Former Federal Employees’ Workflow Technology and Procurement Insights

The Brief 

An enterprise software company focused on contract lifecycle management and digital workflow automation needed to understand how federal agencies handle agreements, procurement processes, and the tools they rely on. To get current, operational insights rather than historical ones, the study required participants who had left federal employment within the past 12 months, with a preference for those who had departed within six months. 

Defining the Target Pool 

The target pool covered civilian agencies, the Department of Defense, and the intelligence community. Functional areas were deliberately broad because contract and agreement workflows touch nearly every department, from procurement and IT to legal, finance, and operations. Seniority ranged from mid-level GS 8-12 staff through senior GS 13-15 officials and executive-level SES roles, reflecting the fact that both frontline users and approving authorities could offer relevant perspectives on software adoption decisions inside government. 

Screening for Process and Tool Familiarity 

Screening focused on two things beyond employment verification: whether candidates had direct experience with agreements, contracts, or forms-based processes such as procurement, licensing, grants, or claims, and whether they had worked with tools like DocuSign, Adobe Sign, ServiceNow, or Salesforce in a government context. Decision-making involvement was valued but not mandatory; what mattered most was substantive, recent experience with the workflows the client was researching. 

Sourcing Approach 

Sourcing combined LinkedIn targeting of individuals in recent federal-to-civilian transitions with government alumni networks and professional associations in procurement and public sector IT. All 10 participants were sourced and delivered from within the United States. 

• 10 experts sourced from the US federal ecosystem 
• 3 agency types covered: civilian, DoD, and intelligence community 
• 12-month departure window enforced across all participants