While prior research has long identified the centrality of critical supply acquisition to the government’s response to a crisis, there is less understanding of how to secure critical supplies that depend on global supply chains. The acquisition of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the immediate aftermath of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak (COVID-19) proved challenging not only due to threats of contractor deception, but also due to disruptions in contractor supply chains. This research analyzes primary interview data with contracting officials involved in purchasing PPE in the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis. The results indicate the ways that contractor relationships were perceived useful in anticipating risks surrounding a contractor’s behavior (behavioral uncertainties), but insufficient in anticipating disruptions that can result from a contractor’s supply chains (environmental uncertainties). Contractor relations were perceived to help in predicting industry disruptions, but such relations were likely to be formed alongside transactional and short-term contract designs – and likely to require comparison with other data sources. The results indicate that improving the reliability of critical supply acquisition for future crises is likely to depend on developing expertise unique to contracting markets, especially as the U.S. government increasingly relies on global supply chains in critical supply acquisition.

中文翻译：

---

应对关键物资采购中的环境不确定性：COVID-19 后个人防护装备 (PPE) 合同审查

尽管先前的研究早已确定关键供应采购对于政府应对危机的核心作用，但对如何确保依赖全球供应链的关键供应的了解较少。事实证明，2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 爆发后立即采购个人防护装备 (PPE) 具有挑战性，不仅因为承包商欺骗的威胁，还因为承包商供应链的中断。本研究分析了在 COVID-19 危机早期阶段参与采购 PPE 的合同官员的主要访谈数据。结果表明，承包商关系被认为有助于预测承包商行为的风险（行为不确定性），但不足以预测承包商供应链可能造成的中断（环境不确定性）。承包商关系被认为有助于预测行业颠覆，但这种关系可能是与交易和短期合同设计一起形成的，并且可能需要与其他数据源进行比较。结果表明，提高未来危机关键供应采购的可靠性可能取决于开发承包市场特有的专业知识，特别是在美国政府在关键供应采购方面越来越依赖全球供应链的情况下。但这种关系可能是与交易和短期合同设计一起形成的，并且可能需要与其他数据源进行比较。结果表明，提高未来危机关键供应采购的可靠性可能取决于开发承包市场特有的专业知识，特别是在美国政府在关键供应采购方面越来越依赖全球供应链的情况下。但这种关系可能是与交易和短期合同设计一起形成的，并且可能需要与其他数据源进行比较。结果表明，提高未来危机关键供应采购的可靠性可能取决于开发承包市场特有的专业知识，特别是在美国政府在关键供应采购方面越来越依赖全球供应链的情况下。