Advanced Proposal Management (On Demand)

Course Curriculum

Learning Objectives

The participants will learn and practice skills in:

• Understanding how to avoid proposal mistakes even mature companies make • Mastering tools and techniques for making a bid-no-bid decision.​
• Determining whether an RFP is wired.
• ​Planning and managing proposal budget and resources.
• ​Conducting a highly effective proposal kickoff.
• ​Scaling the proposal process up and down for different size pursuits.
• ​Applying the techniques to produce the most compelling proposal content that makes a winning difference.
• ​Mastering rapid learning techniques in a new subject matter to provide ample guidance to subject matter experts who develop innovative solutions.
• ​Initiating and facilitating rapid solution and section development for every part of the proposal.
• ​Tracking volume and section progress and quality.
• ​Applying leadership and proposal team building techniques to achieve optimum performance from proposal contributors.
• ​Applying effective communication methods to the proposal team.
• ​Getting results from difficult proposal team members.
• ​Working effectively with remote participants.
• ​Getting the most useful inputs from the color reviews.
• ​Mastering techniques for quickly integrating reviewers’ input into the proposal.
• ​Managing proposal risk.
• ​Applying metrics for proposal effectiveness.
• ​Conducting an effective lessons learned session.
• ​Making use of personal and organizational proposal process optimization.

Module 1: Introduction

• Introductions and learning objectives.
• ​Recap: Overview of the proposal process from an advanced big-picture perspective.

Module 2: Preparing for the Proposal Effort

• Top proposal mistakes even mature companies make, and how to avoid them.
• ​Tools and techniques for making a bid-no-bid decision.
• ​Tell-tale signs for when the RFP is wired.
• ​The most important and often missed step before initiating a proposal effort.
• ​How to plan for proposal resources to manage your team to the budget, and ensure adequate resources for proper proposal quality.
• ​Typical failures and complications at the proposal preparation stage and how to navigate through them successfully. determine correct and incorrect courses of actions as applicable to a real-life scenario.
• ​Exercise: Develop a proposal resource plan.

Module 3: Orchestrating a Great Proposal Kickoff

• Psychology of a great proposal kickoff.
• ​Determining appropriate size and level of proposal kickoff.
• ​Scaling the proposal process up and down for pursuits of different sizes, including proposal teams with more than 50 participants.
• ​Tailoring proposal process to the specific pursuit.
• ​Planning just-in-time training sessions.
• ​Preparing the kickoff handouts for best communication and team integration.
• ​Advanced techniques for reaching the nine kickoff goals.
• ​Typical failures and complications at the kickoff stage and how to navigate through them successfully
• ​Case Study: Determine correct and incorrect courses of actions as applicable to a real-life scenario.

Module 4: Driving the Team to Produce Winning Content

• ​Rising beyond the administrative task of running the proposal process.
• ​Six steps to owning proposal content and making a winning difference.
• ​Techniques for becoming an expert at being an expert in any proposal’s subject matter.
• ​Professional techniques for interviewing subject matter experts and capturing content effectively.
• ​How to provide ample direction and guidance to subject matter experts.
• ​Typical failures and complications at the content development stage and how to navigate through them successfully.
• ​Exercise: Practice rapid learning techniques and determine content quality.

Module 5: Overseeing the Development of Winning Volumes and Sections

• How to initiate and facilitate rapid solution and section development sessions.
• ​Paying attention to the cost volume – one of the most important parts of your bid.
• ​Managing simultaneous orals and proposal processes.
• ​Getting to the winning content: executive summary, management, technical, past performance, resumes, and other sections.
• ​Tracking volume and section progress and quality.
• ​Exercises: Compare proposal and non-proposal resume. Build an optimized past performance template.

Module 6: Proposal Leadership

• Advanced skills for leading a proposal team effectively on a daily basis.
• ​Team-building techniques.
• ​Key management skills that distinguish great proposal managers from the rest.
• ​Keeping the excitement, motivation, and momentum for your proposal team.
• ​Methods of effective communication with the proposal team.
• ​How to coach and train your proposal team.
• ​How to get results from difficult proposal team members.
• ​How to work effectively with remote participants.
• ​Mastering data calls.
• ​Typical failures and complications of proposal leadership, and how to successfully navigate through them.
• ​Exercise: Practice proposal team building techniques.

Module 7: Getting the Most from the Proposal Color Review Teams

• Rules of thumb for selecting the right number and types of reviews.
• ​Setting the right tone for the review regardless of your company’s review process.
• ​Preparing directions for reviewers.
• ​Various methods for conducting reviews and their suitability for your proposal.
• ​Techniques for quickly integrating reviewers’ input into your proposal.
• ​How to get the most useful input from reviewers.
• ​Typical failures and complications as related to proposal color reviews, and how to successfully navigate through them.
• ​Discussion: Troubleshooting organizational review processes and identifying improvements.

Module 8: Improving Proposal Performance

• ​Troubleshooting your proposal development plan and proposal risk management.
• ​Navigating through difficult proposal interfaces.
• ​Facilitating smooth transition from capture to proposal team.
• ​Transitioning from story boards to draft.
• ​Scaling the proposal effort up and down depending on the natural lifecycle.
• Effective management of proposal budget.
• ​Metrics for proposal effectiveness.
• ​Conducting an effective lessons learned session.
• ​Personal and organizational proposal process optimization.
• Exercise: Allocate resources based on the proposal lifecycle, and identify risk areas.

Module 9: Summary

• Additional resources and bibliography.
• ​Summary.
• ​Recap.