Richard Davidson | PhD Research
University of Denver, Daniels College of Business | Entering Fall 2026
The largest empirical study of procurement source selection ever conducted: 654,307 federal contract awards, seven fiscal years, five empirical papers, and a finding that challenges the conventional wisdom.
Research Design
A difference-in-differences natural experiment exploiting NDAA Section 813 restrictions on LPTA source selection in DoD procurement, FY2017-2023.
Research Papers
Five journal-ready papers analyzing 654,307 federal contract awards — from policy evaluation to transaction cost moderation to international comparison.
Key Findings
Cost growth declines 13-21 percentage points, 41% of awards receive only one bid, and US procurement barriers are 87x higher than the lowest-cost systems.
Literature Review
105 key scholarly articles across 15 topic areas, plus recommended books. The academic foundation for best-value procurement research.
Federal Data
The Omari et al. (2025) FPDS dataset: 99 million records, 470 variables, open access. Plus USAspending, GAO bid protests, and contractor performance data.
The Vendor Journey
28+ steps and $30K-$1.1M+ in costs before earning a single dollar — three visual infographics mapping the real burden of competing for federal contracts.
International Procurement
How 12 countries run procurement and what it costs vendors to compete — from South Korea's KONEPS to Chile's ChileCompra. US barriers are 87x higher.
Key People
25 leading voices in public procurement — researchers, policymakers, and practitioners shaping how governments buy.
The Integrating Thesis
The conventional debate frames procurement reform as a choice between lowest price (LPTA) and best value (tradeoff) evaluation methods. Our research suggests this may be a red herring. The real constraint on procurement outcomes is structural barriers — the $30K-$1.1M in costs and 28+ steps required to compete — that limit the competitive pool regardless of evaluation method. When 41% of awards attract only one bidder, the choice between LPTA and tradeoff becomes largely irrelevant.
Data Sources
- Omari et al. (2025) FPDS Dataset — 99M federal procurement records, 470 variables
- USAspending.gov — Federal contract award data
- FPDS — Federal Procurement Data System
- GAO Bid Protests — Protest statistics and decisions
- Articles Database — 439+ scholarly articles, updated daily via OpenAlex