By Michael Lisagor

 

Over the last eleven years, I've observed the acquisition and bidding habits of over 65 government contractors and agencies. Why, I wondered, do so many government procurements fail to result in the selection of the vendor best suited to perform the work? And, why do so many contractors continue to submit mediocre proposals?

 

So, here is my list of lessons learned for govenment contractors:

 

Contractors, make sure you perform the following activities:

- Develop and implement the necessary pre-RFP marketing and bid strategy.
- Perform a competitive assessment.
- Identify the client's needs and hot buttons.
- Employ an opportunity pursuit matrix and a bid decision matrix.
- Make sure you thoroughly analyze all sections of the RFP.
- Build a proposal schedule.
- Have an effective kick-off meeting.
- Build an request for proposal (RFP) requirements traceability matrix and include in the proposal to assist the gov't reviewers.
- Conduct a theming and discriminator session – why should the government select you?
- Substantiate your themes and claims.
- Prepare streamlined storyboards (or a detailed outline) with themes and major graphics before writing.
- Assign writing page number goals - otherwise engineers will write forever!
- Employ a proposal style guide.
- Include a discussion of risk and mitigation in your proposal.
- Make sure the resumes are compliant and include key RFP technical terminology.
- Highlight SOW experience in project summaries.
- Conduct thorough proposal reviews with the same reviewers in all reviews.

 

For a more detailed discussion of many of these lessons, get a copy of Winning and Managing Government Business or contact me at 206-780-4202 or lisagor@celerityworks.com.

 

Attend September 17 NCMA dinner in Bremerton, WA to hear Mike Lisagor expand on these topics.

 

Copyright 2009 Celerity Works