Management
Issue No. 10 - April/May 2003
Bidding for Freedom
Sometimes there isn't a suitable training program or university course for the things you really need to know - such as how to create proposals and bids.
In all types of organisations, including corporations, small business, government agencies or departments and institutions, viability and growth depends on the ability to get new business, revenue or funding.
Developing a successful proposal requires skills in strategy, design, customer relationships, marketing, project management, planning, presentation, psychology, negotiation, sales, team management, team participation, delegation, production and delivery.
Proposals come in many shapes and sizes and are triggered by various events. The term 'proposal' is used to cover the range of offers and requests including responses to requests for tenders or proposals, grant or funding applications and unsolicited offers. Very large proposals are called 'bids'.
Deciding to Participate
How do you decide whether or not to put in the effort of preparing a proposal? This is an investment decision. There are a number of factors and considerations that will lead to making a decision to invest time, effort and resources into the proposal. This decision needs to be made early to avoid wasting resources in only partially committing to what is really required for an effective proposal. The return on investment in a half-hearted effort is likely to be very small.
An early and informed decision not to proceed is an excellent way of gaining benefit from the process. The resources that would have been involved can be better used for another opportunity.
The level of effort involved in preparing a proposal needs to be matched to all the benefits likely to be achieved. This is part of the investment decision.
If you do decide to proceed, you will need to plan ahead. All too often proposals are prepared in isolation from the real objectives of the organisation or the current strate...
