4.0 Proposal quality training topics

Over the years we have turned some of the most important content on PropLIBRARY into training materials. Only instead of combining all that content into lengthy courses, we’ve kept them modular so that we can mix and match as necessary to solve your particular challenges. For full coverage, you can combine topics and make a nice, long, comprehensive course. To quickly address a challenge you face, you could choose a single topic and focus like a laser on it. Or you could pick something in between. You decide.

For more information on how our mix and match course topics work and registration, click here.

Below is a list of topics related to the proposal process that you can use to build your process or improve an existing one. You can mix and match these with other course topics to solve the specific challenges that you are facing. You can write down the topic number and heading if you want to remember your picks and send them to us or discuss them with us by clicking the buttons below.

Proposal quality training topics

It takes more than just asking people to review a proposal to achieve quality. It takes more than just a single review to achieve proposal quality. These course topics take you on a deep dive into what it really takes to achieve proposal quality and the options you have to build quality into your proposals.

4.1) Defining quality and quality criteria. With all the attention given to measuring performance, it’s hard to believe that most proposal reviews are completely subjective, without even having a written definition for what proposal quality is. If you can’t do that, you can’t possibly be measuring proposal quality. This topic starts by defining proposal quality and then showing you how to use written quality criteria to achieve it. Add in an exercise review session and we’ll help you tailor our standard proposal quality criteria to solve your challenges and help you win your proposals.

4.2) 10 different ways to conduct proposal reviews. There are more ways to review proposals than most people realize. There are more ways to review a proposal than sitting around a table and asking people their opinions, or asking them to comment on your files. Should you use forms? Should you hold your reviews at milestones? Should they be highly structured or loosely structured? Should everyone be colocated or are remote reviews okay? What instructions should you give your review teams? This session will address all these topics and more. Add in an exercise review session and you can tailor the forms we use during reviews to meet your needs.

4.3) Proposal quality validation instead of draft reviews. Proposal quality validation requires defining the things you want your reviewers to assess. Proposal quality validation requires organizing the reviews around what you need to validate instead of days on a calendar. Proposal quality validation is a methodology for assessing proposal quality and not just simply collecting opinions. It is the methodology we created for the MustWin Process. Select this topic and we’ll teach it to you. Add in an exercise review session and we’ll help you tailor the materials you’ll need to implement it so you can get started immediately.

4.4) Proposal review leadership and logistics. If you want quality reviews, they should be led by someone who, separate from the proposal manager, manages the logistics and trains the reviewers. Quality management is separate from project management for good reasons. In order to achieve something similar with your proposals, you’ll need training for your review team. This session can be used to train your review team or as a train-the-trainer session to train your review team leadership. Add an exercise review session and together we’ll tailor the review planning documents that you’ll be able to use to guide your efforts.