Rfp Proposal Process Primer Asi

RFP & Proposal Primer

V5.0

Aspiration Software Proprietary

Contents1. Purpose

2. The RFP

a) Why and how

b) Process

c) Components

3. The Proposal

a) Phases

b) Typical Volumes

c) Proposal Development

d) Color Teams

e) Storyboarding

4. Nuts and Bolts

a) Things to consider

b) Source Selection

c) Scoring

d) Evaluation

e) Technical & Management Approach

f) Discriminators

g) Past Performance

h) Risk Management

i) Features & Benefits

j) Action Captions

k) Factoids

l) Things you can do


PurposeGovernment

Requirements

1. Understand the RFP process

Aspiration Response

2. Understand typical proposal processes


RFP – Why and How (Gov’t & Aspiration)


Problem or NeedProblem or Need

BudgetBudget

State the Problem:RFP

State the Problem:RFP

Announce it:CBD

Announce it:CBD

Discuss it:DRFP

ConferencesIndustry Day

Discuss it:DRFP

ConferencesIndustry Day

Gather information:RFQRFI

Capability Statements

Gather information:RFQRFI

Capability Statements

Response:Proposal

OralsDemo

Response:Proposal

OralsDemo

Evaluate Response:SSA/SSET

Evaluate Response:SSA/SSET

Negotiate:BAFOs

Negotiate:BAFOs

AwardAward

RFP Preparation Process (Government)


Section A: Solicitation/Contract form

Section B: Supplies/Services & Prices

Section C: Statement of Work information

Section D: Packing and Marking

Section E: Inspection and acceptance

Section F: Deliveries or performance

Section G: Contract administration data

Section H: Special contract requirements

Section I: Contract clauses

Section J: Contract Data Req. Lists (CDRLs)

Section K: Reps, Certs, Other Statements

Section L: Proposal preparation instructions

Section M: Evaluation criteria

Section A: Solicitation/Contract form

Section B: Supplies/Services & Prices

Section C: Statement of Work information

Section D: Packing and Marking

Section E: Inspection and acceptance

Section F: Deliveries or performance

Section G: Contract administration data

Section H: Special contract requirements

Section I: Contract clauses

Section J: Contract Data Req. Lists (CDRLs)

Section K: Reps, Certs, Other Statements

Section L: Proposal preparation instructions

Section M: Evaluation criteria

ProblemProblem NeedNeed

RequirementsRequirements BudgetBudget

SOW - Sec. CSOW - Sec. C SOW - Sec. CSOW - Sec. C

CDRL - Sec. JCDRL - Sec. J

Purchase RequestPurchase Request

ProcurementProcurement

Sections L & MSections L & M

Prepare & Issue RFPPrepare & Issue RFP

Technical Personnel

PCO

Sample RFP(Hardcopy)

CommonRFP

Components


Attachments:A. H/WB. S/WC. QualityD. PBSC




RFPRFP



CDRLsContract Data Requirements List

CDRLsContract Data Requirements List

Instructions to Offerors(Section L)

Instructions to Offerors(Section L)

Evaluation Criteria

(Section M)

Evaluation Criteria

(Section M)

StatementOf

Work(Section C)

StatementOf

Work(Section C)

Deliveries or Performance(Section F)

Deliveries or Performance(Section F)

SpecialContract

Req’s(Section H)

SpecialContract

Req’s(Section H)

Sample CDRLs

Major RFP/Proposal Activities (Gov’t & Aspiration)

1. Draft RFP

2. Revise RFP

3. Release RFP

4. Questions

5. Submit proposal (“Bid to win……)

6. Orals

7. BAFO

8. Contract award (…manage to recover”)


Major Phases (Aspiration)


PhaseUpper ManagementBusiness DevelopmentProgram & Tech. MgmtCapture ManagerProposal ManagerVolume LeadersWriters/Estimators

Long-TermPositioning Opportunity

AssessmentCore TeamPreparation Pre-RFP

Teamwork ProposalDevel.

PostSubmittalActivity

1. Long-Term Positioning: Putting us in a favored position - ID customers whose needs match our goals

2. Opportunity Assessment: Gathering and analyzing market information about who, what, how much - white papers

3. Core Team Preparation: Gathering program information, proposal outline, WBS, ID prop team, schedule

4. Pre-RFP Teamwork: Draft RFP response, mockup of proposal, strawman text, pink team

5. Proposal Development: Pre proposal conference, strategy, schedule, compliance, WBS, cost data, red team

6. Post Submittal: Errors, Omissions, Clarifications (EOC)s, BAFO, orals, debrief

Strategic Tactical

Positioning & Assessment (Aspiration)

1. Understand customer needsa) Strategic plans

b) Customer plans

c) Vision

d) Goals

2. Determine fit

3. Build customer relationships

4. Shape customer requirements

5. Build strategy


Strategic Strategic

Team preparation (Aspiration)

1. Form and train team

2. Develop capture plan

3. Develop competitive solution

4. Initiate teaming

5. Identify win strategy


Strategic Strategic

Pre-RFP (Aspiration)

1. Analyze draft RFP

2. Assess solutions against RFP

3. Complete teaming

4. Develop executive summary

5. Get past performance started

6. Gather resumes


Strategic Strategic

Sample Resume Matrix

Proposal Development (Aspiration)

1. Review final RFP

2. Finalize compliance matrix

3. Draft questions for clarifications

4. Storyboard production

5. Write draft volumes

6. Reviews


Tactical Tactical

Sample Compliance Matrix

Post Submittal (Aspiration)

1. Respond to Clarification Requests (CRs)

2. Respond to Evaluation Notices (ENs),

3. Orals

4. BAFOs

5. Debrief

6. Lessons learned


Tactical Tactical

Typical Proposal Volumes

Executive Summary - An Overview of the team & subcontractor arrangements. Summary of how SOW requirements will be met.

Prepared by Capture Manager and senior management

Management - Description of management approach, addressing performance, management, cost/schedule control, resources, subcontracting, and security.

Program Management and proposal experience. Knowledge of program and understanding of technical approach

Technical - Discussion on how the offeror plans to satisfy the requirements in the SOW.

Appropriate technical and proposal experience. In-depth knowledge of client environment and requirements.

Resume - Resumes of key technical and management personnel expected to provide significant contributions to the effort. Identifying relevant education and work experience, related to the RFP.

Experience in the development of resumes for proposals. Ability to develop compliant templates from RFP and coordination with all proposed staff

Past Performance Information - To determine technical and management acceptability, contractor provided evidence of similar scope to the RFP SOW

Experience with past performance development for proposals. Understanding of firm capabilities or where to acquire info. Ability to develop compliant templates and coordinate with PMs of other programs. Creation of Past Performance that directly demonstrates our ability to address SOW requirements

Cost Volume - Evaluated Cost and Cost Realism / Basis of Estimate. Experience in firm accounting policies and procedures. Experience in development of cost volumes for proposals. Detailed understanding of pricing methodologies and ability to coordinate timely with OST support staff

Security Volume – Pass/Fail Prepared by/ in conjunction with security staff (FSO).


Proposal Development (Aspiration)1. Assess positioning/Gold Team

2. Proposal Outline

3. Draft executive summary

4. Identify solutions/Blue teams

5. Proposal mockup/storyboards

6. Pink team

7. Draft questions

8. Compliance matrix

9. Executive summary

10. Pricing update/Green Team

11. Visuals

12. Red team

13. Revisions

14. Second Red/’Going Gold’

15. Proposal production

16. Orals

17. Win/Lose debrief


Sample Outline

Color Teams – Quick Glance (Aspiration)


GOLD

Business potential

Positioning in market strategy

Capture strategy

– Competitive Analysis

– Teaming and Subcontracting

– Marketing Plan

Cost(Price and Bid Strategy

Resources

Program risks

Dependencies

Schedules/milestones/review teams

BLUE

Assesses writing plan for compliance and responsiveness

– Compliance matrix and proposal outline

Outlines/Storyboards

– Theme development and key points

– Early development of graphics for incorporation in the proposal

Blue Team Review

– Preparedness of proposal team

RED / PINK

Red Team Review evaluates using the criteria used by the client

Scoring of the proposal’s compliance

– Proposal Preparation Instructions (PPI)

– Evaluation Criteria, Specification

– Statement of Work

Scoring of the proposal’s quality

– Overall quality and persuasiveness

– Clarity of solution

– Substantiation of approach

– Overall coherence and logical flow

GREEN

Cost Proposal kickoff meeting Green Team Review

– Outline and assignments - Compliance

– CWBS structure - Credibility

– Preparation schedule - Implementation of pricing strategies

– Pricing strategy - Consistency with the rest of the proposal

- Soundness and clarity of the estimating rationale

Pink Team/1st Draft Review (Aspiration)

1. Takes place between Blue and Red Team Reviews and is typically a review of the first written draft

2. Pink Team first draft review applies primarily to all the technical, management, past performance and executive summary portions of a proposal

a) Cost Volume is not typically included as part of the Pink/1st Draft Review but included as part of the 1st Green Team Review

3. Primary emphasis is on:

a) evolution of the story

b) compliance to RFP

c) Prominence of strategies and themes

d) overall coherence

e) logical flow


Story board/Mockup/Annotated Outline (Aspiration)

1. “Builds up” from requirements

2. Forces us to mirror RFP

3. Outline & ideas sentences

4. Graphics ideas

5. ID win themes

6. Select so what/how so?

7. Allows easy mgmt review (Pink team)

8. Makes the “writing” easy


Sample Storyboard

Issues (Aspiration)

1. What are the customer’s worry items / hot buttons?

2. What are key program requirements?

3. What are the areas of high risk?

4. What are areas where we can’t meet requirements?

5. What issues are not directly listed in the RFP?


Source Selection (Government)

1. Federal Acquisition Regulations

2. Source Selection Authority – SSA: Overall responsibility; makes decision

3. Source Selection Advisory Council – SSAC: Compares proposals; recommends

4. Source Selection Evaluation Board – SSEB: Evaluates proposals; forbidden by law to compare proposals; can only use information in the proposal

5. Performance Risk Analysis Group – PRAG: not always used; evaluates past performance


Scoring (Government)

1. Submitted proposal are usually evaluated in sections, usually by teams of evaluators(so each section must stand alone in compliance)

2. Scoring methodologies

a) Numerical (1-5, 1-100, etc.)

b) Color (Blue=Exceptional, Green=Acceptable, Yellow=Marginal, Red=Unacceptable)

c) Adjectival (Pass/Fail = usually for security; Outstanding, Excellent, Good…)

3. Evaluating Cost data

a) Cost realism

b) Cost reasonableness

c) Cost completeness

d) Cost control/schedule


Evaluation (Government)

1. Structure our response to make it easy to check off our proposal as compliant - everything is done with the evaluator in mind

2. Make it easy to evaluate

a) Use lists, tables and figures

b) Use proposal headings and structure that mirror the RFP language

c) Use simple, straight forward language

d) Don’t omit information because you think evaluators already know it

e) Make sections stand alone

f) Sell ideas using features/benefits; don’t oversell

g) Answer the RFP – don’t rewrite the requirements even if you know there’s a problem

h) Write backwards (conclusion first, supporting facts second)


Technical & Mgmt Approach (Aspiration)

1. Our solution and approach must be:a) Credible

b) Perceived as having low or acceptable risk

c) Understandable

d) Competitively priced

e) Claims are substantiated

f) Written for the Evaluators


Discriminators (Aspiration)

1. Separates Aspiration Software from competitiona) What makes us unique

b) “Shadow” or “Ghost” differences from leading competitor If competition has limited experience (but might be low cost) show our understanding of the problem: “Mission requirements demand a cadre of experienced, well-trained analysts.”

2. Find which ones are important to the client

3. Positive or Negative – Deal with issues directlya) Positive: Weave throughout tech & cost

b) Negative: Handled as managed, mitigated risk (show mitigation process and reduced risk as a result)


Past performance (Aspiration)

1. Describes same or similar work we’ve done

2. Provides report card feedback

3. Not always objective

4. Typical Requirements:

a) Questionnaire

b) Weighted

c) Names, numbers, duration, problems

d) Security incidents

5. Site visits (Gov’t)

6. Recent increased emphasis on past performance as a more significant factor (go / no go)


Risk Management (Aspiration)

1. Identify the risks

2. Assess (low, moderate, high)

3. Categorize - technical, schedule, cost

4. Determine causes

5. Develop mitigation approach

6. Implement strategic management approach

7. Weave process throughout the proposal (“Our deployment schedule is reviewed and managed by the Risk Mitigation Board…”)


Features & Benefits (Aspiration)

1. For every feature ask: “ So what?”a) No: “We will train our technicians”

b) Yes: “We have a continuous technician training and certification plan that ensures up-to-date skill competency”

2. For every benefit ask: “How so?”a) No: “Each technician will go to training.”

b) Yes: “We use a structured, 2-week cross training program, a monthly skills tracking assessment and 40 hours of CBT testing.”


Action Captions (Aspiration)

1. Studies show readers generally recall (after 3 days)

a) 10% of what they read

b) 70% of what they read and see

Figure 1.2-3: Action Caption

c) Good example: The Aspiration Team maps responsively to the Government Management team on this project

d) Poor example: “Our Organization Chart”


Proposal Factoids...

1. Require 3-12 copies, sometimes on CD, sometimes w/ hot-links

2. Trend is for more oral presentations w/ limited written data

3. Trend is for more emphasis on past performance

4. Production, quality control, etc. takes a long time - don’t wait until the end!

5. Usually defined number of pages, margins, font, etc.

6. Usually require specific number of resumes

7. Executive/Tech/Mgmt must be separate from Cost volume

8. Only cost volume can have cost data, but cost volume can also have some sales pitch


What you can do

1. Help build the Aspiration Software reputation

2. Gather data for hot buttons, issues

3. Listen for clues, who’s who?

4. Keep notes about “Keep in minds” for competition

5. Think about what we can do as part of the future of the client - and how we can shape it


Date post:	18-Oct-2014
Category:	Documents
View:	3,752 times
Download:	0 times

Rfp Proposal Process Primer Asi

Documents