Lesson 9: RFP Response Project Management

What is the role of the Proposal Project Manager?

Proposal managers create and lead the project strategy. In other words, they help guide the project workflow to make sure the team is meeting deadlines and deliverables.

They do this through:

• Creating and maintaining the project plan.
• Assigning and following up on project responsibilities.
• Acting as a liaison between proposal writers and Subject-Matter Experts (SMEs).
• Scheduling and coordinating meetings and internal deadlines.

Who supports the Proposal Project Manager?

• Proposal writers.
• Proposal coordinators.
• SMEs.
• Proposal effort executive sponsors.
• Editors.
• Capture managers.

The proposal manager will assign tasks to each team member and monitor progress or any roadblocks they may encounter.

Of course, team roles and responsibilities can change from project to project, so the proposal manager’s role is dependent on the size of the bid effort. On smaller teams, the proposal manager may also be a proposal writer and coordinator, whereas, on larger teams, the each member will have individual roles and responsibilities.

We will explore these roles in more detail in Lesson 11.

What tools should a Proposal Project Manager use?

To keep the project running smoothly, the proposal manager may take advantage of external resources, including:

• Project planning tools.
• Editing and finalization software.

Project planning tools help assign responsibility, track progress and indicate next steps.

Our favorite project planning tools are Microsoft Teams Planner, Microsoft Teams Lists, and Microsoft Excel. These tools all offer easy-to-use interfaces, and all integrate seamlessly with our content libraries.

• We prefer to keep our systems as integrated as possible but using external project planning software such as Asana, Monday, and Hive can be another great option.

Editing and finalization software can expedite the production process and save time. Projects with quick turnarounds or smaller proposal teams call for increased automation tools that check for passive voice, clarity, and concision.

While Microsoft Word comes with a built-in editor, implementing external editing software such as PerfectIt or Grammarly is a simple way for any team to edit text and clean up documents thoroughly.

Key Takeaways:

The proposal manager is a vital member of the proposal team tasked with determining which plays will lead to a proposal touchdown and winning bid effort.

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