Proposal managers are the best people to deal with proposals

Proposal Manager holds one of the key positions in a proposal management team. He controls the proposal plan, an operative control, i.e. every step of a proposal making. He implements proposal processes and planning and manages proposal schedules, plans, deadlines, and progress monitoring and develops the proposal outline and compliance matrix. It is the work of a proposal manager to make sure that the proposal gets required staffing and the necessary resources and to coordinate all the proposal making activities.

Proposals responding to Government RFPs or Government proposals to be short, can easily have Proposal Manager in a key position. Now let us take a look at what Government proposal exactly is.

Government Proposal

A government contract proposal, often called a government proposal in business, is a response to written requirements issued by a government entity that wants to buy something. Governments request competitive contract proposals when they believe more issues are involved than just initial cost in buying. Along with cost, governments often consider issues such as risk, schedule, quality and long-term cost. Government proposals are written in response to specific requests for proposals (RFPs) which specify the requirements the government wants in the product or service it wishes to buy.

Most government proposals contain the following parts:

• Requirements matrix, a pairing proposal requirements with where in the proposal the vendor's response will be found.
• Executive summary, a synopsis of why the government customer should buy from the proposing vendor.
• Technical/management discussion, a requirement-by-requirement narrative of how the vendor meets the requirements and a discussion of how the vendor will manage the contract if it is awarded
• Cost volume, a presentation of all costs, including the cost basis (e.g., how labor rates were calculated), implementation plan, and implementation schedule
• Past performance/relevant experience volume, detailing performance on past contracts of similar size and scope.

The Competitive Market and the APMP

In lieu of the Government Proposals it is clear that the market is more competitive than ever and hence a captivating proposal has a huge role to play, and so a proposal manager will be keen to hone their skills in order to have an edge over their competitors. Hence APMP comes in. APMP or Association of Proposal Management Professionals is an association that works for the advancement of arts, sciences, and technology of new business acquisition and to promote the professionalism of those involved in these areas.

Through education APMP provides its members, access to tools, methods, processes, innovations, talent and specialized expertise that can directly improve their ability to attract customers and to have sustained growth and competitiveness. Proposal managers looking for the latest tools, tips, techniques, and other career enhancements can obtain huge benefit from an association with the APMP.