Scheduling readiness reviews
Proportionate scheduling makes the most out of the time between lead identification and RFP release
The MustWin Process uses a formula to schedule Readiness Reviews:
- The Business Development Manager should complete each report by the due date entered on this page.
- The due dates are set by dividing the time until RFP release evenly across the four reviews.
- On or as soon as possible after that date, the Executive Sponsor should review the report and assess whether the progress is sufficient to be ready at RFP release.
To determine the dates, you must have an anticipated date of RFP release — even if you have to guess. You should always use the earliest anticipated RFP release date, since it is better to be ready too soon than it is to be ready too late.
To schedule the four opportunity readiness reviews, take the time between now and the anticipated date for RFP release, and divide evenly by five. This will enable you to set the date of the last review with some time left for action items before the RFP is released. Examples:
- If RFP release is expected in 10 months, then the Lead Identification Review would be at the start of Month 2, the Qualification Review would be at the start of Month 4, Intelligence Review would be at the start of Month 6, and the Bid Preparation Review would be at the start of Month 8.
- If the RFP release is expected in 30 days, then the Lead Identification Review would be on day 6, the Qualification Review would be on Day 12, the Intelligence Review would be on Day 18, and the Bid Preparation Review would be on Day 24.
The dates do not have to be precisely even. You can adjust for weekends, holidays, etc. Should you find that the anticipated date of RFP release has slipped, it’s OK to change and extend the readiness review dates. You want people to be able to take advantage of all of the time available. You just don’t want the RFP to come out before you’ve passed your readiness reviews.
Readiness reviews are cumulative. If for some reason you start the process in the middle, then all of the goals of the previous reviews up to that point would be included in the next review. At each review, the Executive Sponsor will assess whether the pursuit has sufficiently fulfilled the goals for that phase.
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