Determine The Clients Proposal Preparation Requirements
By Dan Safford

No matter how you receive word that the client wants a proposal—whether it’s an RFP, a notice in the CBD, a letter from them, or even a phone call—you must deliver exactly what the client wants to see in the form that makes it easiest for her to evaluate.

This means that you must follow any instructions they have given you to the letter. If you have a written request, here’s how to do that:

• Read all sections of the solicitation thoroughly.
• "Shred" the solicitation.
• Make sure the requirements show up in the appropriate proposal sections.

What to look for. All solicitations have specific sections in which the client spells out the ground rules for the procurement and the expectations she has for the project as well as the proposal. You are responsible for meeting all the requirements called out in the solicitation! That’s why you need to read it closely and pay attention to what it says.

"Shred" the solicitation. You ensure responsiveness by "shredding" the solicitation. Take a highlighter and mark all the requirements—the “shalls.” Then make sure each of them finds a place in the appropriate section(s) of your proposal.

Build an allocation matrix. On complex proposals, you can allocate requirements by assigning specific solicitation sections to the proposal sections. The table to the right is an excerpt from a response matrix. The individual proposal sections are arrayed in the far left column; this outline follows the client’s instructions for formatting the proposal called out in the RFP. The next three columns contain paragraphs found in the RFP
itself.

Assign the RFP requirements by paragraph number to the appropriate proposal sections. You need to decide where in your proposal the client would expect to find your response to the requirements. The allocation matrix serves two important functions:

1. It helps you make sure that every requirement is accounted for and has a home in your proposal. This will reduce the chances of your proposal being rejected for non-compliance.
2. You can include the matrix in your proposal, giving the evaluators a roadmap to your proposal. If an evaluator is keenly interested in a specific requirement, she can see where to go to discover how you have addressed it.