EEGQ 5221 Professional Engineering Practice
48 hrs, 1.0 units
Professor George S. Agoki, PhD (Civil Eng.),
PE,
MASCE, MNSBE,
MASABE, MASEE,
MASEM
Professor George S. Agoki
LICENSES & CERTIFICATION
Texas - Texas Board of Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors
Professional Engineer (PE) License #133762
LICENSES & CERTIFICATION
Eminent Fellow of the American Biographical Institute for Distinguished Leadership In
University Education and
Road Safety Research, 1998
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Charter Member of the Transportation & Development Institute of ASCE
Lifetime Member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
Member of the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM)
Member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
Lifetime Member of the American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers (ASABE)
EEGQ 5221 Professional Engineering Practice 48
hrs, 1.0 units
Financial, legal, regulatory, human resource ethical and business
aspects of engineering practice.
Office organisation and management.
Human resource management.
Professional societies.
Engineering registration.
The role of engineering in development.
Ethics and integrity in engineering practice.
EEGQ 5221 Professional Engineering Practice 48 hrs, 1.0 units
3. The role of engineering in development.
Project Management
Request for Proposal of Project
Terms of Reference for Project
Procurement
Technical Proposal of Project
Financial Proposal of Project
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management:
Brings order to your proposal process
Request for Proposal of Project
If you’ve ever responded to a request for
proposal (RFP), you know the feeling of
relief that comes when you finally submit
the finished proposal.
Request for Proposal of Project
After all, your response is likely the
product of hours of hard work spent
writing, revising, designing and
reviewing.
Request for Proposal of Project
Depending on your RFP project
management approach (or lack
thereof), the path to creating the final
proposal may have been anything but
clear.
Request for Proposal of Project
This is the case for many proposal teams.
Request for Proposal of Project
• Without a clear RFP project management
approach, responding to RFPs is chaotic,
unclear and frustrating.
• Even worse, the lack of organization often
results in unsuccessful bids, rendering the
time you invested a total waste.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management brings order to the
information, tasks and people involved in the
RFP response process.
Furthermore, it lays the groundwork for
executing a faster, easier and more effective
process.
Request for Proposal of Project
This lecture will explore the ins and outs of RFP
project management:
Learn key definitions, why project management
works well for the proposal process and
common approaches to try.
See key steps to implementing an RFP project
management strategy.
Provide tips and resources to ensure success.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management basics
Benefits of RFP project management and
common strategies
How to apply project management to your
proposal process
Tips for successful RFP project management
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management basics
Project management is one of the three
key skills required for successful proposal
management.
It is the strategy for executing the proposal
process.
Project management definition
Request for Proposal of Project
Project management
sometimes abbreviated as PM, is the
practice of planning and executing defined
processes that organize the actions, tools,
roles and knowledge required to accomplish
a specific goal.
Request for Proposal of Project
Project management
Typically,each project has a unique goal
and a set ending point.
Ultimately, the purpose of project
management is to improve efficiency,
consistency and outcomes.
Request for Proposal of Project
What is an RFP in project management?
In project management, RFP stands for request
for proposal.
An RFP is a formal request sent from a
buyer/client to potential vendors/professional
seeking a product, service or solution.
Request for Proposal of Project
What is an RFP in project management?
The RFP document asks all
vendors/consultants/professionals the
same questions.
Request for Proposal of Project
What is an RFP in project management?
Then, interested vendors submit their
answers in a proposal document for
consideration.
Request for Proposal of Project
What is an RFP in project management?
This approach promotes transparency and
fairness while enabling buyers/clients to make
data-driven purchasing/acquisition decisions
using consistent criteria.
Request for Proposal of Project
Howdo project management principles
apply to RFPs?
Request for Proposal of Project
There’s no way around it, RFPs are notoriously
difficult to manage.
There are dozens of elements to organize.
And, they are a key element of business
growth.
Despite their importance, the same
challenges arise over and over again.
Request for Proposal of Project
Typically, the core of the problem is a lack
of communication and accountability,
making project management and RFPs a
natural match.
Request for Proposal of Project
Requests for proposals are projects with a set
beginning and end.
In addition, the many tools, people and actions
required to accomplish the end goal must come
together in the right order at the right time.
Consequently, project management creates a
helpful framework for organizing the RFP
response process.
Request for Proposal of Project
What does an RFP project manager do?
Many most successful proposal
coordinators share similar duties and skill
sets that make them particularly effective
at proposal management.
Request for Proposal of Project
Effective RFP project managers are:
Team leaders
Highly organized
Critical thinkers
Detail oriented
Collaborative
Creative problem solvers
Patient
Communicative
Strategy focused
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager responsibilities
Within the RFP response project, the proposal
coordinator acts as the project manager.
Consequently, they are ultimately responsible
for the completion and on-time delivery of the
proposal.
However, there are a number of other
responsibilities that they perform.
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager duties
Act as an advocate for the organization
If, at any point, the desired outcome is no
longer achievable, it’s their responsibility to
cut losses and move on or escalate the
problem to executive management.
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager duties
Gather and aggregate intelligence
From summarizing the capture management
plan to collecting and inserting answers
from subject matter experts (SMEs), the proposal
manager brings it all together.
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager duties
Facilitate team meetings
The project manager schedules meetings
and creates the agenda.
For example, they run the kick off, update,
review and debrief meetings.
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager duties
Establish and communicate expectations
The RFP response timeline is created and
enforced by the proposal project manager.
Indeed, they set touch points and milestones to
ensure on-time final proposal delivery.
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager duties
Solve problems that arise
As the project manager, they are responsible for clearing
roadblocks, managing bottlenecks, bridging
communication gaps and correcting blindspots.
Essentially, they do whatever it takes to keep the project
moving forward.
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager duties
Facilitate communication between steps
The proposal project manager ensures that
tasks with chronological dependencies
move forward to the next person promptly.
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager duties
Facilitate communication between steps
Ifyour process is manual, that may be an email
notification. Alternatively if you use RFP response
software, those task notifications are managed
by proposal automation.
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager duties
Act as the buyer’s/client’s point of contact
To centralize communications between your
organization and the buyer/client, the
proposal manager acts as the primary point of
contact.
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager duties
Act as the buyer’s/client’s point of contact
Assuch, they ask which elements of the RFP
are most important to the evaluators, request
scoring and evaluation information, seek
feedback about lost opportunities and
request evaluation scoring information.
Request for Proposal of Project
Proposal project manager duties
Verify the proposal is compliant
The project manager is responsible for
ensuring that the proposal meets each of
the RFP evaluation criteria and requirements
before approving the final draft.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and common
approaches
Project management defines the goal, and provides a
step-by-step guide plan to reach that goal.
Because it breaks down the project into individual tasks,
deliverables and workflows, it’s much easier to manage.
But, these aren’t the only benefits of RFP project
management.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and common
approaches
How project management improves the proposal process
Ensures team alignment and defines objectives
Improves process predictability
Enhances clarity between teams by defining RFP terminology
Provides quick updates for inquiring executive leaders
Promotes consistency that enables data capture and optimization
Creates an organized approach, making responding to unknown factors easier
Enables fast adaptation to challenges by identifying impacted parties
Reduces the risk of including inaccurate, unapproved or unreviewed responses
Improves understanding of the meaning and intent of RFP questions
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
Common RFP project management
strategies
Project management practices evolved
over the years as business strategies and
technology advanced.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and common
approaches
Iffinding the right approach for your team feels
overwhelming, consider asking your proposal
colleagues and fellow project managers for
insight on the strategies they prefer.
Alternatively, you can start by exploring three of
the most popular approaches for RFPs below.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
A good choice for teams that struggle to
know who is doing what.
An RFP RACI matrix focuses on identifying
the roles required to complete each task
within the project.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
A good choice for teams that struggle to
know who is doing what.
the RACI acronym represents each of the
roles and stands for responsible,
accountable, consulted and informed.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and common
approaches
A good choice for teams that struggle to know who is doing
what.
For example, when answering new questions in an
RFP, the proposal manager is often the person
responsible, a subject matter expert would be
accountable, a stakeholder or sales person may
be consulted and an executive would be
informed.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and common approaches
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
• Proposal timeline/Gantt chart
• A good choice for teams that struggle
with deadlines.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
• The proposal timeline and Gantt chart
approach illustrates the order and timing
of tasks at a glance.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and common approaches
• Generally, the proposal timeline gives an
overview of the process and remains the
same through the completion of the project.
• On the other hand, a Gantt chart details the
timing and progress of individual tasks.
• Consequently, many teams use both tools in
tandem.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and common
approaches
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
Project implementation plan
A good choice for proposal teams that
frequently include members new to RFPs.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
The detail included in a proposal project
implementation plan helps new stakeholders
and subject matter experts navigate the
process.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
This RFP project management approach
focuses on providing context, detail and
instructions for success.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
Furthermore, it guides contributors through
the process and offers more background
information than other approaches.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
Additional project management approaches
Here are three more project management
approaches that you could adapt to RFP
responses.
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and common approaches
Additional project management approaches
Here are three more project management approaches that you may have heard of
and could adapt to RFP responses. The Digital Project Manager has a helpful
overview article with information on each.
Agile – For an experienced team of doers, focuses on final outcomes, collaboration
and flexibility
Scrum – For teams with several strong leaders and well-defined areas of expertise
within the proposal process
Kanban – For teams that work best with visuals, focuses on individual task progress
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
Additional project management approaches
Agile – For an experienced team of doers,
focuses on final outcomes, collaboration and
flexibility
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and
common approaches
Additional project management approaches
Scrum – For teams with several strong leaders
and well-defined areas of expertise within the
proposal process
Request for Proposal of Project
Benefits of RFP project management and common
approaches
Additional project management approaches
Kanban – For teams that work best with visuals,
focuses on individual task progress
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with
project management
There are a few things that remain the
same regardless of which project
management approach is selected.
Here’re the steps that will make the new
process successful.
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project
management
1. Identify the goal of the project
Generally, this part is fairly straightforward.
Clearly, you want to win an RFP opportunity. However,
it’s important to think beyond that and define why this
RFP is a good fit as well as well as the projected
impact on the business if you win.
In this situation, it is often helpful to refer back to your
discussions to bid or not bid.
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project
management
2. Define the project tasks
After you’ve identified your goal, you must clearly
state the tasks that your team must accomplish for
success.
For example, your list might look like this:
Create your project brief (step 5 of this guide)
Identify tasks that can be accomplished concurrently
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project
management
2. Define the project tasks
Schedule and facilitate a kickoff meeting
Collectand submit follow up questions for the
buyer/client
Review your knowledge library for reusable answers
Customize reusable answers for this opportunity
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project
management
2. Define the project tasks
Assign new questions to subject matter experts
Write and review new answers
Set proposal pricing
Compose proposal document
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project
management
2. Define the project tasks
Review for answer consistency and accuracy
Format proposal
Design and add visual elements
Ensure that each of the RFP business requirements are
met
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project
management
2. Define the project tasks
Final review by marketing and sales
Executive review and approval of proposal
Final proposal submission
Request feedback on final result
Hold debrief meeting for feedback
Optimize processes and update knowledge library
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project
management
3. Build your proposal team
Now, review your task list.
Who is best suited to accomplish each item?
Will they need help, input or review from others?
Match people with the tasks they will be assigned and
the role they will play in the process.
Your list will likely include stakeholders, support staff,
SMEs, department heads and executive leaders.
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project management
4. Explore information and tools needed
Next, you need to ensure that your team has the information and tools
they need to successfully accomplish the tasks you’ve provided.
For instance, do your subject matter experts all have access to your
knowledge library, centralized proposal or better yet, RFP solution?
Do you have the performance data and customer references the
buyer/client asked for?
Has your capture management team provided their research, win
themes and customer insights?
Avoid delays and roadblocks in your process by verifying the
necessary resources are available before the project begins.
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project
management
5. Create a project brief
Bring it all together in a project brief. Start with your
project goal. Then, share the key milestones in the project.
For example, you might include when follow up questions
are due, when SME answers are due and the proposal
submission deadline.
Next, provide the project tasks matched with the assigned
staff.
Finally, provide the information that contributors will need
to complete their tasks.
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project
management
6. Get started
Now, you’re ready to execute your project.
At the kickoff meeting, ensure everyone is aware of
the RFP project management approach and how to
use it.
Then, it’s up to you as the project manager to keep
the process on track.
Request for Proposal of Project
How to improve your proposal process with project
management
7. Track and save key data
Oneof the biggest benefits of proposal project
management is the opportunity to gather RFP data.
Indeed, thanks to the consistency of your process, you can
track response cost, time spent, answer quality and final
outcome.
Once you’ve collected enough data, review for patterns,
roadblocks and opportunities for improvement.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Take charge
When your proposal team gathers for meetings,
remember your intent and purpose. You’re not asking
for opinions.
You are dealing in facts.
Are the contributors workloads manageable? Is the
project progressing as expected?
Are the required resources and information available?
Is the plan feasible?
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Take charge
Essentially, you’re asking the team for insight on any
potential gaps or blind spots.
However, you are NOT asking for input about the
project management style, responsibilities or reviews.
We all have that team member that always has
something negative to say.
Don’t let anyone derail your project with uncertainty.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Fit to purpose
While consistency is an essential element to reap the full
benefits of project management, not every RFP needs the
full treatment.
For instance, if a proposal is brief and requires input from
two people, you can abbreviate your process and
accelerate your timeline.
In addition, if you’re the incumbent
vendor/professional/engineer/surveyor and the RFP is a
formality, the approach should change.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Fit to purpose
Remember, generally these methodologies are best
used to manage big projects.
So, if an informal process is significantly more efficient
to achieve the end goal, then do it and spend the
time you saved tackling something else.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Seek executive support
Inevitably,
you’ll encounter roadblocks and
challenges.
Ifthey’re caused by someone outside of your chain of
command, you may feel uncomfortable addressing
the issue.
This is why it’s so important to have executive support.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Seek executive support
When your team sees visible support from executives,
you’ll benefit from an improved position in workload
prioritization, mediation if needed, enhanced
responsiveness and a higher awareness of the value
of your work.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Centralize the process
Many proposal teams struggle with
miscommunications and a lack of clarity around the
proposal process.
By centralizing everything, each team member has
access to all the information they need to make
informed decisions and carry out their next steps.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Centralize the process
Many proposal teams struggle with miscommunications
and a lack of clarity around the proposal process.
By centralizing everything, each team member has
access to all the information they need to make
informed decisions and carry out their next steps.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Centralize the process
While shared drives help, the most effective way to
centralize the proposal process while improving
efficiency at every step is RFP software.
Your RFP response solution should feature workflows and
collaboration, knowledge management, automation
and integrations.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Don’t change your process to solve temporary problems
Asa project manager, it’s important to identify the
cause of challenges that arise. For instance, you may
encounter unusual circumstances, unique barriers or
uncooperative people.
Certainly, it is tempting to alter the process immediately
to try and solve the problem. However, resist this urge.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Don’t change your process to solve temporary
problems
Unique circumstances are bound to come up from
time to time.
And, resistance to change is natural.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Don’t change your process to solve temporary problems
But, rather than immediately solving perceived problems
with process changes, focus on identifying the likelihood
of the issue coming up again as well as improving buy-in
and accountability with individuals.
In short, don’t permanently alter your RFP project
management approach to overcome temporary
challenges.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Give it time
Unfortunately, you’re probably not going to have a
seamless process the very first time you use your new
RFP project management strategy.
In fact, it’s possible that the first time you use a new
process may be less efficient.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Give it time
However,persevere! As you and your team become
more familiar with the proactive RFP management
process and expectations, you’ll see remarkable (and
measurable) improvements.
Remember, reverting back to a reactive process will
keep you from reaching your full potential.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
Give it time
Ultimately,the purpose of RFP project management is
to reduce the number of hours it takes to create a
proposal while also improving the likelihood of
success.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
As we all know, the hours you put into a proposal
aren’t free.
Not only does a more efficient RFP process save your
company money, but it also gives you more time to
answer additional RFPs with the potential to further
grow your business/professional practice.
Request for Proposal of Project
RFP project management tips
The result?
A compounded impact that any proposal team can
achieve with the right knowledge, process and tools.
