Writing a Proposal

1. Writing a Proposal EDG 6925 Susan McDonough Tami Im

2. Purpose of Course • The goal of this course is to enable learners do a practical application to writing proposals for contractual services to State of Florida agencies. • Course activities • Examples of winning proposals • Practice evaluating proposals of varying complexity • Feedback on what differentiates a high potential proposal

3. Good proposal example • Now, we will see a good proposal example. • Proposal Description Brevard Workforce Development Board, Inc. is seeking a vendor to develop an Entrepreneur Class. Click here to see the full program requirements.

4. A Winning Proposal • To write a winning proposal, you should focus on these key components. • Proposal Components • Experience • Performance / Work Plan • Costs

5. Experience • Generally, Proposal Experience description part contains the following information. • Introduction and overview of the company • Services provided by the company • Recent client engagements • Let’s see the good example of “experience” description. Click!

6. Performance / Work Plan • The Performance/Work Plan part contains the following information. • Plan Description • Workshop information (learning objectives and agenda) • Program Measurements • Let’s see the good example of “performance/work plan”. Click!

7. Costs • The cost part contains the following information. • Cost itemization • Cost description • Item and total amounts • Let’s see the good example of “cost” description. Click!

8. Basic steps for preparing the proposal • To write a good proposal, you should check following two questions first. • What type of document was it? • What information was required? What information was key?

9. What type of document was it? • The case presented in this module was a “Request for Proposal”. You should be aware that there are several types of document used in the State of Florida bid system, although the approach for responding to these requests is essentially the same. • To see the brief description about each document, click the title of document! • Request for proposal • Invitation to bid • Invitation to negotiate • Request for a quote

10. What is “Request for proposal”? Request for proposal is used either when it is not practicable for an agency to specifically define the scope of services needed, or the agency is requesting that a responsible vendor propose a contractual service to meet the specifications of the solicitation document.

11. What is “Invitation to bid ”? Invitation to bid is used when the agency is capable of specifically defining the scope of work for which a contractual service is required.

12. What is “Invitation to negotiate”? Invitation to negotiate is used to select one or more vendors with which to negotiate for the procurement of contractual services.

13. What is “Request for a quote ”? Request for a quote is a request for written pricing or services information from a state term contract vendor for contractual services available on a state term contract from that vendor

14. What information was required? • Key required information for proposal. To check the requirements for each part, click the title of the part! • Experience • Work plan • Cost • General guidelines for proposal

15. General guidelines for proposal • Every proposal is explicit about the information required • Believe it or not, proposals are often submitted without addressing the stated requirements, resulting in immediate disqualification • Proposals are also submitted with grammar errors! • Don’t lose out for the simple stuff! “Success in any endeavor requires single-minded attention to detail and total concentration.” Willie Sutton(prolific bank robber)

16. RFP Statement of Requirements: A description of the organization’s services that should include experience with entrepreneurial training, small business development, and program management. The successful bidder will have provided evidence that the organization is capable of performing the work when time is of the essence as well as a description of the firm’s size, structure, and number of years of providing services of a similar scope Information on experience in meeting the needs of businesses through services offered by the firm to include at least two specific recent examples of successful entrepreneurial training and small business development projects executed by the organization as well as any experience and/or knowledge of the aerospace community and/or workforce development. A list of current and past customers of similar nature. Include contact information. Synopsis of requirements: Company Information: Size Structure Number of years Experience: Entrepreneurial training Small business development Program Management Two recent examples of: Successful entrepreneurial training Small business development projects Experience in the aerospace community Required Information - Experience

17. Were the Experience Requirements Met?

18. RFP Statement of Requirements: All Offerors are required to submit an integrative model for services to be provided including elements of training, face-to-face counseling, one-to-one mentoring, and a description of the performance outcomes and measures the organization would like to achieve in meeting the goals and objectives of BWDB. Training elements are to include curricula with course/workshop descriptions. The successful Offeror will include how they would evaluate their effectiveness and how they would determine if adjustments are needed. Synopsis of requirements: Plan Description Curriculum: Provide tools & resources Flexible and responsive Workshop learning objectives: Entrepreneurial recognition Develop a business plan Determine financial, human, and capital resource requirements Workshop contents – must contain a pre and post test Workshop offerings –minimum of four Outcomes must be measurable against objectives Required / Key Information – Work Plan

19. Were the Work Plan Requirements Met?

20. RFP Statement of Requirements: Proposals should clearly identify reasonable fees and other compensation directly related to services requested in this RFP. Offerors are required to provide their fee or rate structure for all persons/firms named in their proposal to demonstrate the reasonableness of the proposal. Offerors are instructed to provide separate costs for providing these services (1) at or near NASA/KSC and Cape Canaveral AF Station, and (2) at a Contractor provided facility. Synopsis of requirements: Reasonable fees Fee structure for personnel Cost for NASA facility Cost for offsite facility Required / Key Information - Costs

21. Were the Cost Requirements Met?

22. Case #2 – Public Awareness Campaign • Purpose of Case - • Case Requirements • Experience • Work Plan • Costs

23. Experience Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #2 – Public Awareness Campaign

24. Experience Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #2 – Public Awareness Campaign

25. Work Plan Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #2 – Public Awareness Campaign

26. Work Plan Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #2 – Public Awareness Campaign

27. Cost Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #2 – Public Awareness Campaign

28. Cost Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #2 – Public Awareness Campaign

29. Case #3 – Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles: Learning Management System • Purpose of Case - • Case Requirements • Experience • Work Plan • Costs • Technical Requirements • The specifications of this case will be similar to the previous one, except that the agency is also requiring specific technical capabilities. You will have to demonstrate your ability to meet this requirement.

30. Experience Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #3 – Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles: Learning Management System

31. Experience Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #3 – Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles: Learning Management System

32. Work Plan Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #3 – Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles: Learning Management System

33. Work Plan Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #3 – Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles: Learning Management System

34. Cost Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #3 – Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles: Learning Management System

35. Cost Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #3 – Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles: Learning Management System

36. Technical Requirements What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #3 – Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles: Learning Management System

37. Technical Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #3 – Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles: Learning Management System

38. Case #4 – Agency for Healthcare Administration: Organ Donor Education Program • Purpose of Case - • Case Requirements • Experience • Work Plan • Costs • Staff Requirements • The specifications of this case will be similar to the first one, except that the agency is requiring an explanation of how you will meet staff requirements. The program requires specific jobs to be filled and you must be able to provide the people with these skills.

39. Experience Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #4 – Agency for Healthcare Administration: Organ Donor Education Program

40. Experience Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #4 – Agency for Healthcare Administration: Organ Donor Education Program

41. Work Plan Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #4 – Agency for Healthcare Administration: Organ Donor Education Program

42. Work Plan Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #4 – Agency for Healthcare Administration: Organ Donor Education Program

43. Cost Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #4 – Agency for Healthcare Administration: Organ Donor Education Program

44. Cost Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #4 – Agency for Healthcare Administration: Organ Donor Education Program

45. Staff Requirements What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #4 – Agency for Healthcare Administration: Organ Donor Education Program

46. Staff Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #4 – Agency for Healthcare Administration: Organ Donor Education Program

47. Case #5 – Agency for Workforce Innovation: Insurance Debit Card Services • Purpose of Case - • Case Requirements • Experience • Project Management Approach • In addition to a Work Plan typical of most proposal requests, this request is asking you to describe your approach to project management. • Work Plan • Costs • Transition Plan • The specifications of this case are similar to the first one, except that the agency is requiring an explanation of how you will transition the work and knowledge to people within the agency so that the new program can be sustained on an ongoing basis.

48. Experience Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #5 – Agency for Workforce Innovation: Insurance Debit Card Services

49. Experience Solution What’s missing? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 What’s extraneous? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Grammar / spelling errors? Case #5 – Agency for Workforce Innovation: Insurance Debit Card Services

50. Project Management Specifications What information is required? (select all that apply) Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 What is key? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Case #5 – Agency for Workforce Innovation: Insurance Debit Card Services