TArticles tagged with: proposal reviewers

Beware the dangers of groupthink

Proposal color team reviews don’t work

This article was originally published January 10, 2020 on WashingtonTechnology.com Proposal color team reviews don’t work. Why? In many cases, proposal reviewers make two critical mistakes: They read the proposal as if it was a novel, instead of scoring and rating it according to the evaluation criteria. They get tired of arguing about their comments, so they come to consensus—which really means they succumb to groupthink. These mistakes often result in a proposal that not only fails to offer a value proposition rich in discriminating strengths, in some cases it is non-compliant. Your proposal is not a novel Internal color team reviewers often derail your win because they don’t fully understand how the government evaluates and scores the proposal. They think the proposal should tell a story, and they comment on the merits of that story. In reality, government evaluators have a scoresheet to complete based solely on evaluation factors … Continue reading Beware the dangers of groupthink →

Are personalities ruling your color team reviews?

There are anywhere from four to 16 different personality types depending on your Google search results. In the context of proposal color team reviews, proposal managers and review team leads have probably encountered quite a medley of non-constructive participants who seem to do everything in their power to impede progress. Adding to this problem is the increase in virtual review meetings. When reviewers are not physically present, they often exhibit different (ruder) personality types than they would in person. Here are six personality types that I’ve witnessed and six tips for how to deal with them. 1. The Dominator This reviewer takes over the meeting; straying off the planned agenda and timeline; voicing their opinions and recommendations first, foremost, loudest; and often interrupting others. They may even stray off topic, going off on tangents that serve no purpose. If the Dominator is the proposal manager’s direct or indirect boss, it … Continue reading Are personalities ruling your color team reviews? →

11 Ways to mitigate final proposal document review risks

At the 2011 APMP International Conference, Lohfeld Consulting Group’s Managing Director Brenda Crist presented an informative session on mitigating proposal risks. Here are Brenda’s identified Final Proposal Document Review Risks and recommended Mitigation Strategies: No final document review. The company misses one of the most effective and inexpensive mechanisms for improving the proposal. Schedule a final document review as soon as possible. Document review is held too late in the proposal life cycle. Hold the final document review approximately two-thirds through the proposal life cycle. Reviewers are unprepared. Work with the reviewers in advance to verify they understand their roles, responsibilities, and time commitment. Help the reviewers by holding training or producing a brief training document. Eliminate any reviewer who from the review team who is unprepared or unable to provide an objective review. Review is unorganized or does not produce feedback that benefits writers. Hold one review team member … Continue reading 11 Ways to mitigate final proposal document review risks →