![Denise Linn Riedl in front of a webinar screen that says Partners for Public Good](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/2026-08/Untitled%20design%20%2820%29.png?itok=qcNCEvmK) # Unlocking Better Tech: How Senior Leaders Shape Municipal Procurement Senior city leaders don't need to be tech experts to transform how their cities procure technology: they just need to show up with the right skills. By bridging departments, aligning priorities with mayoral vision, and asking strategic questions, senior leaders can unlock significantly better outcomes from municipal technology investments. August 06, 2026 [ Betsy Gardner ](/people/betsy-gardner) *"Technology doesn't just fix broken processes. That's a leadership challenge, and it's something for the Chief of Staff to play uniquely."* On June 10, members of the [Project on Municipal Innovation](https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/project-municipal-innovation), a community of practice for chiefs of staff and deputy mayors from 40 of the largest US cities, gathered virtually to explore their role in shaping how their cities buy, implement, and integrate technology. The conversation centered on a deceptively simple premise: senior city staff don't need to be tech experts to lead their city’s tech procurement strategy. Simply by being at the table, they can help identify opportunities for collaboration, elevate mayoral priorities, and align budgets. [Denise Linn Riedl](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/denise-linn-riedl-90b01b15&ved=2ahUKEwjftfSltciVAxXyj4kEHb5aB5wQFnoECA0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw02YZrTdimai1e3X_llVI99), head of Public Sector Technology at [Partners for Public Good](https://partnersforpublicgood.org/), framed this opportunity for city leaders, based on her many years in public service and experience across multiple city administrations. Some chiefs or deputies arrive at tech procurement meetings thinking they shouldn't be there; that technology decisions belong to the IT Department or procurement officers. But that mindset misses a critical leadership gap. Senior staff have a unique vantage point across departments, and they understand mayoral priorities in ways IT or legal teams may not. This cross-departmental perspective is especially critical right now, when technology procurement often includes artificial intelligence (AI). ## The Power of Permitting Riedl organized the session around the example of permitting, as it's a microcosm of municipal complexity with an enormous permitting tech marketplace. But residents don't care which department runs which process by what technology; they just want one coherent experience. Yet behind that experience sits an organization-wide challenge: integrating a system of record, resident-facing portals, GIS data, informal "shadow tools" that staff actually use daily, and increasingly, an AI intelligence layer. All of these tools must work in concert, tied together by data integration, interoperability, common-sense permitting logic, and strong cross-departmental leadership. The chief or deputy can serve as the conductor, holding these pieces together and producing a coherent solution. Riedl described how one city doubled its business licenses during a permitting system overhaul, which catalyzed an entire policy refresh. When senior city leaders position technology procurement as permission to rethink policy, procedure, and organizational structure, rather than a new software purchase, they unlock larger strategic value. The procurement method itself shapes outcomes too. A senior executive’s role is ensuring that competing priorities (procurement's need for risk mitigation, IT's security focus, departments' specific wants) align with what the mayor actually cares about, like speed, innovation, and responsiveness to residents. Without that alignment, the solution might not necessarily serve residents best. “The big picture,” said Riedl, “\[is\] that your procurement method really impacts some of the outcomes that you can extract from the technology that you get.” ## The Personas Riedl outlined eight distinct roles Chiefs of Staff can play when it comes to this process, that aren’t about understanding software architecture but asking the right questions and holding space for strategic alignment. 1. **The Peace Broker** between departments with competing interests. 2. **The Compass**, pointing competing stakeholders toward mayoral vision. 3. **The "Good Cop, Bad Cop"** negotiator with vendors. 4. **The Resource Wizard**, finding budget to fix problems mid-project. 5. **The Simplification Advocate** challenging unnecessary process complexity. 6. **The Change Management Multiplier**, reminding teams why they're undertaking difficult change and anchoring them to that mission. 7. **The Process Innovation Evangelist**, using technology projects as permission to rethink policy and org structure. 8. **The “Cheerleader-in-Chief”** culture builder who reminds teams that the unglamorous, essential work matters. ## Prototyping and Procurement Riedl also noted that the competitive advantage for cities is increasingly about in-house prototyping capacity, or the ability to build and test MVPs before formal procurement. Rather than starting with "RFI or RFP?" senior leaders can review the alignments above and ask, "can we build something in-house first to test?" [AI is rapidly changing what cities can build](https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/agentic-ai-city-hall) – and who can build it – and cities should think carefully about this in procurement decisions. Additionally, AI vendors are proliferating, and cities face mounting pressure to adopt new tools. The participants shared a common challenge: daily pitches from vendors, competing claims, and genuine uncertainty about what's hype versus what's real. The solution is to bring clear frameworks; a systems-wide view of the toolbox, data integration requirements, cross-departmental coordination, and alignment to mayoral priorities. ## Empowered Leaders, Better Technology Senior city leaders, especially Chiefs of Staff, can uniquely provide cross-departmental alignment and strategic clarity to any technological change initiative – permitting related or otherwise. Even if they are not a “tech person,” there is often power and support that only someone in their position can exert. The question isn't whether they should be at the table. It's what role their city needs them to play when they get there. *Partners for Public Good is a nonprofit that supports innovation and modernization across the back office of government: procurement, IT, staffing, and budget. If you are a city leader stepping into the “Resource Wizard” role (outlined above) and you are interested in getting philanthropically-funded support on an upcoming AI permitting pilot, email* [*tech@partnersforpublicgood.org*](mailto:tech@partnersforpublicgood.org)*.* ## About the Author ### Betsy Gardner ![Headshot of Betsy Gardner](/sites/g/files/omnuum10826/files/styles/hwp_1_1__100x100_scale/public/2025-05/Betsy%20Headshot%20resize.jpg?itok=k2OsSp1g) Betsy Gardner is the editor of Data-Smart City Solutions and the producer of the Data-Smart City Pod. Prior to this, Betsy worked in a variety of roles in higher education, focusing on deconstructing racial and gender inequality through research, writing, and facilitation. She also researched government spending and transparency at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Betsy holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Policy from Northeastern University, a bachelor’s degree in Art History from Boston University, and a graduate certificate in Digital Storytelling from the Harvard Extension School. See also:- [ Artificial Intelligence ](/topics/artificial-intelligence) - [ City Administration ](/topics/city-administration) - [ Innovation ](/topics/innovation) - [ Operations ](/topics/operations) - [ Project on Municipal Innovation ](/topics/project-municipal-innovation) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)