An effective Management Plan can be written by an experienced Proposal Manager with little or no expertise in the subject matter of the RFP. Writing one from scratch however, is costly, time consuming, and tedious. The Proposal Architect provides model text for the different sections that comprise a management plan. Using model text and, if you have it, information from previously written proposals, can save thousands of proposal writing dollars and make a proposal more compelling and responsive to the RFP requirements.
Models for the following Management Plan sections are provided in Appendix B.
- Contract Organization and Management
- Contract Schedule
- Contract Management Policies
- Subcontractor Management and Relationships
- Corporate Support/Project Management Office
- Project Management System
- Staffing Plan
- Quality Assurance Plan
- Risk Management
- Transition Plan
- Human Resources Plan
- Information Security Plan
- Physical Security Plan
- Safety Plan
While using model text can save an enormous amount of time and money, it should be used judiciously. A proposal evaluator can spot untailored boilerplate in a heartbeat. Every paragraph should be carefully tailored to RFP requirements.
The RFP usually dictates what sections are required in your Management Plan. Any specific RFP requirements were identified during the RFP deconstruction phase. Using the outline created in the deconstruction process, develop as detailed an outline as you can. Then use the Model Sections in Appendix B to augment it. Keep the following in mind when using model text in Appendix B:
- Tailor, tailor, and tailor. (It can’t be stated too many times.) The model text applies to a large, information technology service contract and may be over kill for many proposals. Contract organization and management policies and procedures are generally universal for all types of contracts so select what works, tailor it, and delete the excess text.
- Use text only if asked for in the RFP. (If they didn’t ask for a Quality Assurance Plan, don’t write one.)
- Don’t include material for the sake of words or to try to impress an evaluator.
- Management Plans for large contracts usually range from 20 to 30 pages in length; often the RFP specifies a page limitation for the Management Plan.
- Every RFP is different. Model sections may not fit perfectly. For example, an RFP might request that management, project organization, and staffing be written as a single piece or separately.
- In selecting model text, delete when in doubt. You will probably have to move the sections and subsections around to fit the requirements of the RFP. Don’t be surprised if there are new sections that have to be developed from scratch
- Don’t force-fit text; again, delete when in doubt.
The Proposal Manager should be careful to keep the writing of the Management Plan and the Technical Approach completely separate so that technical personnel focus on the technical approach alone. A draft of the management plan can be circulated to the technical personnel once both are finished.
It's up to the Proposal Manager to tie the two together as the proposal progresses.
Click here to download Model Management Plan Sections
