Successful proposal strategies for small businesses : using knowledge management to win government, private-sector, and international contracts / Robert S. Frey.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Frey, Robert S.

Series:

Artech House technology management and professional development library.

Artech House technology management and professional development library

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Proposal writing for grants--United States.

Proposal writing for grants.

Small business--United States--Finance.

Small business.

Physical Description:

xix, 569 p. : ill.

Edition:

4th ed.

Place of Publication:

Boston : Artech House, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Newly expanded and thoroughly revised to reflect and meet the demands of a high-velocity global business environment, the Fourth Edition of this popular book and its companion CD-ROM help small and mid-sized businesses as well as non-profit organizations and public-sector agencies to achieve effective, efficient, and disciplined business development, proposal development, and knowledge management (KM) processes. Among an extensive array of updates and new material, the Fourth Edition discusses storytelling as a proposal art, the value of front-end proposal planning and storyboarding, the importance of honoring the customer mission in proposals, and the latest trends in performance-based acquisition (PBA). CD-ROM Included Features a searchable directory of government agencies, easy-to-use proposal templates, and an extensive list of acronyms.

Contents:

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

Contents vii

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction xv

Chapter1 Competitive proposals and small business 1

1.1 Overview 1

1.2 From set-asides to full-and-open competition 7

1.3 Small business constraints 11

1.4 Maximizing small business strengths 11

1.5 SBIR and STTR programs 13

1.6 Organizing your company to acquire new business 16

1.7 Effective strategic and mission planning 22

1.8 Converting knowledge into proposal success 24

Endnotes 37

Chapter 2 Strategic partnering and subcontracting opportunities 43

2.1 Subcontracting opportunities and pathways to success 44

2.2 Critical success factors 45

2.3 Specific strategies for achieving subcontracts 46

2.4 Becoming part of a governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC) team 51

2.5 How mentor-protégé programs can help your business 54

Endnotes 57

Chapter 3 Marketing to and with your clients 59

3.1 More than just selling 59

3.2 Transactions are personal-people buy from people 65

3.3 Listen to your client 66

3.4 Infuse marketing intelligence into your proposal 66

3.5 Intelligence gathering and analysis techniques 68

3.6 Call plans 72

3.7 Maintain management visibility on your contracts 78

3.8 Project managers as client managers 81

3.9 Commercial off-the-shelf acquisition 83

3.10 Pursuing firm-fixed-price and invitationfor- bid opportunities 84

3.11 Using the request for information and the request for comment as valuable marketing tools 85

3.12 Standard Form 129s and contractor prequalification statements 86

3.13 Ethics in marketing and business development 87

3.14 Advertising, trade shows, and high-impact public relations 89

Endnotes 95.

Chapter 4 Requests for proposals 97

4.1 Overview 97

4.2 Part I-the schedule 100

4.3 Part II-contract clauses 100

4.4 Part III-list of documents, exhibits, and other attachments 101

4.5 Part IV-representations and certifications 101

4.6 The importance of Section L (instructions to offerors) 101

4.7 Section M (evaluation criteria): toward maximizing your score 104

4.8 Greatest or best-value approach 104

4.9 Emphasis on performance-based acquisition (PBA) 105

4.10 Influencing the content of an RFP-legitimately 107

4.11 Other types of solicitation documents 109

Endnotes 110

Chapter 5 Private-sector solicitation requests 111

5.1 Grant proposals-winning what you bid 114

5.2 Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) 117

Chapter 6 The federal acquisition process: emerging directions 121

6.1 Overview 121

6.2 Statutory and regulatory requirements for competition 122

6.3 The source selection process 123

6.4 Full-and-open competition 126

6.5 Major contract types 127

6.6 Significant recent paradigm shifts in federal government acquisition 128

6.7 Understanding the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) 134

Endnotes 142

Chapter 7 The proposal life cycle

7.1 What is a proposal in the competitive federal and commercial marketplace? 145

7.2 Where does the proposal fit into the total marketing life cycle? 148

7.3 Bid-no bid decision-making process 164

7.4 Planning and organizing 166

7.5 Kickoff meeting 173

7.6 Writing 173

7.7 Major contractor review cycles 178

7.8 Preparing for orals and Final Proposal Revision (FPR) 186

7.9 Debriefings (refer to FAR 15.1003) 187

Endnotes 188

Chapter 8 Major proposal components 189

8.1 Overview 189

8.2 Transmittal letter 190

8.3 Technical volume 191

8.4 Management volume 199

8.5 Cost volume 208.

8.6 Government contract requirements 210

Endnotes 210

Chapter 9 Acquisition/capture and proposal team activities 213

9.1 Formation and function of acquisition/ capture teams 213

9.2 Prekickoff activities 215

9.3 Proposal kickoff meeting 217

9.4 Postkickoff activities 223

Chapter10 The role of the proposal manager 225

10.1 Overview 225

10.2 Generalized job description 227

10.3 Changing focus of proposal management 236

10.4 Effective solution development 239

10.5 Complementary roles and responsibilities of proposal and capture managers 242

10.6 The growing importance of oral presentations 242

10.7 Attending to the details 247

10.8 Control of the schedule 248

10.9 Training additional staff in proposalmanagement skills 251

10.10 Finish the job at hand 252

10.11 Successful proposal managers 252

Endnotes 253

Chapter11 Pursuing international business and structuring international proposals 255

11.1 Overview 255

11.2 Where in the world to begin? 256

11.3 The importance of the World Bank Group 258

11.4 Your company's participation in United Nations procurements 262

11.5 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) 263

11.6 Asian Development Bank (ADB) 264

11.7 International market planning 265

11.8 In-country partnerships 267

11.9 Host country procurement environments 268

11.10 Import-export considerations and technology transfer 268

11.11 Risk assessment 269

11.12 Terms and conditions 269

11.13 Ex-Im Bank of the United States assists small businesses 270

11.14 Helpful Web-based resources and in-country support infrastructures for small businesses 272

11.15 British-American Business Council 284

11.16 U.S. Trade and Development Agency 284

11.17 U.S. Agency for International Development 285

Endnotes 288.

Chapter 12 Proposal production and publication 291

12.1 Internal documentation standards 293

12.2 Document configuration management and version control 294

12.3 Freelance and temporary publication staff 296

12.4 Incorporating technical brilliance up to the last minute 296

12.5 Graphics are an integral part of your proposal 297

12.6 Role and structure of your publications group 301

12.7 Software and hardware compatibility, standards, and recommendations 302

12.8 Electronic proposal submittal and evaluation 304

12.9 Important documentation tips 305

12.10 Virtual proposal centers, intranets, and extranets 307

12.11 Using freelance proposal writers to maintain technical productivity 311

Endnotes 313

Chapter 13 Human and organizational dynamics of the proposal process 315

13.1 Modifying our thinking to win 316

13.2 Building a competitive work ethic 317

13.3 Strong link between project performance and proposal success 318

13.4 Past performance-it's more important than you think! 319

13.5 Proposals can be fun! 325

13.6 Maximizing human intellect 325

13.7 Proposal professionals as change agents 328

Endnotes 329

Chapter 14 Controlling bid and proposal costs 331

14.1 What does it cost to get new business, and how are those costs recovered? 332

14.2 Tracking B&amp

P expenditures 333

14.3 Business development bonus policy 333

14.4 Stretching limited marketing funds 336

Endnote 337

Chapter 15 Tried-and-true proposal writing and editing techniques 339

15.1 Proposals are knowledge-based sales documents 339

15.2 Active voice adds strength and saves space 342

15.3 Guide the client's evaluators through your proposal 344

15.4 Action captions 346

15.5 Methods of enhancing your proposal writing and editing 347

15.6 Government-recognized writing standards 349.

15.7 Additional sources of writing guidance 350

15.8 Storytelling as an art form 350

Endnotes 352

Chapter 16 Packaging and managing proposal information and knowledge effectively 353

16.1 Overview 353

16.2 The all-important résumés 354

16.3 Project descriptions (project summaries) 357

16.4 Proposal boilerplate (canned or reuse material) as knowledge assets 359

16.5 Marketing targets 359

16.6 Corporate library 364

16.7 Proposal lessons-learned database 365

16.8 Applying IT solutions: scalable informational data systems 367

16.9 Small business KM success story-this stuff really works! 370

16.10 Leveraging federal performance appraisal systems to your company's benefit 374

16.11 ISO-driven proposal and business development excellence 375

Endnotes 379

Chapter17 Leveraging business complexity in a knowledge-based economy 381

17.1 Turbulent transition toward knowledge-based business 381

17.2 How to communicate effectively on your knowledge landscape 384

17.3 Envisioning supple business models 387

17.4 Sample application: tracing complexity and KM through the proposal development process 391

17.5 Summation 392

Endnotes 393

Chapter 18 Planning and producing SF330 responses for architect-engineer services 395

18.1 SF330 and the FAR 395

18.2 Understanding the required structure of the response 396

18.3 Overall strategy of response 403

18.4 Section F: selling your project experience 404

18.5 Section H: structure according to the evaluation criteria 404

18.6 Section H outlining 405

18.7 Subcontractor participation 405

18.8 Building teaming agreements 406

Epilogue Thinking to win smallbusiness competitive proposals 411

AppendixA Sample proposal kickoff package 415

Appendix B Template to capture important résumé information 429.

AppendixC Marketing information and intelligence sources: federal, international, and private sector 435.

Notes:

Title from title screen.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 525-543) and index.

Digitized and made available by: Books24x7.com.

ISBN:

1-58053-958-0

OCLC:

929146953