Earned value management (EVM) techniques promise to give project managers a powerful early warning system for programs veering dangerously off course. But like committing to an early morning calisthenics routine or starting a low-carb diet, adopting EVM is sure to cause some initial pain.
The present situation for Government contractors reminds me of the introduction to Charles Dickens’ famous novel, A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times.“ Never during my 30 years in Government Programs has there been anything like it. At the same time, we have:
Reviewing a proposal involves a lot more than assessing compliance, style, and checking for typos. Here is a list of questions that reviewers should consider:
In the proposal evaluation process, different people play key roles at different points in the vendor selection process. The entire body of people involved in the decision are the Decision Making Unit or DMU. Your goal is to identify the key person who has the power to say "Yes!" to your proposal. To do that, it helps to understand the various roles people play.
From time to time we see RFP's that are clearly wired for a particular vendor. We have won a lot of these because the system provides levers to fix them. These include the Highest Procurement Authority (HPA) and the Competition Advocate (CA).
The requirement to give oral proposal presentations has been important for decades, but the nature of oral proposals fundamentally changed with simplification in contracting during the mid 1990s. Two important results of the changes in orals were as follows:
In the first part of this six-part series we provided an overview of the importance of an early, structured Competition Database Analysis for preventing wasted bid and proposal funds on unattainable pursuits. In this part we will discuss some specific requirements and provide a checklist for the Opportunity Analysis.
What would you do on a big RFP if Col. Johnson, the man in charge, were to call you and tell you to watch for the BAFO amendment, but you probably don't need to do much, since your bid at $16.4 million is way low, as the second bid is $19.2?
The key question facing proposal professionals now is -- what affect will the Obama administration have on our work? All of us recall the 18-month slowdown in proposal activity that took place when President Bush entered office.
Having to prepare a contract proposal for the first time is a daunting experience. It is similar to building a house, climbing a mountain, or defending against a suit in court for the first time.