ARTICLE - The Model Procurement Code Revision Project: Modernizing Public Procurement Law for a New Era

In this Spring 2026 Procurement Lawyer article, Micaela Fischer, MPC Revision Project Manager, explores the most comprehensive reexamination of the ABA’s Model Procurement Code since its original publication in 1979. The article outlines how the ABA Section of Public Contract Law, NASPO, and Partners for Public Good are collaborating to thoughtfully update the Code to reflect today’s digital, risk-conscious, and innovation-driven procurement environment. Highlighting emerging themes—including the tension between bureaucratic discretion and legal prescription and the challenge of translating procurement “pain points” into meaningful legal reform—the piece offers a behind-the-scenes look at the drafting process. The result is a forward-looking effort to preserve the MPC’s core goals of fairness, competition, transparency, and value, while equipping public procurement professionals for a rapidly evolving public sector.