Before you undertake any project, what do you put in place? A plan. Writing a proposal is no different. The objective of preparing a proposal plan is to establish direction for the proposal. This should be accomplished BEFORE tapping into the energy of writers, SMEs, HR and the rest of team and surely before any writing whatsoever is undertaken.

Preparing a proposal plan begins after the business development team has identified an opportunity and when a bid/no-bid meeting results in a decision to bid. During the planning phase, the proposal manager takes the lead in preparing a plan for the response. This plan may be worked on before the request for proposal (RFP) is released, with the kickoff meeting timed to occur shortly after the release.

The first step in planning a proposal response is the identification of a response team. At this stage, the proposal manager identifies and allocates resources for developing a response. For larger proposals, an additional first step may be the deconstruction of the RFP -- the step in the process where the RFP's requirements regarding the proposal's content and presentation ("shall" statements) are dissected into a compliance matrix (see Cornerstones to Proposal Success: Compliance). The compliance matrix is used to ensure the response addresses every RFP requirement (thereby ensuring full compliance). Assuming the RFP has been released, the response team members should also thoroughly review the RFP, compile a list of questions and deliver the set of questions to the customer for their review and response.

The proposal plan is the core piece in the development of the team's responses to the RFP. It is developed by the proposal manager based on information provided by a Capture Plan and the final RFP. The plan should incorporate information brought over from the Capture Phase (such as the RFP's requirements, the prospects, key competitors, and win strategies and themes). It includes a proposed outline for the response, a schedule for completing the response, a writers' package, and a clear delineation of staffing roles and responsibilities.

Prior to the kickoff meeting, the proposal manager should hold a planning meeting to review and solidify the elements of the proposal plan. The kickoff meeting is then held. The proposal manager should encourage participation by everyone on the proposal response team and should ensure that subcontractors are represented at the meeting (see Working with Teaming Partners to Draft Proposals). The kickoff initiates the refinement of win strategies, contributor assignments, and the daily operations and schedule for completing a winning proposal. Only at this point should you start writing.