Successful Proposal Strategies for Small Businesses: Using Knowledge Management to Win Government, Private-Sector, and International Contracts

Acknowledgments     xvIntroduction     xviiCompetitive proposals and small business     1Overview     3From set-asides to full-and-open competition     7Small business constraints     13Maximizing small business strengths     13SBIR and STTR programs     15Organizing your company to acquire new business     18Effective strategic and mission planning     24Converting knowledge into proposal success     26KM benefits proposal development     32Internal and external clients: looking at clients in a whole new way     39Endnotes     39Strategic partnering and subcontracting opportunities     45Subcontracting opportunities and pathways to success     46Critical success factors     47Specific strategies for achieving subcontracts     48Becoming part of a governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC) team     52How mentor-protege programs can help your business     55Endnotes     60Marketing to and with your clients     61More than just selling     61Transactions are personal-people buy from people     67Listen to yourclient     68Infuse marketing intelligence into your proposal     69Intelligence gathering and analysis techniques     70Call plans     75Maintain management visibility on your contracts     79Project managers as client managers     83Commercial off-the-shelf acquisition     84Pursuing firm-fixed-price and invitation-for-bid opportunities     88Using the request for information and the request for comment as valuable marketing tools     88Contractor prequalification statements     89Ethics in marketing and business development     90Advertising, trade shows, and high-impact public relations     92Endnotes     97Requests for proposals     101Overview     101Part I-the schedule     104Part II-contract clauses     104Part III-list of documents, exhibits, and other attachments     105Part IV-representations and certifications     105The importance of Section L (instructions to offerors)     105Section M (evaluation criteria): toward maximizing your score     108Greatest or best-value approach     108Emphasis on performance-based acquisition (PBA)      109Influencing the content of an RFP-legitimately     113Other types of solicitation documents     114Endnotes     115Private-sector solicitation requests     117Grant proposals-winning what you bid     120Letters of inquiry     121Balancing the technical and the nontechnical     122Standard grant proposal components     122Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)     123The federal acquisition process: emerging directions     127Major trends going forward     127Rapid order task response     130Federal procurement process overview     133Statutory and regulatory requirements for competition     133The source selection process     135Full-and-open competition     137Major contract types     138Significant recent paradigm shifts in federal government acquisition     139Understanding the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA)     146Endnotes     153The proposal life cycle     157What is a proposal in the competitive federal and commercial marketplace?     157Where does the proposal fit into the total marketing life cycle?     160Bid-no bid decision-making process     176Planning and organizing     178Draft executive summary     178Theme development     179Storyboards     184Kickoff meeting     185Writing     186Major contractor review cycles     190Blue or Pink Team     195Red Team     195Gold Team     199Black Team     199Black hat review     199Preparing for orals and Final Proposal Revision (FPR)     200Debriefings (refer to FAR 15.1003)     201Endnotes     202Major proposal components     203Overview     203Transmittal letter     204Technical volume     205Front cover     205Nondisclosure statement on the title page     207Executive summary     208Building a compliance (cross-reference) matrix     210Narrative body of the technical volume     212Management volume     215Cost volume     225Price to win     227Government contract requirements     228Endnotes      229Acquisition/capture and proposal team activities     231Formation and function of acquisition/capture teams     231Prekickoff activities     233Proposal kickoff meeting     235Postkickoff activities     241The role of the proposal manager     243Overview     243Generalized job description     245Changing focus of proposal management     255Effective solution development     257Complementary roles and responsibilities of proposal and capture managers     260The growing importance of oral presentations     261Outsourcing oral presentation support     262Oral presentation development process     262Specific oral presentation guidelines for success     265Attending to the details     266Control of the schedule     267Training additional staff in proposal-management skills     270Finish the job at hand     270Successful proposal managers     271Endnotes     272Pursuing international business and structuring international proposals     273Overview     273Where in the world to begin?     275The importance of the World Bank Group     276Your company's participation in United Nations procurements     280European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)     281Asian Development Bank (ADB)     282International market planning     283In-country partnerships     285Host country procurement environments     286Import-export considerations and technology transfer     286Risk assessment     287Terms and conditions     287Ex-Im Bank of the United States assists small businesses     289Helpful Web-based resources and in-country support infrastructures for small businesses     290British-American Business Council     302U.S. Trade and Development Agency     303U.S. Agency for International Development     303Endnotes     306Proposal production and publication     309Internal documentation standards     311Document configuration management and version control     312Freelance and temporary publication staff     314Incorporating technical brilliance up to the last minute     314Graphics are an integral part of your proposal     315Action captions      317Configuration control of graphics     319Role and structure of your publications group     319Software and hardware compatibility, standards, and recommendations     320Electronic proposal submittal and evaluation     322Important documentation tips     324Virtual proposal centers, intranets, and extranets     326Useful document management systems (DMS)     327Using freelance proposal writers to maintain technical productivity     330Endnotes     333Human and organizational dynamics of the proposal process     335Modifying our thinking to win     336Building a competitive work ethic     337Strong link between project performance and proposal success     338Past performance-it's more important than you think!     339Proposals can be fun!     345Maximizing human intellect     346Proposal professionals as change agents     348Wellness in your proposal process     348Endnotes     349Controlling bid and proposal costs     351What does it cost to get new business, and how are those costs recovered?     352Tracking B&P expenditures     353Business development bonus policy     353Stretching limited marketing funds     356Endnote     357Tried-and-true proposal writing and editing techniques     359Proposals are knowledge-based sales documents     359Active voice adds strength and saves space     362Guide the client's evaluators through your proposal     364Action captions     366Methods of enhancing your proposal writing and editing     367The power of framing     369Grasping the highlights of framing theory     372Framing, photography, and proposaling     372Pictures, maps, and stories     373Applying framing to your proposals     373Government-recognized writing standards     374Additional sources of writing guidance     374Storytelling as an art form     375Endnotes     377Packaging and managing proposal information and knowledge effectively     381Overview     381The all-important resumes     382Project descriptions (project summaries or project citations)     385Proposal boilerplate (canned or reuse material) as knowledge assets     387Marketing targets     387Corporate library     392Proposal lessons-learned database     393Applying IT solutions: scalable informational data systems     395IBM Lotus Notes scenarios     396CD-ROM scenarios     396Intranet scenarios     397Small business KM success story-this stuff really works!     398Small-scale, pilot KM initiatives applied to proposal development     398Balance of tools, disciplined methodologies, and a supportive business culture     399Development drivers and challenges     399Sustainment and future enhancements     401Transferable lessons learned     401Leveraging federal performance appraisal systems to your company's benefit     402ISO-driven proposal and business development excellence     402Small business success story     402Associated costs     404Methodologies, tools, and training     404Proposal development work instruction     405Case study insights     406Benefits of the ISO-driven processes     406Endnotes     407Leveraging business complexity in a knowledge-based economy     409Turbulent transition toward knowledge-based business     409How to communicate effectively on your knowledge landscape     412Envisioning supple business models     415Sample application: tracing complexity and KM through the proposal development process     419Summation     420Endnotes     421Planning and producing SF330 responses for architect-engineer services     423SF330 and the FAR     423Understanding the required structure of the response     424Overall strategy of response     431Section F: selling your project experience     432Section H: structure according to the evaluation criteria     432Section H outlining     433Subcontractor participation     433Building teaming agreements     434Preparing for graduation from the 8(a) program     439Endnote     442Succeeding in the world of very small businesses     443Epilogue: Thinking to win small-business competitive proposals     447Sample proposal kickoff package     451Template to capture important resume information     465Marketing information and intelligence sources: federal, international, and private sector     471Sources of federal marketing leads and information      480Sources of international marketing leads and information     480Sources of U.S. private-sector marketing leads and information     481Glossary of proposal-related terms     483Selected list of acronyms and abbreviations     513Selected bibliography     567About the author     589Index     593