Criteria: Need Both Parts – Each evaluation criterion in an RFP must have two parts. Do yours measure up?

No Need for Anarchy – There is no need for anarchy in your proposal evaluations... if you design your criteria well.

The Winning Proposal – Coming up with the winning proposal in response to an RFP involves more than just the writing... but that's really important too.

We Have Your Number – Every separate block of text in your RFP must have a number. But doesn't your template built with Microsoft Word already do that automatically? Well, sometimes. One should always be aware of the limitations of one's own experience and tools. When this doesn't work well, you look sloppy.

RFP Questions and Fine Wine – RFP questions are not like fine wine. They do not improve with age. Fast and clear answers to RFP questions are essential to maintain your credibility as an owner that contractors will want to work with.

Proposal Length: No limits – A proposal size limit is a red flag to busy respondents. If you write your RFP with objective criteria, you eliminate bloated proposals. And you get a host of follow-on advantages for free. This is probably contrary to what you learned in RFP school.

Information on Requests for Information (RFIs) – There are two secrets to doing a pre-RFP RFI and doing it well. Why these are secrets is not clear but many people struggle with effective RFI design. This article explains all!

Brief Brief on Debriefs – Dreading that post-RFP debrief of unhappy bidders? Just don't do it! Well OK, it's too late now to dodge that bullet for this RFP. But with some foresight and a bit of work NEXT time around, you can remove the need and desire for such a face-to-face ordeal and turn the whole process into a non-confrontational positive experience for everyone. No, you probably never learned this in RFP school either. So, check out this article to find out more.

Making a Procurement Decision-making Framework Work – Out-of-the-book guidance often don't exist to help you make real procurement decisions. And especially if you're spending public money, explaining WHY you made that decision is sometimes more important than the decision itself. But if you use the structure of procurement principles, you can easily explain HOW and WHY you made your decisions. This article explains the background.

TimmiT Rules of Procurement – a tongue-in-cheek look at the world of procurement based on years of actually living there; very short video clips

...and more publications from Tim!

TimmiT editing, writing, procurement