Gary Everett

A successful Proposal Manager must lead the proposal development team and perform these critical actions / create these critical deliverables:

1. Create a numbered and section-titled Proposal Response Outline that ensures all response items are identified.

2. Create a compliance or cross-reference matrix that matches every proposal section to the Solicitation.

3. Create a proposal plan / schedule that includes every paragraph / section that must go in the proposal.

4. The plan includes assignment of each section to an author, as well as responsibilities for volume management, graphics and desk top publishing / production.

5. Train authors/graphics specialists on the proposal development process / templates.

6. Create a Writers Guide with common terms and definitions, writing style templates and formats.

7. Finalize and publish proposal win strategy, Win Themes and Discriminators.

8. Obtain connectivity to proposal archives as well as build and post the proposal content folders structure.

9. Construct format for, and manage receipt of, Bid Team Data Calls to aggregate strengths from teammates.  This includes number of similar contracts, number of skilled personnel by labor category, and performance metrics on contracts, including number, types and dollar value of awards.

10. Establish and facilitate Solution Development Sessions for (a) Management Approach and (b) Technical Approach — closely monitor progress, schedule and deliverables.

11. Ensure proposal win-ability though meaningful and objective reviews of progress and quality.  Normally done through a 3-stage color review process including: (a) Blue Team; (b) Pink Team; and (c) Red Team.  If Red Team determines the proposal can not win, a Gold Team does major rework.