PROPOSING TO WRITE A PROPOSAL? BY PAPIA BAWA

What are Proposals? Long reports usually written in response to a specific request or in response to your specific need.

Client based/solicited These are written in response to a specific request made by a business/client. (Client based/solicited)

Non-solicited These are written because you need: 1.to promote a business or idea 2.to procure means of collaboration 3.to procure funds for a business/contract, project.

Difference Between Solicited and Unsolicited Proposals Solicited: Customer asks for a proposal. Provides you with a description of what the customer wants. Unsolicited You send them a proposal they haven’t even asked for. The customer has not anticipated, planned, or budgeted for the proposal.

Continued : The customer will definitely read it. You may face competition from other writers who are also responding to the call for proposals. You run the risk that the customer won't even bother to read it. You do not face a great competitive pressure.

Types of Proposals : Proposals are either requested by: Government agencies or Private Sector Businesses. There are sub-categories within these broader frames.

Types of Government Proposals RFP RFI SSN MARKET SURVEYS RFQ

RFP Solicited proposals are usually sent to customers who issue a “Request for Proposal” or RFP. When a customer wants something that is too complicated to pick up at the store or order from a vendor, they often write down a description of it and issue it as an RFP.

RFI When the Government is considering a procurement, but is not sure about specifications or methodologies, they often issue a Request for Information (RFI).

Sources Sought Notice Usually used when clients know what they want, but not who can provide it.

Market Survey Used to find out about a market and its suppliers.

RFQ Request For Quotes (RFQ) are usually used for the purchase of commodities, such as commercial off-the-shelf products, or other tangible items with set specifications that are usually available from many sources. Most product resale fits into this category.

Types of Private Sector Business Proposals Investment proposals Real estate proposals Sales proposals Banking proposals Funding proposals Insurance proposals Construction proposals Product development proposals Marketing proposals Joint-venture proposals Software proposals Advertising proposals

The customer The customer sets the standards of any proposal. A “proposal” is intended to persuade someone. What is required to do that is up to the person being persuaded. If you want your proposal to succeed, you must know your customer

Give them what they want. No more, no less. If you don’t know the answers to what your customer wants, find them out. If the customer doesn’t know what they want or need, give them criteria to help them figure it out. Never load the customer up with a pile of paper just because they might want something.

Never save the best for last! If there is anything about your approach that you really want them to know, mention it first.

Tell them What the approach will do for them, what the benefit of it is, and only then tell them what the approach is.

The goal Is not to deprive them of necessary detail, but to give them what they want, in the order they want it. You must give them a reason to bother reading the details.

Remember : They are evaluating what you are proposing in order to do two things: Get through the formal evaluation process. Make a selection.

What they are looking for How to score you. Why to select you. Can you deliver.

A simple proposal formula For each section/requirement that you must address, make sure you answer: who what where how when why.

Who Who will do the work? Who will manage the work? Who does the customer call if there is a problem? Who is responsible for what?

What What needs to be done/delivered? What will be required to do it? What can the customer expect? What will it cost?

Where Where will the work be done? Where will it be delivered?

How How will the work be done? How will it be deployed? How will it be managed? How will you achieve quality assurance and customer satisfaction? How will risks be mitigated? How long will it take? How will the work benefit the customer?

When When will you start? When will key milestones be scheduled? When will the project be complete? When is payment due?

Why Why have you chosen the approaches and alternatives you have selected? Why should the customer select you?

Service/solution Proposals A solution or service proposal must not only describe what will be done and what will be delivered, but must also describe how things will be done.

Continued A solution or service proposal often starts with figuring out what you are going to propose doing.

What is a bid? While the terms are often used interchangeably, commodities are often purchased via “bids” instead of “proposals.” A bid is essentially a pricing quote for a known item.

Parts of a Proposal. Executive Summary Main Proposal (Scope of work, Technical Plan, Management Plan, Commercial Plan, Appendices) Mini Resumes

Executive Summary This primarily introduces what you will do or provide to the customer, and how the customer will benefit from what you propose.

Scope of Work The scope of work is where you define in very precise terms both the problem that you are trying to address and the boundaries of your service. This section is perhaps the most important section in the whole proposal because the rest of the proposal is based on the contents of this section.

In this section mention What you have understood about the requirements of the customer. What are the quantifiable terms your service. What is included in the scope of work. What all you will NOT do, so that there are no ambiguities in the requirements.

Technical Plan The Technical plan is where you show your technical prowess and your ability to provide the solution using a technology that is most suitable for the customer.

Management Plan This is the section where you tell the client how the project monitoring, status reporting, quality assurance etc happens in your organization and how it'll happen during this project. In this section you also specify the team structure and hierarchy and the role and responsibility of each person in the team as well as the contact person of the customers.

Commercial Plan This section tells about the cost, duration, breakup of the payment and terms and conditions of this proposal and the project. Don't forget to mention any additional costs that the customer might have to bear.

Appendices Add any supporting document that you think the customers might need to get a better understanding of your solution and service. You might put some sample status report, templates for user communication, a write up on the methodology of your service etc.

So how do we sum it up? It is important to know, not only what to say, but also how to say it!