At the beginning of the movie “Casablanca,” the narrator explains the journey that the lucky ones make through Africa to the free world during World War II. “The others,” he says, “wait in Casablanca, and wait, and wait, and wait….”
Many people with government proposal experience know exactly what this is like. Right now, I am working on two proposals. Both RFPs were released over eight weeks ago, and the government has not yet answered questions on either one, despite the many ambiguities and inconsistencies, possibly errors, in the RFPs. What should a proposal team do? Continue to work against a document that is almost certain to be changed based on answers to questions? Take a break and wait for the answers? The same dilemma exists for the organizations that do the hard work necessary to build relationships and learn about opportunities early in the acquisition cycle, possibly during the market research phase, begin preparation to bid, and then find that the acquisition is delayed. It might even be in the early stages of getting canceled, but contractors don’t know that yet. The worst thing about these situations is that they are open-ended. The government rarely announces how long a delay will last, probably because no one really knows. And there is rarely a compelling event that forces action by a date certain.
Learning to navigate this space is frustrating, particularly for proposal managers, who like structure and certainty. It is dangerous to send the team members to the four winds and hope that everyone will re-assemble with the same level of energy and commitment when there is more certainty. It is equally risky, for different reasons, to keep the team working at the same level of intensity as they would work if the acquisition were on schedule. Planning based on contingencies rarely works, because there are too many of them.
For these reasons, here a few strategies, based on lessons learned over the years on proposals large and small, that might help others manage The Waiting Game:
First, if the team is large, I downsize to a core team that covers the essential functions (teaming, pricing, solution, contracts). Everyone else goes back to non-proposal work, with the understanding that all are on stand-by.
Second, I continue the daily call. If the team is small, everyone participates, but the call might only last 45 seconds. If there is a formal announcement of a delay, there are times when it makes sense to cut back the frequency, and only meet twice a week. In no instance will I turn off the gas altogether, unless the capture or business development executive tells me that the organization has made a no-bid decision.
Third, this is an excellent time to make sure that the infrastructure is in place (software licenses, printers, etc.), that the contact list is up-to-date, that everyone has notified the proposal or capture manager about planned time off, that all the teaming agreements are in place.
Fourth, delays offer an opportunity to dissect the draft RFP, RFI, or other market intelligence for elements that are likely to endure, regardless of the course of an acquisition. Most proposals require a management approach, even if there is no formal management plan. Many involve resumes of key and non-key personnel, as well as past performance information. Every proposal entails a price, and even if some of the details are in a state of flux, pricing discussions rarely start too early. Investment in any of these activities invariably pays off once the proposal clock is ticking in real time.
Fifth, this is also a great opportunity to research competitor strengths and weaknesses, as well as any new technologies or methodologies that might support the work once the final RFP (or answers to questions) is released. It is impossible to have too much information, and usually the best-informed player is the one that wins.
Finally, most of us in this game recognize that this is a proposal fact of life. Events do not unfold on a predictable schedule, and time spent lamenting this is time that could be better spent elsewhere.