Completing a Request for Proposal (RFP) can be a challenging but rewarding process. It is necessary to remember about major steps to undertake to make the process less stressful and more effective. Clearly, one of the first steps is to understand what kind of project the human services administrator has in mind. It is crucial to outline the project and describe it in detail (Hartmetz, 2003). To do this, the administrator has to think of any question other people may ask about the project. Clearly, all of these questions have to be answered. It is possible to see other requests for proposals as well as grants available to understand which details are crucial.
It is also important to implement certain research on grants available as well as agencies providing these grants. It is a good idea to start the research online. For instance, Foundation Center (2010) provides valuable tips on completing RFPs. It is possible to find links to the lists of federal and state grants. The Grants Locator system developed by eCivis Inc. also provides extensive data on federal and state grants (Online solution eases local grant locating, 2007). The system contains evaluation of the grants, which can be very helpful for local governments as well as administrators who can get the necessary information on various grants and their attractiveness.
The next step is to choose the right grant and start completing the necessary forms. It is crucial to understand requirements of the agency to complete RFPs correctly. Again, online research will be helpful as the agencies provide certain guides for RFPs completion (Grants.Gov., 2010).
Apart from that, it is advisable to contact the agency and ask for the most recent information or sign up for latest updates (Foundation Center, 2010). It goes without saying that the Request for Proposal should be compiled in accordance with all the requirements of the agency. It should be detailed, concise and realistic. The project can be completed by the administrator or, if possible, it can be effective to encourage a group of people to work on it. The process should involve all people who will be working on the future project.
Clearly, completing RFPs is associated with numerous challenges. One of these challenges may be abundance of information. First, it is necessary to choose the right key words and read carefully information on the grant. It can be difficult to choose the right grant among those available as some of them may be (or, at least, seem) similar. It is important to focus on details. If there are similar grants, it is possible to write out their major peculiarities and compare major points of the grants with major aspects of the project.
Patti (2008) notes that organizations often face issues associated with scarce resources. Thus, an administrator can understand that the organization does not have enough resources to effectively implement the project. For instance, it can lack for human resources, facilities or the necessary experience. In these cases, it is possible to collaborate with another organization to implement the project (Patti, 2008). Some fundraisers fail to carefully keep their records, which often leads to certain issues with the agency. The administrator should always remember about the importance of keeping records in a very detailed form. This will also be beneficial for the project as it will be easier to evaluate the progress and resources used.
Works Cited
Foundation Center. (2010). Where can I find information about government grants? Grant Space. Web.
Grants.Gov. (2010) NIFA grants.gov application guide. Web.
Hartmetz, B. (2003). Writing your request for proposal right! Government Procurement, 11(5), 32.
Online solution eases local grant locating. (2007). Government Procurement, 15(1), 34.
Patti, R.J. (2008). The handbook of human services management. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.