Should you go after that RFP?

Whether we are consultants or nonprofit or public sector professionals, we all at some point wind up getting requests for proposals (RFPs). Hopefully, we get more of them than we can respond to. How should we choose among them?

The first step is to decide whether the work that is being asked for is in what the requesters would see as one of your core strengths. That is, it's not about whether you can do the work, but whether the person who reads your proposal thinks you can do the work. If not, you will be better off ditching the RFP or seeing if you can collaborate with another organization that specializes in the work.

Think about how you heard about the RFP. If someone at the requesting organization told you about it before it was issued, that's a good sign that you might be a strong candidate. If, on the other hand, you found out about it from someone outside the agency, and had to request a copy of the RFP, you are going to have a harder time proving yourself against your competitors. If the agency didn't send your group an RFP for something that you would normally do, the most likely reasons are that the issuers don't know you, or don't want you to respond. (Or it might be that the intern assigned to mail out the RFPs overlooked your address.)

Before you begin to write your proposal, get information from the issuer. Some of the things you want to know are:

*Does the requester have the money committed to the project? As strange as it sounds, some public agencies send out RFPs without having the money to pay for the work. What someone at the agency is probably doing is getting respondents to do the work of building a case to pay for the project. They may get the money, but that doesn't mean you will get the job. Note: this kind of practice is harmful to society in the long run. It increases the operating costs of responding organizations, which are then passed on to clients or employees.

*How much does the requester plan to spend? Any response other than a range of figures is a bad sign. "I don't know" means the agency might just be fishing for ideas -- which the agency might take on itself. "We can't tell you that" (or words to that effect) is a sign that the potential client might have a habit of hiding information. Clients that withhold important information will generate additional administrative and time costs -- and may blame you for the overruns.

*Why is the requester sending out the RFP? Clients and funding agencies aren't always clear in an RFP about what they want in a consultant or grantee. By asking questions such as: "Why do you want to do this?" "Why now?" and "What have you tried before?" you can get a richer sense of the requester's needs and beliefs.

There may be times when you should respond to an RFP, even if you sense some warning signs, or think you will be a long shot. Respond to the RFP if:

*You're trying to build a relationship with the requesting agency. You can use your proposal as a 'calling card' that might help you get future interviews on other projects.

*You're trying to build your image with competitors or potential clients. Requesters are more likely to pick the consultant or grantee that they know -- or at least have heard of.

*You don't mind taking a risk. Like the slogan for the New York Lottery -- Hey, you never know.

--Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP

For more information:
The Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program offers several courses to help you enhance your practice and business.  They include Business Development for Planners, Professional Writing Studio, and Who Do They Think You Are? Branding for Planning, Design and Development Professionals. To learn more about these courses, go to http://www.policy.rutgers.edu/bocep