RFP Section M. Compliance and Fulfillment Strategy

RFP Section M. Compliance and Fulfillment Strategy

Section M. Of government requests for proposals (RFPs), which contains the evaluation factors for the award of a contract, can be seen as one of the most important sections of the RFP. Though specific criteria for the project are not generally listed in this section, it is here that potential contractors can learn what areas or aspects of the project are most important, and specifically whether cost/price is the most important factor in a contract decision, the least important factor, or similar in importance to other contractual factors (Osborne, 2002). The following pages identify how this section of an RFP should be addressed, using a large and well-known government contractor (Lockheed Martin) and a typical RFP.

Strategies for Meeting Specifications

The primary evaluative criteria listed in Section M. Of a recent RFP for the KC-X, a new airline tanker plane to be designed and constructed for the U.S. military, are technical issues regarding the completion of the project itself and the capabilities of the company making the proposal, with an "unacceptable" rating on any technical elements rendering the entire proposal unacceptable (FA8625-10-R-6600, 2009). At the same time, such a technical emphasis is very common for this type of RFP and for Lockheed Martin, and the first sub-section in Section M. explicitly states that cost/price issues will be considered as equal in weight to all other factors combined (Beausoleil & Cole, 2010; FA8625, 2009). Meeting these criteria should not pose a significant problem for Lockheed Martin, but will require substantial planning regardless.

Meeting all technical requirements as detailed more fully in other sections of the RFP (but gone over in brief within Section M) will consist of providing the necessary information (i.e. The relevant sections of the RFP) to the appropriate departments and personnel within Lockheed Martin, such that effective and comprehensive descriptions of what will be built to meet these technical needs can be provided to the government for review. As there is no ranking as part of the evaluation of technical elements, but simply a determination of "acceptable" or "unacceptable," the concept if technical excellence will not apply and Lockheed Martin will lose some competitive advantage (Beausoleil & Cole, 2010; FA8625, 2009). Basic explanations of how specifications will be met should suffice in demonstrating the capabilities to fulfill this contract as described in Section M, however, and in this area the company's history and track record with government contracts should bolster the proposal's strength (Osborne, 2002).

As cost/price issues are considered equal to all technical elements, and indeed based on the actual gateway system described could be considered even more important in actual contract award (though technical aspects are more important in preventing proposal rejection), Lockheed Martin will also need to plan effectively for realistic cost estimates and controls (FA8625, 2009). Contact with suppliers, analysis of potential future supply chain issues that might affect production capabilities, and research into other cost-impacting factors and events should all be taken into account in making this proposal. The government should have as little reason to adjust the cost of the proposal as possible in order to place control of proposal success more firmly with Lockheed Martin (Osborne, 2002; Beausoleil & Cole, 2010).

Proposal Presentation Plan

There has been an increasing emphasis on the preparation and delivery of oral presentations as part of the proposal process, with successful awards often won or lost on the basis of these presentations (Tracy, 2011). Though the technical expertise and the costing estimates Lockheed Martin will produce are sure to be accurate, complete, and compelling in and of themselves, given the company's long history of excellence in performing up to the standards of its government contracts, it is often advantageous to hire writers or other presentation experts to prepare these oral presentations (Tracy, 2011). For this reason, and to ensure an objective party is able to take in, digest, and re-explain the project proposal -- thus more substantially ensuring the effectiveness and the clarity of the proposal -- Lockheed Martin will seek non-technical writing expertise in the creation of its proposal.

To approach this in an effective and advantageous manner, Lockheed Martin will need to ensure confidentiality as well as capabilities of the writer, and the completion of this writer's work should take place well in advance of the proposal deadline. Internal review of the presentation and possibly additional public speaking/presentation-making training and education should take place for the individuals entrusted with actually delivering the presentation to the relevant government officials. Through the application of such expertise in conjunction with Lockheed Martin's technical capabilities, all assurances and confidence should be made to the government regarding the contractual capabilities of the firm.

Cost Estimate