Erika Dickson

Win strategies and themes provide the customer with a reason to select you. If you do not communicate them to your writers, the proposal will not be written to substantiate them. You should distribute a copy of your win strategies and themes that you want your writers to substantiate. You can use this form to help identify them. You should prepare a list of theme statements before the RFP is released so that your plans reflect your win strategies. Once the proposal is released, you should prepare a new list to allocate your theme statements to the RFP and proposal outline and see whether you have any gaps (both in themes and in win strategies). Having this list will make planning your content easier, because when you need to insert your themes you will already know what they are. You can approach writing theme statements from several different directions. By the proposal outline so that your theme statements provide full coverage of the RFP, are related to each other, and establish a hierarchy from the highest level to the lowest level. By the topic so that your theme statements address what matters. See “Topics for Themes” for suggestions. By the RFP so that your theme statements can be scored and reflect the customer’s requirements and evaluation criteria. By competitor or type of competitor so that you can articulate why they should pick you instead of them.

It takes more than just good wording for themes to be effective. Do they add up to a winning evaluation score? For your proposal to win, it must achieve the winning score. Your themes should not only be scoreable, but should achieve a winning score. They should reflect the wording of the evaluation criteria and should reflect what it takes to get a winning score instead of an unsubstantiated statement about being the best solution for the customer’s needs. Do they reflect your competitive advantages? You should never seek to bid on a level playing field. Bidding with a competitive advantage is the secret to consistently winning. Do your themes demonstrate that you have a competitive advantage? Are they written from the customer’s point of view? Nobody likes to hear a salesperson talk about themselves. Instead of describing your company or even your offering, your theme statements should describe what the customer will get, what the result will be, or how they will benefit from what you are proposing. Are they substantiated? Due to the need to keep them short, theme statements may not substantiate their claims. But the proposal text that follows should. You want the customer to understand why they should select you simply by reading your theme statements. But you want them to immediately see, without having to look very hard, that your proposal backs up your claims. Do they give the customer a reason to select you over all of your potential competitors? It’s not enough to have reasons why the customer should select you. The customer must have reasons to select you over your competitors. Your theme statements should make it clear why you are a better choice.

Attributes of good themes: Does it reflect a result or benefit to the customer instead of an attribute of your offering? Does it matter? Is it believable? Does it address what the customer wants? Does it discriminate you from your competition? Does it reflect the conclusion you want the reader to reach? Can it be scored? Bad Themes: Do not pass the “So what?” test Matter to the writer, but not to the evaluator Are impossible or not true except in the most legalistic ways Are true for everybody bidding or are universally true Are not credible Do not relate to the evaluation criteria Are simply tacked on at the end instead of an integrated part of your story

The following list of potential themes is intended to provide inspiration. Each theme below is followed by an example. However, details and substantiation are what separate an empty claim from a persuasive statement. Use the words below for inspiration, but make sure you include the specifics of their environment and your solution and how it will benefit your customer so that your themes will really stand out. The following list provides 101 Win Themes for Every Occasion: What customers want Small, nimble. Because we are small, we are more nimble and better able to adapt to your changing environment. Innovative. Our approach ensures the constant consideration of innovative solutions. Not distracted by mergers and acquisitions. Because we are privately owned, we are not distracted by the mergers and acquisitions that limit our competitors’ responsiveness. Efficiency. Our approach reduces lifecycle Risk costs because it is more efficient. Responsive. Our issue tracking system will enable us to respond quickly to your requests and ensure that none of them “fall through the cracks.” Lower cost. By taking advantage of technology, we can meet the production schedule using less staff and lower the total project cost. Reliability. Our proven reliability means that you can count on us to deliver continuity of operations no matter what the circumstances. Seamless. Our solution will integrate into your technical environment seamlessly. Exceeds the requirement. We exceed the minimum requirements of the RFP in several significant ways. Best value. Our solution balances up-front investment against long-term operating costs to achieve the best Sustainability. By minimizing maintenance and resource requirements, our solution will be sustainable in the field. Scalability. The scalability inherent in our approach will enable us to respond to peaks and valleys in the workload. Meet or exceed performance standards/SLA. Our approach meets or exceeds all required performance standards. Positive return on investment. By approaching project costs as investments, we not only deliver the best return on investment, but we can quantify that return for our customers. Quick return on investment. Our approach emphasizes a rapid return on investment to minimize the financial risk to the customer. Builds a foundation for the future. Our platform not only meets the current requirements, but it puts in place a foundation that you will be able to capitalize on in the future. Trust Award winning. The industry awards we have received recognize the quality of our offering. Financially sound. We are financially sound and our access to ample credit ensures our ability to support this project with any resources required. Can offer financing. Our financial strength enables us to offer attractive credit terms to our customers. Audited. Our financial strength is demonstrated by a series of external audits without qualification going back many years. Licensed/Bonded. Because we are fully licensed and bonded, you can trust us to perform. Licensing terms. Our licensing terms offer you several advantages over those of our competition. Faster Performance. Our approach improves performance by increasing the speed of the process. Implementation. Our approach will produce benefits for you faster by completing the implementation sooner. Transition. Because our resources are immediately available, we can accomplish the transition faster. Transition Themes Retain institutional knowledge. We will maintain critical institutional knowledge by retaining the incumbent staffing. No disruption. Because our staff is already trained and in place, we can complete the project start-up without any disruption to our client. Ready on Day 1. We will be ready on Day 1 of the contract to provide service and meet all performance standards. Positioning Best combination. We offer the best combination of experience and innovation. Mission support. Our experience enables us to focus on helping you achieve your mission and not just on meeting contractual requirements. Most realistic. Our staffing, schedules, estimates, and pricing all reflect a realistic approach that you can count on. Organization Clear lines of communication. Our emphasis on clear lines of communication ensures responsiveness. Well defined roles and responsibilities. Our management approach reflects well defined roles and responsibilities which deliver maximum efficiency while ensuring that all critical functions are fully covered. Flattened organization. By keeping our organization flat, we keep decision making as close as possible to the project. Direct access to executives. Our executives are always available via telephone or in person to address project needs. Rapid problem escalation. Our management approach formally addresses problem escalation to ensure that issues are promptly and thoroughly resolved. Mitigated. Our approach mitigates project risks. Identified. Our approach formally identifies and tracks project risks to ensure that trade-offs and decisions are made in an informed manner. Shared. Our approach shares risk so that all parties have an incentive to participate in mitigating the risks. Anticipated. Our experience enables us to anticipate risks and prevent negative outcomes. Demonstrated/proven Capability. Our capability to deliver the services you need is proven through past performance. History. We bring a proven history of delivering on time and within budget. Track record. We bring a proven track record that demonstrates our quality. Experience This customer. Our experience in your environment will enable us to provide better service. Location. Our experience with this location will enable us to recruit and deploy resources far more efficiently. Technology. Our experience with this delicate technology will enable us to avoid the potential problems. Our business/teaming partners. Our prior relationship with our business partners ensures that we can work together to meet your needs. Management. Because our management is experienced, they will understand your needs and be able to anticipate problems. Alignment with their: Plans. Our approach to this project aligns with your plans for the future. Mission. Our approach aligns with your mission. Goals. Our schedule aligns with your goals for this project. Staffing Already named/hired. All of the staff we propose to use are already hired and are named in our proposal. In place/ready to start. All of the staff we propose are in place and ready to start immediately. Qualified/trained/certified. Our staff are fully qualified, trained, and certified. Incentivized staff. Our staff are incentivized to meet project goals. Client review. We review all major staffing decisions with you. Security Physical security. We will provide the critical physical security you need for your staff and facility to remain safe. Information assurance. Our approach addresses information assurance and the security of your IT infrastructure. Fault-tolerant. Because our proposed system is fault-tolerant, it will remain operational even if a part fails. Continuity of operations. Our approach will deliver continuity of operations, even if a disaster should occur. Safety. By focusing on safety, our approach avoids unexpected delays, and costs. Quality Independence. Our quality manager operates independently, and does not report to the project manager. ISO/CMM. Because our management and quality processes are ISO certified, they can be relied upon. Assessment/Surveillance. Our approach to overseeing quality includes tracking performance metrics and sampling. Testing and validation. Our emphasis on testing and validation ensures you of a reliable system. Audit trails. Our approach provides a clear audit trail to help clarify the circumstances should a problem occur. Feedback. Our approach seeks out and incorporates your feedback to ensure you have a voice in how the project unfolds. Lessons learned. By documenting and incorporating lessons learned, we ensure that valuable experience is retained. Continuous improvement. Our approach includes specific action items designed to achieve continuous improvement. Metrics and measurements. By capturing metrics and measurements data, we create a repository of performance data with multiple benefits for our customer. Change management. Our process for change management is careful and controlled to ensure that new versions do not introduce new problems. Partnership The customer will be included and involved. We form a partnership with our customers that ensures their participation and keeps them in the loop with regards to project events. We will shift the burden from the customer to us. Our approach enables you to shift effort to us so that you can focus on other goals. Methodologies Formal. Because we follow formal methodologies, our performance is more reliable. Documented. We will not waste your time inventing new procedures because ours already exist and are fully documented. Repeatable. Because our procedures are documented and repeatable, they are followed consistently. Certified. Because our methodologies are certified, they are more reliable. Platforms Off-the-shelf. Our approach lowers cost by using off-the-shelf components. Proprietary. Our in-house proprietary software provides advanced decision support. Open. Our use of open solutions is more reliable and cost effective than approaches that depend on proprietary platforms. Standards-based/compliant. Our approach is fully compliant with applicable standards. Training Already trained. Because our staff are already trained, they will face no learning curve, and will be able to get to work immediately. Ongoing. Our approach to training is ongoing and not just occasionally offered. Technology refresh. Our approach to training ensures that our staff remain current with changes in technology. Client staff. Client staff will be invited to participate in our training sessions. Support Ongoing. Our support will be ongoing, available for the life of the project. Quick. Our approach to support emphasizes quick response. Thorough. Our support managers will ensure that all issues are thoroughly resolved. Capacity. Our approach to providing support ensures that we have the capacity to respond to all requests. Self-service. We will make our support resources available to those who want to help themselves without going through the help desk. On-site/off-site. Our approach addresses the need for support to be provided onsite. Issue tracking. We fully track all requests for support in order to measure responsiveness and ensure thorough resolution. Abundance of Resources. We have an abundance of resources available to support this project. Experience. Our abundance of experience in this area ensures our ability to deliver managers and staff who understand your needs. Staff. The size of our staffing pool ensures that we can quickly fill any open positions on this project. Skills/knowledge/ability. Our experience gives us an abundance of relevant skills and knowledge for this project. Plans Detailed/Comprehensive. Our detailed and comprehensive plans ensure our readiness. Flexible. Our plans are flexible and able to adapt. All contingencies addressed. By explicitly addressing potential contingencies, we ensure our ability to respond quickly. Environmental issues Reduced waste. Our approach reduces the amount of waste and improves efficiency. Use of recycled materials. Our approach is more environmentally friendly because we make heavy use of recycled materials.

Themes come from many sources, all of which depend on having the right information. These include what you know about: The opportunity The customer The competitive environment Yourself and your offering The RFP The following table can help point you in the right direction to identify themes for your proposal: Source Consider Topics Like: Opportunity Intelligence What are their real goals for the procurement? What is the real scope? What is the potential for project growth/shrinkage? What are the risks? What unwritten requirements do they have? Customer Intelligence How well does the customer understand their needs? What are their preferences? What is their tolerance for risk? Competitive Intelligence How should you position against the competition? What are your strengths/weaknesses? Yourself What are the results, benefits, and strengths of your offering? How will the customer benefit from your company’s strengths? The RFP How well do you fulfill the qualifications and requirements? How do you exceed the RFP’s requirements? What should you emphasize/deemphasize? How should you position yourself against the evaluation criteria?

Proposal themes are how you implement your win strategies in writing. They articulate the reasons why the evaluation should select you. In your final proposal, themes can take many forms. They can be headings and subheadings, go in text boxes, be part of the text, or be captions for graphics. In a sense, the entire proposal can be thought of as one big theme statement. How you present them is determined by the design of your proposal template. In order to be effective, your themes must be substantiated. Your proposal should be built around its themes. You should not write the proposal and then try to add themes. The MustWin Process guides you through collecting the intelligence to determine what it will take to win, put it in writing, and use it as criteria to measure the proposal against. This will put you into position, with the information you need, to prepare your theme statements. If you do not know your themes or will be developing your theme statements collaboratively, then insert place holders in your Content Plan and use these topics to help the team at the appropriate time.

Tracking team member data If you are bidding as a team or have subcontractors, you need to track the flow of documents and information. This table identifies many of the most common items that need to be tracked. Make a copy for each team member or subcontractor. Item Due Date(s) Notes Non-disclosure agreement Teaming agreement Resource requirements/ contributions Questions regarding the RFP Logo Corporate description Contact list Project Descriptions Resumes Writing assignments Review participation Pricing Certifications/ Representations Others

The goal of the Competitive Assessment in the MustWin Process is to capture the information needed to write the proposal. In the proposal you will need to describe the role of teaming partners and the benefits to the customer for having them. You will also need to position your company and offering against those of your competitors. The proposal must articulate the reasons why the customer should select you, as opposed to any of your competitors. Use this table to collect the information needed to articulate those messages. Company Strengths/Reasons for Teaming Weaknesses/Issues Status of Relationship/ Paperwork Action Items

The Proposal Manager is responsible for tasking people with proposal assignments and tracking them through to fulfillment. The Proposal Manager makes the assignments. The Capture Manager is responsible for making sure there are enough resources available to complete the assignments. Proposal assignments can take different forms. Develop the approach that will be proposed. Develop the content plan or other supporting documents. Write an RFP compliance response. Write to convert the Content Plan into proposal narrative. Prepare ready-to-submit proposal copy. Add something to a response. Support the production, by transforming the proposal content into its final form for submission. Review a section of the proposal to validate one or more items from the Validation Plan. Perform action items related to developing, producing, or submitting the proposal. The Proposal Manager must make the expectations for each assignment clear. This includes providing the deadline and describing any processes or steps required. Proposal assignment planning often starts early as part of budgeting and forecasting efforts. Specific assignments are usually based on the proposal outline. As the development of the proposal progresses, the Proposal Manager should update assignments and reset expectations as needed.

Creating and implementing the proposal schedule: The Proposal Manager is in charge of creating and implementing the proposal schedule. The Capture Manager is responsible for identifying the resources required. You can present your proposal schedule using whatever format (calendar, gantt chart, PowerPoint, etc.) you prefer. But first you need to determine what should go on your schedule. Within the MustWin Process we designate several plans, including Logistics and Production, Quality, and Content. We also include a Collaboration and Coordination Plan for departments that will contribute to the proposal, such as Human Resources, Accounting/Finance, Supply Chain, etc. These plans are where you determine things like review dates, contribution deadlines, etc. For each of these plans, we recommend having a validation review to ensure the plans are sufficient. You can create the shell for your schedule, but you need to complete and validate these plans to complete the detailed schedule. Task/Milestone Date/Time Bid/No Bid Meeting Kickoff Meeting Bidders Conference/Site Visit (if any) Review to Validate Proposal Logistics and Production Plan Dates to Implement Proposal Logistics and Production Plan Review to Validate Proposal Collaboration and Coordination Plans (HR, Pricing, Supply Chain, etc.) Dates to Implement Proposal Collaboration and Coordination Plans (HR, Pricing, Supply Chain, etc.) Review to Validate Proposal Quality Plan Dates to Implement Proposal Quality Plan Review to Validate Compliance Matrix Review to Validate Proposal Content Plan Progress Reviews Completion of First Draft Completion of Revisions Submission Approval Submission Anticipated Award Estimated Project Start

The purpose of proposal planning is to enable you to get it right the first time and to validate that you have prepared the right proposal. While the Proposal Manager is responsible for proposal planning, it is a good idea for those impacted to also read and understand the parts of the process those plans are based on. Proposal planning forces you to make decisions and think things through before you write, instead of writing and then re-writing until you figure it out. Plan before you write. Your plans should include: A Compliance Matrix Content Plan Assignments Schedule Teaming Plan Production Plan Write to the plan. Validate what you wrote against the plan. You should be prepared in advance so that you can complete these plans within days of RFP release.

This invitation is provided to expedite your preparations. You do not have to use it if something else will serve your needs better. We are planning to hold a kickoff meeting for the [Name] proposal at [Date and Time]. The meeting will be held at [Location]. Everyone who may be impacted by the proposal effort is invited to attend. We have been preparing for the release of this RFP for some time. The purpose of this meeting will be to bring everyone up to date on the status of our preparations and to set expectations regarding what help we are going to need and what processes we are going to follow to complete the proposal. If you will be unable to attend or need directions, please call [Contact].

You should anticipate what you need to have, distribute, or present at the meeting so you will be ready. Things to do before the meeting: Create proposal directories/workspaces Initialize the directories with templates and/or other files Distribute the RFP Prepare any training materials or other handouts Invite attendees Things to bring to the meeting: Extra copies of the RFP Draft proposal plans including: Schedule Assignments Compliance matrix/outline Budget/charge numbers Production Plan Quality Validation Plan Templates Section Past Performance Resumes Instructions File access Procedures Configuration Management

Your kickoff meeting agenda depends on your goals Some kickoff meetings are held to announce the implementation of existing plans and some are held to announce the start of the planning efforts. The Proposal Manager should make sure that the agenda matches the goals you wish to accomplish at the kickoff meeting. The following items should be considered for the Kickoff Meeting Agenda: Introduce the opportunity Introduce the team members Review the draft schedule Coordinate contracts/pricing efforts Request project references from team members Identify project staffing Request resumes Request data (staffing, SOW coverage, etc.) Identify core authors Identify outline reviewers Identify reviewers Identify writing assignments Request RFP related questions Update resource requirements Update proposal contact list Request corporate background information from each team member Request logos from each team member

Kickoff meetings can help get everyone on the same page, with the same set of expectations The Proposal Manager should determine the schedule, agenda, and goals for the kickoff meeting. The Proposal Manager should coordinate with the Capture Manager, Executive Sponsor, and other key stakeholders prior to the meeting, and then lead the meeting when it is time. Kickoff meetings are held to announce the start of the proposal. At the kickoff meeting you may: Announce that you are starting to prepare your plans. Present your plans if they are complete. The best approach is often to bring draft plans to review and finalize at the kickoff meeting. All stakeholders, including subcontractors, should be present. It is a good idea to get everyone involved in the proposal together face to face at least once. The following pages provide guidance so that your kickoff meeting can be as productive as possible. Make sure that there is value to the attendees in making time for and coming to the meeting. If you are going to have one, at least make it worthwhile. Attendance should be mandatory.

Be prepared to act quickly when an amendment is released You should check in with the customer frequently so that you anticipate any amendments and aren’t surprised by them. The Proposal Manager should lead the effort to assess the impact of the Amendment and make any changes necessary to accommodate it. Have you distributed the Amendment to the same people you originally distributed the RFP to, plus any new stakeholders? Is there an extension? Are there answers to questions? Did your questions get answered? Are there replacement pages for the RFP? Did you do a document comparison to identify all changes to the RFP Did any of the changes or answers provoke new questions that should be submitted? Should any of the changes or answers cause you to reconsider your decision to bid? How do the answers to the questions impact the proposal? Did the outline or cross-reference matrix change? Do any of your approaches or bid strategies need to change? How should assignments and the schedule be modified to incorporate the changes? Do not forget to include a statement in your proposal (typically in the transmittal letter or business volume, depending on the instructions in Section L) acknowledging your receipt of the Amendment.

Your questions should be carefully prepared to ensure there is no misunderstanding The Proposal Manager should collect questions, edit their wording to improve the chances of getting a precise answer, and review the list with the Capture Manager to determine which ones to submit to the customer. Check the RFP to see if there is a deadline for when questions must be submitted by. Submit Questions Via: Email Telephone Fax Letter Submit Questions To (Name, Contact Information): Date Questions Are Due: Submission Assigned To: Questions:

You can’t make a final Bid/No Bid decision before you see what is in the RFP. You can “no bid” with certainty at any time, but you can’t make a final decision in favor of bidding until you see what is in the RFP. The investment required to pursue will go way up once the proposal effort starts, so you should reexamine whether the pursuit is worth it. The clock is ticking… the time spent deciding takes time away from preparing to win. After the RFP is released it is time to reconsider whether to bid (again). Prior to the RFP you may have tentatively decided to bid, but once you see what’s in the RFP you may need to reconsider. In any event, it’s a good idea to take a minute before starting the expensive proposal effort to consider whether it is worth it to continue. It is important to be decisive. If the bid decisions at your company are made by committee, then convene it early and make sure the decision is stated clearly. Often when there are problems with a bid, instead of taking the bold decision to either bid or not bid, companies will deliberate. And deliberate. And deliberate. Sometimes the bid will even start without a clear decision to bid. Or not to bid. Rather than take off like a runner at the starting blocks, this type of proposal limps along. Immediately upon RFP release, you should provide a set number of days to read the RFP and reach a firm decision. You can always no bid later. But you can’t wait to get started. What do you need to change or do to finalize your proposal plans?

Here is a list of things to consider and actions to take as soon as the RFP is released: ❏ What is the method for submitting questions, and when are they due? ❏ When is the proposal due, when is award anticipated, when is the project start anticipated? ❏ What has changed since the release of the draft RFP (if any)? ❏ Did the customer act on your suggested changes? ❏ Is there anything in the RFP that might prevent you from bidding? ❏ Does the RFP provide all of the information you need to bid? ❏ Do you have questions about any of the RFP requirements? ❏ Are there any RFP requirements that you would like to see changed? ❏ Does anything in the RFP require you to change your teaming plans? ❏ Is there anything you can still do to influence the scope of work, performance specifications, evaluation criteria, or other aspects of the RFP? ❏ Is an updated bidders list available? ❏ Have you distributed the RFP to all proposal stakeholders? ❏ When will you have a formal bid/no-bid review? ❏ When will you hold the kickoff meeting? ❏ What do you need to change or do to finalize your proposal plans?

The Proposal Manager should finalize this list before the RFP is released so that he or she can immediately distribute the RFP as soon as it is available and not overlook anyone. Capture Manager: Executive Sponsor: Proposal Manager: Project Manager: Contracts Manager: Subcontracts Manager: Pricing Manager: Staffing/Recruiting Manager: Proposal Writers Technical: Management Plan: Past Performance: Resumes: Others:

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Anticipating key dates for this pursuit: The Business Development Manager should complete the table to provide a quick reference and facilitate planning for future events. Event/Milestone Date/Time Site Visit/Bidders Conference: Sources Sought Release: Sources Sought Response Due: Draft RFP Release: Draft RFP Response Due: Anticipated RFP Release: RFP Questions Due: Past Performance Survey Due: Proposal Due: Evaluation Notices/BAFO Anticipated: Anticipated Award: Contract Start Date

Readiness Reviews are where the measuring of progress takes place. Without them, progress is uncertain, and you will probably find yourself unprepared at RFP release. The Executive Sponsor is responsible for performing the Readiness Reviews. The goal of the Readiness Reviews is to track progress towards being ready for RFP release. In performing the reviews, you should do more than simply assess any deficiencies. Wherever possible, you should identify the action items needed to improve, provide guidance, and help people get to green (and therefore in a better position to win). Intelligence gathering is as much an art as it is a science. While you can never collect enough intelligence, and usually will not have as much as you would like to have, you still need to measure progress in order to ensure that you are prepared when the RFP is released. The Executive Sponsor conducting the review makes a subjective determination whether the progress at each review is sufficient. For each goal during the review, the Executive Sponsor assesses each item using a “Red, Yellow, Green” scale (with Red meaning “insufficient to win” and Green meaning “sufficient to win”) at that point in time. A review of the intelligence gathered at the first review might be green since very little time has passed, but if more intelligence is not collected by the next review it could slip to yellow or even red. Compare the current review status to previous reviews to identify any trends and help keep the pursuit on track. What is “sufficient” at a given point in time is subjective. The Executive Sponsor should base the determination on whether the pursuit is on track towards accomplishing everything necessary to be prepared for RFP release and to ultimately win the bid. If the pursuit is behind where it should be, the Executive Sponsor should downgrade the score accordingly to identify where to target for improvement before the next review.

The MustWin Process defines specific goals to be achieved prior to RFP release, so that when the proposal starts you will already have a competitive advantage. The Business Development Manager prepares for the Readiness Reviews by collecting intelligence. The Executive Sponsor will be expected to review the intelligence collected and determine whether it is sufficient. You must have specific goals that you seek to accomplish before the RFP is released. Otherwise, the time will likely be wasted. Here is a list of goals recommended by the MustWin Process: Collect intelligence about the customer, opportunity, and competition so that you will know what it will take to win Track measurable progress towards collecting that intelligence throughout the pursuit of the opportunity Grow the customer relationship Develop your win strategies and position your company to win Lay the foundation for any teaming with other companies that may be necessary to win the opportunity Identify all of the internal resources that may be able to contribute to the proposal effort Prepare for an accelerated start to the proposal Prepare people to fulfill their roles in supporting the proposal Begin to set expectations for all stakeholders The Readiness Review process provides an approach for ensuring that your goals are accomplished.

Keep in mind: We define roles functionally. A person can play more than one role. Since the roles cover functional needs, they all must be covered. While this chart gives you a simple to understand goal for each role, it does not cover everything required from each role. A chart like this may be the start of expectation management, but it's far from the end. Expectation management is key. Role Description Executive Sponsor Sets standards regarding quality and process integrity and provides the resources needed to win. Typically has profit/loss responsibility and budget authority over the pursuit. Plays a key role in the validation of the proposal. Business Development Manager Identifies and qualifies leads and collects intelligence. May pursue multiple leads simultaneously. Directly interacts with the customer and is responsible for establishing and maintaining the customer relationship. Responsible for collecting the intelligence necessary to qualify and win the lead. Hands the pursuit off to a Capture Manager once one is assigned. Capture Manager Responsible for winning the pursuit. Makes the decisions and obtains the resources necessary to win. Dedicated to winning a specific opportunity (whereas the Business Development Manager is responsible for identifying all possible opportunities). Directly interacts with the customer. Makes decisions on behalf of the business unit regarding bid strategies, technical approaches, teaming, pricing, and staffing. Partners with the Proposal Manager who is responsible for developing the proposal document. Also responsible for identifying resources required for the proposal. Proposal Manager Leads the creation of the proposal document. Responsible for tasking and coordinating assignments related to developing the proposal. Works with the Capture Manager for input regarding what is to be proposed and resources to contribute to the proposal. Defines and implements the proposal process. Process Administrator Prepares process related documentation and coordinates activity. Enables the Capture Manager and Proposal Manager to focus on developing the message while ensuring that the process is properly executed. Production Manager Provides a single point of contact and oversight for document production and assembly. Writers Create finished proposal text. Responsible for incorporating the proposed approaches, complying with all RFP requirements, implementing win strategies, and incorporating intelligence regarding the customer, opportunity, and competitive environment. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) Provide the knowledge needed for an effective proposal. While not usually responsible for finished copy, SMEs are responsible for providing the specialized knowledge required to describe the proposed solution and provide compliant responses to all RFP requirements. At the Proposal Manager’s direction, may participate via interview instead of written content. Graphics/Illustrator Provides the skills needed to render graphics. Generally not responsible for conceiving of graphics, although may provide some assistance. Contracts/Legal Provides review and assistance with the contractual elements of the proposal and teaming relationships. Pricing Provides assistance with developing the pricing and preparing the pricing proposal. Reviewers Review elements of the proposal per the Validation Plan. Production Staff Provides specialized expertise to enhance the proposal document. Responsible for presentation, formatting, and production. Also responsible for tracking and process administration.