Government Procurement Services

Government Procurement Services Emily W. Murphy, Esq, served as the first Chief Acquisition Officer at the General Services Administration (GSA).  In this position, she oversaw $60 billion in annual procurements while strengthening GSA's acquisition activities to ensure that best value acquisition services were delivered to federal agency customers in support of their missions. Ms. Murphy was responsible for ensuring compliance with procurement laws, promulgating acquisition policies including the Federal Acquisition Regulations, overseeing acquisition decision-making, assuring full and open competition for contract awards, and developing the acquisition workforce. Under Ms. Murphy’s leadership, GSA began a complete rewrite of its acquisition regulations in order to address the government’s increasing use of service contracts. 

Ms. Murphy served as the Co-Chair of the government-wide Chief Acquisition Officers Council (CAOC), Working Group on Emergency Contracting, as a member of the CAOC’s Acquisition Committee for E-Government, and on the Board of Directors for the Federal Acquisition Institute, and as GSA’s representative to the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council.   In recognition of her accomplishments as the first CAO, upon leaving GSA, the Washington DC Chapter of the National Contract Management Association honored her with a tribute dinner. Prior to working at GSA, Ms. Murphy was the Senior Advisor for Government Contracting and Business Development (SBA), the Acting Associate Administrator for Policy Planning and Liaison, and the Acting Associate Administrator for Government Contracting at the Small Business Administration. 

She directed government-wide programs to assist small businesses in seeking federal procurement opportunities. In addition, she served as the agency’s Senior Procurement Executive, representing SBA on the Chief Acquisition Officers Council and in dealings with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, National Economic Council, and federal agencies. Since the conclusion of her public service, Ms. Murphy has helped businesses at all stages of the government contracting process, including advising clients on the special compliance issues associated with small business government contracts; representing trade associations before Congress and the Executive Branch on procurement issues; advising companies on obtaining and complying with GSA Schedule contracts; and assisting commercial contractors and multiple award vehicle holders with oversight, ethics training, price reduction, and scope issues. 

Ms. Murphy successfully litigated and negotiated bid protests and claims on behalf of clients. Ms. Murphy also developed particular expertise in government procurement systems, including the Federal Procurement Data System, and worked with countries in Central and South America, Asia and the Caribbean, as they established systems that balance transparency and business processes. A graduate of the University Virginia School of Law and of Smith College, Ms. Murphy continues to serve as the Co-Chair of the Small Business and other Socioeconomic Programs Committee for the American Bar Association’s Public Contract Law Section and as a member of the Regulatory and Legislative Coordinating Committees.