What Are They Thinking?: Selection Panels
What are they thinking?
Isn’t this the question on everyone’s mind when they are putting the finishing touches on a proposal you hope will win that big contract?
There are three types of people on the selection panel for your proposal (this applies to private sector proposal submissions as well as government selection panels).
- Lead People - A portion of the selection panel who will be involved with project. These folks will be working with your firm when you win the project. They have a strong vested interest in the outcome of the selection. One or more of the panel will be lead people. Hopefully your contract officer will be one of these. They may or may not be technically familiar with your expertise, but they are the people you should have met when you were marketing yourself to the agency for this opportunity.
- Specialists – These folks are on the selection panel because they are reviewing the proposals for specific issues, unique to their department. They may or may not be technically proficient in the topics in your proposal. Risk Assessment, Logistics, Legal and other departments may be on the selection panel. You will be unlikely to have met with these people during your business development phase.
- Appointees – Believe it or not, there will be a few people on the panel who were recruited to review proposals for political reasons. They may or may not be technically proficient in the subject area. They may have been recruited simply as an extra set of eyes. In some cases, the project leader will have recruited like-minded folks to help out. In other cases, appointees are on the panel to appease a political situation having nothing to do with your proposal (“Be sure we have Western Division represented and someone from the Dirigible Command.”)
The majority of the players will not be working on the project once awarded. The majority of the players may have only a passing familiarity with your technology. However, they all have something in common. They know and understand the stated and unstated needs and issues of their own organization.
This is why it is critical to know the issues of the key decision-makers (BUGS) and their organization before you write your proposal.
One more point. Notice that these three types bear little or no resemblance to your own managers. Be sure to cover your bases on White Team and Red Team reviews with parties who can help you identify gaps of logic and failure to communicate to someone who is less than expert in your technology.
Call me so I can help you with your proposal review. (414) 807-3669.
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