Introduction
Many proposal managers and writers believe that all that is needed to win a contract is a well-written proposal that “answers the mail” of an RFP. An oral presentation is merely a formality.
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Becoming a Proposal Consultant
Working in a consultant agency, we often receive calls from proposal professionals who want to make the shift to a proposal consultant. Common questions are: “How can I go out and do this?” “What is it like?” “What can I expect?”
OCI Opens Orlando Office
On September 1, OCI opened an office in Orlando, Florida. This move makes it easier for OCI to serve our customers in the southeastern United States. Heading the Orlando office is Mike Summers, Vice President of Sales for the Southeastern Region. The new office will support Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. OCI President, Russell Smith said, “This is a real piece of luck, having a strong person like Mike Summers join the company.” Summers previously served as proposal group lead for Lockheed Martin and for SAIC in Orlando. He can be reached at (407) 749-9624 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Proposal Departments: Whether to Use Permanent Staff or Consultants
When considering the development of a proposal, every company faces the same question: Do we use our in-house, permanent staff or do we outsource the proposal by using consultants? This question is especially important to government contractors, because a large and expensive effort is usually required to prepare winning proposals. The issue is how best to invest Bid & Proposal (B&P) dollars.
A Red Team Blueprint
“This Red Team was like night and day [compared to our last one] — It was the best organized
that I’ve ever seen.We had everything that we needed. It was actually enjoyable!”
V.P. and General Manager.
What do the reviewers need in order to give you the “most bang” for your dollar in conducting your Red Team? Do you simply put them in a big room, give them a quick briefing on your understanding of the program, a few instructions including where to find coffee and the bathrooms, hand them a three hundred-page RFP and a two hundred-page proposal, and ask them to see if you missed anything?
OMB Memorandum 10-26 Immediate Review of Financial Systems IT Projects
On June 28, 2010, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Memorandum 10-26, Immediate Review of Financial Systems IT Projects. This Memorandum establishes government-wide policies associated with financial system modernizations. These policies require Federal agencies to set the scope for financial system modernizations in a manner that reduces project costs, aligns projects more closely to top priority business needs, accelerates deployments, and improves the performance of the systems once deployed.
PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM ON GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING - RESERVING WORK FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) is issuing a proposed policy letter to provide guidance addressing when work must be reserved for performance by federal employees. The policy letter is intended to implement direction in the President's March 4, 2009, Memorandum on Government Contracting which requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ''clarify when governmental outsourcing for services is and is not appropriate.'' The proposed policy letter would:
OCI Sets New Standard for Speed
Having the largest pool of proposal talent in the nation allows OCI to provide the most responsive service in the proposal support industry. Here is an example. On 11 May 2010, we received an urgent request for 5 graphic artists. We proposed qualified talent and had the candidates approved and ready for assignment within 20 minutes. We are glad to handle urgent orders. When possible, however, a little more time is helpful.
What is “Best Value”?
“Best Value” is the common-sense manifestation in the FAR of what intelligent buyers do every day all over the world. Part 2.101 of the FAR defines Best Value as the expected outcome of an acquisition that in the buyer’s estimation provides the greatest overall benefit in response to the requirement.
Fog Index and Pace
Perhaps the main reason of writing is to communicate — arguably this is the root purpose of any writing. In order to communicate through your writing, it must be easily understood. In two-way communication — face to face — you can reiterate a point in response to a question, or simply communicate through a raised eyebrow or a confused look. Writing, however, is one-way communication, so you have only one chance to ensure comprehension. Two techniques that you can use to improve your readers’ comprehension are the use of Fog Index and Pace. The following paragraphs describe these techniques.
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