are now claiming that blockchain...
Better get ready to ride in a driverless vehicle in 2019
2018 was supposed to be a banner year for self-driving cars - or autonomous vehicles. It didn’t happen! After pedestrian deaths in March, both Uber and Tesla scaled back significantly on initiatives that were on a fast track. The future for self-driving vehicles...
A 2019 trend worthy of watching
While thousands of road projects languish for lack of funding, 2019 promises to be a banner year for new transit projects. Big changes are coming, funding is available and contracting opportunities will be abundant. Successful bond issues, federal grant programs and...
Funding for transportation infrastructure projects – now flowing to cities and states
There’s new funding – $1.5 billion – now available to fund critical transportation projects. Government officials are moving quickly to finalize plans and contracting solicitations should be rolled out soon. More than 90 road, rail, transit and port projects planned...
What to expect in 2019
Looking back - 2018 brought both turmoil and innovation to government contracting. A string of cyber-attacks, such as the ransomware attack on Atlanta, left public officials focused on increasing cybersecurity. Hurricane Florence in North Carolina and fires in...
To ensure a safer world, billions will be available for security projects in 2019
The horrific increase in mass shootings in American communities and schools, along with bombings, terroristic threats, border issues and soaring criminal activity, have resulted in billions of dollars being spent nationwide on increased safety efforts. The spending is...
Major repairs and upgrades to U.S. utility infrastructure scheduled to begin in 2019
2018 has been a year of devastation! Wildfires in California, hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes and gas line explosions were horrific. The carnage was great and public infrastructure assets were significantly impacted. One infrastructure category that may have been...
Affordable Housing – high on the list of critical priorities for almost every city in America in 2019!
Affordable housing shortages are now a top concern for government officials throughout the country. Every metro area in the United States is dealing with a severe shortage of affordable housing. The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that the problem is...
America’s ports – critical components of America’s economic prosperity
Looking for engineering and construction opportunities? Look no further than ports! Investment in America’s ports is accelerating significantly and port spending will increase again in 2019. Because of the neo-Panamax megaships, ports throughout the country are...
‘Smart City’ projects – watch for them soon in a city near you!
Recognizing that two heads really are better than one, governmental officials nationwide are taking the very old adage to the extreme as they work toward “smart city” status. In what is already a major trend, cities are partnering with private-sector businesses,...
U.S. airports – now responding aggressively to both domestic and foreign competition
Almost every airport in the country will likely be expanded or upgraded over the next 24 months. Not a single airport in the U.S. is listed in the top 20 airports worldwide anymore. Because of aging infrastructure, the lack of leading edge technology, transit options...
Health Care-Related Public-Private Partnerships will Likely Become the Norm in 2019
The United States ranks number one in the world for health care spending as a percentage of GDP. That sounds great… but, Texas ranks only 11th worldwide when it comes to performance. That’s because of “access to care.” Public-Private Partnerships and Education...
Interested in new contracting opportunities totaling almost $49 billion? Check it out …right here!
Political candidates weren’t the only ones vying for the attention of voters this week. More than 508 bond issues totaling approximately $48.8 billion were decided in elections throughout the country. The bond issues that passed will result in millions of dollars...
Collection of massive amounts of public data is now the norm
Many still think of Smart Cities as a futuristic possibility but, in most metropolitan areas, the rush to initiate smart city technology is happening in real time. While citizens may not be ready for this, technology and the internet of things (IoT) appear to be...