Successful Proposal Strategies for Small Businesses Using Knowledge Management to Win Government, Private-Sector, and International Contracts, Fifth Edition -- Contents vii -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 Competitive proposals and small business -- 1.1 Overview -- 1.2 From set-asides to full-and-open competition -- 1.3 Small business constraints -- 1.4 Maximizing small business strengths -- 1.5 SBIR and STTR programs -- 1.6 Organizing your company to acquire new business -- 1.7 Effective strategic and mission planning -- 1.8 Converting knowledge into proposal success -- 1.8.1 KM benefits proposal development -- 1.8.2 Internal and external clients: looking at clients in a whole new way -- Endnotes -- Chapter 2 Strategic partnering and subcontracting opportunities -- 2.1 Subcontracting opportunities and pathways to success -- 2.2 Critical success factors -- 2.3 Specific strategies for achieving subcontracts -- 2.4 Becoming part of a governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC) team -- 2.5 How mentor-protégé programs can help your business -- Endnotes -- Chapter 3 Marketing to and with your clients -- 3.1 More than just selling -- 3.2 Transactions are personal-people buy from people -- 3.3 Listen to your client -- 3.4 Infuse marketing intelligence into your proposal -- 3.5 Intelligence gathering and analysis techniques -- 3.6 Call plans -- 3.7 Maintain management visibility on your contracts -- 3.8 Project managers as client managers -- 3.9 Commercial off-the-shelf acquisition -- 3.10 Pursuing firm-fixed-price and invitation-for-bid opportunities -- 3.11 Using the request for information and the request for comment as valuable marketing tools -- 3.12 Contractor prequalification statements -- 3.13 Ethics in marketing and business development -- 3.14 Advertising, trade shows, and high-impact public relations -- Endnotes.

Chapter 4 Requests for proposals -- 4.1 Overview -- 4.2 Part I-the schedule -- 4.3 Part II-contract clauses -- 4.4 Part III-list of documents, exhibits, and other attachments -- 4.5 Part IV-representations and certifications -- 4.6 The importance of Section L (instructions to offerors) -- 4.7 Section M (evaluation criteria): toward maximizing your score -- 4.8 Greatest or best-value approach -- 4.9 Emphasis on performance-based acquisition (PBA) -- 4.10 Influencing the content of an RFP-legitimately -- 4.11 Other types of solicitation documents -- Endnotes -- Chapter 5 Private-sector solicitation requests -- 5.1 Grant proposals-winning what you bid -- 5.1.1 Letters of inquiry -- 5.1.2 Balancing the technical and the nontechnical -- 5.1.3 Standard grant proposal components -- 5.2 Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) -- Chapter 6 The federal acquisition process: emerging directions -- 6.1 Major trends going forward -- 6.2 Rapid order task response -- 6.3 Federal procurement process overview -- 6.4 Statutory and regulatory requirements for competition -- 6.5 The source selection process -- 6.6 Full-and-open competition -- 6.7 Major contract types -- 6.8 Significant recent paradigm shifts in federal government acquisition -- 6.9 Understanding the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) -- Endnotes -- Chapter 7 The proposal life cycle -- 7.1 What is a proposal in the competitive federal and commercial marketplace? -- 7.2 Where does the proposal fit into the total marketing life cycle? -- 7.3 Bid-no bid decision-making process -- 7.4 Planning and organizing -- 7.4.1 Draft executive summary -- 7.4.2 Theme development -- 7.4.3 Storyboards -- 7.5 Kickoff meeting -- 7.6 Writing -- 7.7 Major contractor review cycles -- 7.7.1 Blue or Pink Team -- 7.7.2 Red Team -- 7.7.3 Gold Team -- 7.7.4 Black Team -- 7.7.5 Black hat review.

7.8 Preparing for orals and Final Proposal Revision (FPR) -- 7.9 Debriefings (refer to FAR 15.1003) -- Endnotes -- Chapter 8 Major proposal components -- 8.1 Overview -- 8.2 Transmittal letter -- 8.3 Technical volume -- 8.3.1 Front cover -- 8.3.2 Nondisclosure statement on the title page -- 8.3.3 Executive summary -- 8.3.4 Building a compliance (cross-reference) matrix -- 8.3.5 Narrative body of the technical volume -- 8.4 Management volume -- 8.5 Cost volume -- 8.6 Price to win -- 8.7 Government contract requirements -- Endnotes -- Chapter 9 Acquisition/capture and proposal team activities -- 9.1 Formation and function of acquisition/capture teams -- 9.2 Prekickoff activities -- 9.3 Proposal kickoff meeting -- 9.4 Postkickoff activities -- Chapter10 The role of the proposal manager -- 10.1 Overview -- 10.2 Generalized job description -- 10.3 Changing focus of proposal management -- 10.4 Effective solution development -- 10.5 Complementary roles and responsibilities of proposal and capture managers -- 10.5 Complementary roles and responsibilitiesof proposal and capture managers -- 10.6 The growing importance of oral presentations -- 10.6.1 Outsourcing oral presentation support -- 10.6.2 Oral presentation development process -- 10.6.3 Specific oral presentation guidelines for success -- 10.7 Attending to the details -- 10.8 Control of the schedule -- 10.9 Training additional staff in proposal managementskills -- 10.10 Finish the job at hand -- 10.11 Successful proposal managers -- Endnotes -- Chapter 11 Pursuing international business and structuring international proposals -- 11.1 Overview -- 11.2 Where in the world to begin? -- 11.3 The importance of the World Bank Group -- 11.4 Your company's participation in United Nations procurements -- 11.5 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) -- 11.6 Asian Development Bank (ADB).

11.7 International market planning -- 11.8 In-country partnerships -- 11.9 Host country procurement environments -- 11.10 Import-export considerations and technology transfer -- 11.11 Risk assessment -- 11.12 Terms and conditions -- 11.13 Ex-Im Bank of the United States assists small businesses -- 11.14 Helpful Web-based resources andin-country support infrastructures for small businesses -- 11.15 British-American Business Council -- 11.16 U.S. Trade and Development Agency -- 11.17 U.S. Agency for International Development -- Endnotes -- Chapter 12 Proposal production and publication -- 12.1 Internal documentation standards -- 12.2 Document configuration management and version control -- 12.3 Freelance and temporary publication staff -- 12.4 Incorporating technical brilliance up to the last minute -- 12.5 Graphics are an integral part of your proposal -- 12.5.1 Action captions -- 12.5.2 Configuration control of graphics -- 12.6 Role and structure of your publications group -- 12.7 Software and hardware compatibility, standards, and recommendations -- 12.8 Electronic proposal submittal and evaluation -- 12.9 Important documentation tips -- 12.10 Virtual proposal centers, intranets, and extranets -- 12.10.1 Useful document management systems (DMS) -- 12.11 Using freelance proposal writers to maintain technical productivity -- Endnotes -- Chapter 13 Human and organizational dynamics of the proposal process -- 13.1 Modifying our thinking to win -- 13.2 Building a competitive work ethic -- 13.3 Strong link between project performance and proposal success -- 13.4 Past performance-it's more important than you think! -- 13.5 Proposals can be fun! -- 13.6 Maximizing human intellect -- 13.7 Proposal professionals as change agents -- 13.8 Wellness in your proposal process -- Endnotes -- Chapter 14 Controlling bid and proposal costs.

14.1 What does it cost to get new business, and how are those costs recovered? -- 14.2 Tracking B&P expenditures -- 14.3 Business development bonus policy -- 14.4 Stretching limited marketing funds -- Endnote -- Chapter 15 Tried-and-true proposal writing and editing techniques -- 15.1 Proposals are knowledge-based salesdocuments -- 15.2 Active voice adds strength and saves space -- 15.3 Guide the client's evaluators through your proposal -- 15.4 Action captions -- 15.5 Methods of enhancing your proposal writing and editing -- 15.6 The power of framing -- 15.6.1 Grasping the highlights of framing theory -- 15.6.2 Framing, photography, and proposaling -- 15.6.3 Pictures, maps, and stories -- 15.6.4 Applying framing to your proposals -- 15.7 Government-recognized writing standards -- 15.8 Additional sources of writing guidance -- 15.9 Storytelling as an art form -- Endnotes -- Chapter 16 Packaging and managingproposal information and knowledge effectively -- 16.1 Overview -- 16.2 The all-important résumés -- 16.3 Project descriptions (project summaries orproject citations) -- 16.4 Proposal boilerplate (canned or reuse material) as knowledge assets -- 16.5 Marketing targets -- 16.6 Corporate library -- 16.7 Proposal lessons-learned database -- 16.8 Applying IT solutions: scalable informational data systems -- 16.8.1 IBM Lotus Notes scenarios -- 16.8.2 CD-ROM scenarios -- 16.8.3 Intranet scenarios -- 16.9 Small business KM success story-this stuff really works! -- 16.9.1 Small-scale, pilot KM initiatives applied to proposal development -- 16.9.2 Balance of tools, disciplined methodologies, and a supportive business culture -- 16.9.3 Development drivers and challenges -- 16.9.4 Sustainment and future enhancements -- 16.9.5 Transferable lessons learned -- 16.10 Leveraging federal performance appraisal systems to your company's benefit.

16.11 ISO-driven proposal and business development excellence.