generally come with deadlines, so prioritizing the related activities is relatively easy. The RFQ/RFP provides the deadline for asking techni- cal questions. If you know the steps and how long each one takes, you can work backwards from the due date to establish priorities and schedules. Obviously, positioning activities have to happen in advance of the RFQ or RFP. Solicitations generally have a window of no more than 30 days, and that is not enough time to identify a potential client, schedule a meeting, and build a relationship before submittals are due. So you will need a way to identify potential clients with upcoming projects, to start making visits before the solicitation is released. Pursuing projects Marketing/business development — it’s a process, it’s a process, it’s a process! Part of the process is dictated by your firm, and that involves how pursuit decisions are made. How does your firm find out about projects? How does your firm acquire RFQs/RFPs? Does the firm have a “Go/No Go” evaluation process that each opportunity must navigate? How do you determine what subconsultants you will need on your team? Who makes the final decision? How does your firm position itself with potential clients/owners? Once your decision to pursue a project has been made, much of the process is controlled by the client/owner and communicated through the RFQ/RFP. The solicitation document tells you what information and proofs the client/owner wants to see; how they want the informa-
tion organized and, often, other details about presentation (i.e., type font and size, margins, graphics requirements, page imitations, number of copies, etc.); when the submittal is due and in what form (i.e., print or digital); and whether there will be shortlist interviews and when. Timeframes for pursuits At one large southwestern municipal utility, once a firm makes the decision to pursue, the agency’s procurement process involves: • RFQ — Request for general qualifications in a specific technical disci- pline or group of disciplines. • Pre-proposal meeting at utility office — Utility staff provide more detail on what they are looking for. • Submittal of Statement of Qualifications — Your response to the RFQ. • Screening interview — Your technical folks talk technical with the util- ity’s technical folks to determine which teams really know their stuff. • Short-list announcement — Generally three to five firms/teams that will move to the next stage of the procurement process. • Request for Proposal — Similar to RFQ but now including the request for a project approach, how the team will be managed, schedule infor- mation, and other information. • Submittal of Technical proposal — Your response to the RFP • Shortlist interview — After determining who are the most qualified, the client/owner wants to determine who they will most enjoy working with. • Selection — Congratulations! • Contract negotiation — Final technical details, costs, terms, and condi- tions. • Notice to Proceed — Go!
RECORDS
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National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying® P.O. Box 1686, Clemson, S.C. 29633 864.654.6824
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february 2018
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