1. Foundation Certification
Study Group Session 2 - Proposal Planning

2. Subject Areas
• Analysing the RFP Documents
• Preparing the Requirements Matrix
• Preparing the Compliance
Checklist & Response Matrix
• Identifying the Proposal Team
• Preparing the Proposal Plan
• Sample Questions & Assignments
Proposal Planning
• Preparing the Proposal Outline

3. Analysing RFP Documents
• Avoid quick reading, assign a customer
persona to every RFP section and think like
the customer
• Highlight & annotate the key RFP statements,
look for every “shall”, “will” or similar words
• Prepare a RFP summary template to capture
the key information like Customer Profile,
Contacts, RFP Calendar, HL- Requirements
etc.
• Prepare a separate list of Forms & Documents
to be submitted, missing documents or
information
• Update the template with clarifications,
amendments and intelligence information
• Compare the the final RFP, draft RFP and
capture phase reports to identify the changes

4. Preparing the Requirements Matrix
• Create a standard requirements
taxonomy
!
• Assign every identified requirement a
category, criticality, priority,
complexity …
!
• Capture the requirement source in
the RFP documents
• Assign a proposal outline section,
sub-section to each requirement
!
• Assign the evaluation criteria and
weight
!
• Use the Requirements matrix for
creating story board, estimation,
benefits, features and
discriminators

5. Preparing the Compliance Checklist & Response Matrix
• Address both Compliance &
Responsiveness
!
• Don’t try to innovate or re-invent at
the proposal stage
!
• Make it mandatory to prepare a
compliance checklist for all bids
!
• Construct a response matrix early
to help plan and track every
response
!
• Submit a response matrix with
proposal to help evaluators find
information

6. Preparing the Proposal Outline
• Create the proposal outline as per the RFP guidelines, if no
instructions are provided mirror the organisation of the RFP
!
• Prepare the topical outline based on customer’s priorities,
follow the RFP numbering, naming and order
!
• Assign all response requirements within the topical outline
!
• Use informative headings at section level below telegraphic
headings from the RFP
!
• Allocate pages as per relative importance to customer and
evaluation criteria
!
• Develop outlines for unsolicited proposals with customer or
logically
!
• Annotate outlines to guide writers
!
• Extend the outline into a Proposal Responsibility Matrix
!
• Add comments to explain any deviations

7. Identifying the Proposal Team
• Identify the executive sponsor
• Identify the internal or contract staff early
in the game
• Identify if you need to team with external
partners and start the teaming
agreement process
• Organise the team with clear lines of
responsibilities and authority
• Identify the reviewers
• Identify the Pricing, Contract and Legal
team
• Prepare a staffing plan for all roles in the
team with an estimated duration of
engagement
• Prepare a role assignment and contact
form

8. Prepare the Proposal Management Plan
• Develop the PMP template for your organisation
• Always prepare the Proposal Management Plan
• Complete and Review the PMP prior to the kickoff meeting
• Distribute the PMP at the kickoff meeting
• Keep the PMP current, but manage the plan

9. Proposal Management Planning Strategy

10. Sample Questions
1. According to the best practice principles when should you prepare the PMP
A. Before the capture plan
B. Before the kickoff meeting
C. After the capture plan
D. After the black hat review
!
2. The TOC of your proposal should be based on the
A. Compliance checklist
B. Requirements Matrix
C. Proposal Outline
D. Response Matrix
!
3. To help evaluators in evaluating your response, you should always include a
A. Response Matrix
B. Compliance checklist
C. Requirements matrix
D. Capture documents
!
4. When assigning resource to a plan, which option will provide the best utilisation
A. Load all resources from start to end of the proposal development duration
B. Schedule them as per their availability
C. Define start and end dates
D. Till the last date of proposal submission
!

11. Practice Assignments
1. Identify and categorise the requirements in a proposal as
per their criticality in the proposed solution.
!
2. Identify the tasks for completing a complex proposal and
prepare a WBS with staffing plan to complete the
proposal
!
3. Prepare a Proposal Outline and assign the identified
requirements to the proposal sections
!
4. Review a completed proposal to check the coverage of
the requirements stated in the RFP and the proposed
solution

12. Stay connected with us in
Linkedin Study Group for
details of the next webinar on
Proposal Strategy.
Thank You.
Abhijit Majumdar CF.APMP!
Associate Vice President!
Zensar Technologies Ltd. Pune. India.