Volume Management: Getting the Best, Quickly, from Your Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

Written by John Lauderdale

In this series, we have already written about the importance of the Capture Plan and the Proposal Plan. These documents, and the activities that go with them, are the responsibilities of the Capture Manager and Proposal Manager, respectively. Now let's turn to the next level down on the proposal team, the role of Volume Manager.

Volume managers are, by definition, responsible for the ultimate content of their assigned volume. Examples are the Technical Volume, Management Volume, Logistics Volume, and Cost / Price Volume. Precise names may vary, but you get the idea. Usually there are 3-5 volumes in the proposal. Each volume manager reports to the Proposal Manager, and perhaps has a "dotted line" (indirect) relationship with another member of the proposal team.

The Volume Manager shares the same type of responsibilities that the Proposal Manager has, only one level down. So, the Volume Manager has two responsibilities: 1) discover the best case that can be made for our solution; and 2) do the best job of communicating that solution.

As a volume manager, your task is easy to state, but then sometimes difficult to attain. First is to create a COMPLIANT solution, responsive at all times to the total circumstance. Second, create a solution that distinguishes our solution as not only being DIFFERENT, but BETTER.

Here are three guideposts for your consideration:

People problems often come to you disguised as technical problems. You may not be familiar with the material you're going to submit, and it's necessary to rely heavily upon the subject matter experts (SMEs) on your team. Since these SMEs may not be seasoned proposal people -- more often than not, they ARE NOT -- then it's an important part of your role to help them with not only the CONTENT of the response, but the FORM of the response.
Relying on the proposal outline, as provided by the Proposal Manager, it's your job to focus you SMEs efforts on the task at hand. The tendency of many "experts" is to write what THEY want to write, and NOT what the CUSTOMER wants to hear about. This means that often they will try one or two avoidance behaviors:
- Become a "cubicle commander"; that is, take their assignment back to their normal work area, "work on the solution", and then return, often too late for revisions. This is bad. Don't let them do that. Establish early on your control of the FORM of response, clearly relying on both Section L and Section M.
- Become a text researcher; that is, research their files, or previous proposals, for material that may be somewhat related to the required response. This is bad. Don't let them do that. Again, while it's fine to look at previous materials, it's your job to ensure that the response to this solicitation actually responds to the requirements of this solicitation!
Make it clear to your SMEs that you, as the Volume Manager, are not questioning their expertise. But it's your job to FOCUS that expertise to meet the needs of the customer. Since No One Does Anything Right the First Time (a fact that, for example, minimizes my own interest in skydiving!), their work, even work in which they have a clear expertise, can be and must be subject to your review.

Summary

The best results come from your contributions as the FORM expert, and the SMEs contributions as the CONTENT experts.

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