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Articles tagged with: proposal review
Can you keep your bid out of the reject box?
This article was originally published May 16, 2012 in WashingtonTechnology.com.
By Bob Lohfeld
I was asked to review one of the proposals submitted for the first stage of the Army’s multi-billion dollar “Army Eagle” logistics procurement and to advise an unsuccessful bidder why the company had failed to make the cut. My answer was straightforward – the bidder failed to write a proposal for the evaluators to evaluate. Here’s how the proposal went wrong.
Army Eagle is a multiple award procurement for large and small…
The Proposal Dentist: Extracting a Technical Approach from the Technical Experts
(This article appeared in the Fall 2011 edition of APMP-NCA’s Executive Summary eZine.)
As budgets shrink, there will be fewer new contracts in the government market. With fewer deals, firms that compete for federal business will need to write sharper proposals to win their share of work. It is imperative that our proposals tell a clear story that resonates with the buyer. In particular, we must be able to present a fact-based approach that demonstrates a clear, tangible value to…
6 ways your proposal can fail – and how to avoid them
This article was originally published October 5, 2011 in WashingtonTechnology.com.
By Bob Lohfeld
I received a call from a mid-sized large business that had submitted a proposal for IT services and had just learned their proposal did not make competitive range. They were irate and wanted to protest, alleging that the government had not fairly evaluated their proposal.
They had hired a proposal consultant, spent lots of money developing their proposal, and were assured their proposal was professionally done. Before filing the protest, the company…
Audio Tip: Color Team Reviews—Core Reviewers
Alternative content
Proposal development expert and APMP Fellow Beth Wingate offers a quick tip to help you avoid confusion, ensure consistency, and retain institutional knowledge in your color review teams.
Color reviews help to ensure a compliant, compelling proposal response. I previously recommended four basic color reviews—Blue, Pink, Red, and Gold—for each non-pricing volume of your proposal. Pricing volumes have their own Green review.
Having a “core” team of reviewers that moves from one color review to the next during the proposal’s development helps avoid confusion from one review to the next and ensures…
Color Team Reviews—Purposes and Goals
Date: April 01, 2011
Alternative content
This week, proposal development expert Beth Wingate, APMP Fellow, offers a quick rundown of what to review for in the various color team reviews and offers tips for running effective reviews.
Color reviews help to ensure a compliant, compelling proposal response. Your Chief Reviewer should select a team from within your organization (include teammates, if applicable) that can effectively review the proposal—standing in the shoes of government evaluators and adding value and detail. I recommend four basic color reviews for each non-pricing volume.
- Blue-Reviews and approves final solution, strategy, and storyboards or richly…
Better Reviews Equal Better Proposals
This article was originally published June 28, 2010 on WashingtonTechnology.com.
Independent reviews ensure that proposals are compliant and responsive to the request for proposals. They also guarantee that proposals are feature-rich and technically and politically sound. Reviews should begin early in the proposal process and continue throughout proposal development. Each review builds quality into the proposal. When done well, reviews raise your competitiveness and increase your win probability.
A solid review begins with experienced, knowledgeable reviewers and a comprehensive review plan. Your reviewers should include technical and management experts who deeply understand the subject of your proposal. Be sure to…
