Drafting a Comprehensive Request for Proposal Essay

Introduction

Drafting a comprehensive request for proposal (RFP) is an essential process that defines the customer’s needs and wishes in the project. The approach described in the text suggests six primary steps of the RFP drafting process, while the resource for comparison outlines five steps.

Steps

1. Both resources emphasize the purpose of the RFP as the first essential step of the drafting process. However, the described text also mentions the background information that could be beneficial.
2. Both resources suggest similar steps. Watts and Shiff propose a “clear description of project goals and results” while the described text mentions a “statement of work (SOW).”
3. The third step is the same – both resources recognize customer criteria or requirements of the project.
4. Watts and Shiff mention a “wish list” as the fourth step, which includes optional elements of the project that the customer would like to see. At the same time, the described approach considers “deliverables the customer expects the contractor to provide” (Gido et al. 48). These descriptions differ significantly since the company must provide the deliverables but not necessarily the optional elements.
5. Watts and Shiff include a “timeline for the project” as the fifth step. On the other hand, the described text elaborates on customer requirements and concerns “acceptance criteria.” As a result, the approaches to the fifth step are uniquely different. Watts and Shiff conclude the drafting process on this step.
6. Lastly, the described approach by Gido et al. (48) also mentions the list of “any customer-supplied items.” This step is important since the customer might have some attachments that are essential to the project’s success.

Conclusion

Summing up, both resources provide similar descriptions of the RFP drafting process. Personally, I prefer the approach presented in the original text since it elaborates more on the results, deliverables, and acceptance criteria of the project. Although, I believe that introducing a timeline as a separate step of the plan might be beneficial to the project implementation.

Work Cited

Gido, Jack, et al. Successful Project Management (7^th edition). Cengage Learning, 2018.

Watts, Stephen and Laura Shiff. “The Ultimate RFP Guide: Steps, Guidelines & Template for Requests for Proposals.” BMC, Web.