Proposal preparation: where error-free communication is critical

The author discusses proposal types and offers suggestions on organizing and shaping proposal content. The objective is error-free communication through the written word. It is concluded that the major competitive proposal must address the information needs of various specialists in the customer´s organization, providing them with the data they need to perform a favorable review of the proposal. This means that the executive summary must provide a top-level overview of the proposed program, selling its merits while justifying any exceptions taken to the requests for proposals. The technical volume must provide the data required by the various specialists for their evaluation; ideally, it is written with the proposal evaluation criteria in mind so that the justification for a high score leaps from the page.<>