Proposals TCO 341
Types of Proposals
Deliverables
Basic Parts of an RFP Contract schedule General instructions to bidders Contract clauses Appendices
Contract Schedule Statement of work Period of performance Cost and fee Technical direction and management
General Instructions Representations and certifications Proposal preparation instructions Evaluation methods and procedures
Contract Clauses/Appendices “Boilerplate” requirements Reports of work
Proposal Contents Executive summary Introduction Management approach Technical approach Related experience/Staffing Business plan Compliance with RFP requirements Cost
Executive Summary Overview of proposal features Summary of key issues What else?
Introduction Understanding the customer’s requirements Forecasts proposal structure What else?
Management Approach Who’s in charge? Who’s accountable for getting the work done? Who’s on the team? What management techniques will be used? –work planning/assignment –project tracking/monitoring –cost control/reporting
Technical Approach What is the problem/need of the customer? What is your solution? Why is it better than the competitors? What are the advantages of your approach? What else?
Related Experience Track record of the company? Past experience of staff? What else?
Business Plan Schedules Financial management Facilities and equipment Health and safety Employee relations plan Security Quality assurance
Cost What will it cost to do the work? How was the cost calculated? Why is the cost realistic? List of deliverables
Proposal Evaluators
Writing for the Evaluators Lots of illustrations Captions with marketing message Executive summary Top-down writing telling how? what? why? whom? Active voice ConciseFormat
Why Bidders Lose Lack of understanding of requirements Technically unacceptable Non-compliance with bid requirements Lack of clear management approach Cost
Fatal Diseases (J. LaFlash) Motion sickness SenilityObesityAmnesiaNarcissism Anxiety neurosis NeglectConstipation
Summary Who?What?Where?Why?When? How much?