There is a widespread perception that the preparation of an extensive and exhaustive proposal is a necessary evil inherent to doing work with the federal government. The foregoing has been true when one is talking about responding to published Requests for Proposals (RFP's). On the other hand, federal agencies using multi-vendor contracts, such as GSA Schedules or Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC's), to purchase solutions have not typically been particularly stringent in requiring full-blown proposals in response to task orders. Two recent developments have caused agencies to reexamine proposal requirements for task orders and agencies are now starting to require vendors to submit full (or nearly full-blown) proposals in response to task orders. The developments are as follows:

1. The press and Congress publicly debating whether multi-vendor contracts meet the competition test required under applicable federal regulations.
2. Representative Henry Waxman and the Democrats are making political hay over contract fraud and abuse.

As a result of the issues discussed above, federal agencies are tightening the screws on vendors holding multi-vendor contracts. Federal officials don't want to read proposals any more than companies want to write them. But the same officials will do whatever is necessary to keep the auditors at bay.

The award of most task orders is not particularly competitive because of advance, front-end selling on the part of the multi-vendor contract holders. As with the preparation of proposals drafted in response to a public RFP, vendors should respond to task-order proposals with a defensive proposal in hand. The submitted proposal should defend the sales beachhead that you have established with the customer prior to the issuance of the task order. To refresh your memory, a defensive proposal has the following characteristics:

1. It presents a creative and practical solution from the customer's perspective.
2. The proposal gives the customer what he or she wants; no more and no less.
3. It meets each and every requirement of the RFP.
4. The proposal is free of sales fluff and unsubstantiated claims.
5. It is clear, concise and easy to read.

A defensive proposal is written with a goal in mind of being the last one standing. The key is to stave off elimination. In writing federal proposals, the best offense is a great defense.