FEDERAL SECTOR REPORT

A proposal for a contract or grant should be viewed as part of the project management process. If your proposal is successful, it will be an important planning document that will shape project implementation, execution, and control. Unfortunately, proposal developers are often so narrowly focused that they may devote too little time on defining how, in the real world, the project should be conducted and managed.

About a year ago, I observed the consequences of a winning proposal with an anemic project plan and budget for the development of a highly visible federal web site. The schedule was unattainable, and the budget was unrealistic. The contractor winning the bid recruited a bright and energetic project manager who had not been involved in developing the proposal. Despite round-the-clock efforts, the project team was unable to meet the deadlines or complete the project for the targeted budget.

Usually the story ends with an angry customer and a contractor who has a questionable reputation and blemished past-performance history. In this particular case, however, the contractor dug deep into its corporate pocket and spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars of its own money to complete the project and retain its credibility.

But how many times are you willing to do that? Proposals that result in profitable projects need input from project managers who have the technical and business experience necessary to be both win-able and profitable.

The Professionalization of Project Management

For decades, many of us have gained our program management and project management experience by doing it (and succeeding). Especially in research, information technology, and education, we have often relied on our "subject matter" credentials and added our management credentials experientially. Those of us who survived developed a good reputation.

But the world is changing--for the better. The Project Management Institute, for example, offers a training program, a certification process in project management, and a code of ethics. And some very large contractors, such as IBM Corporation, have also introduced their own certification programs. Over the long term, some federal customers may expect project managers to present documented proof of competence--through verifiable training, certification, and experience.

And what about ethics? Project managers must be realistic and exercise due diligence. They can't promise to fly to the moon in two months for $25 and a prayer.

A Quick Take on PMI

A broadly useful resource is the Project Management Institute (PMI). Its web address is www.pmi.org, where you will find detailed information about the profession, membership, the certification process, training, and publications. A inexpensive document worth buying is A Guide to the Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK). In .pdf format, the document summarizes the core body of knowledge that it defines as "project management." It covers nine project management knowledge areas:

• Project Integration
• Project Scope
• Time Management
• Cost Management
• Quality Management
• Human Resource Management
• Project Communications
• Risk Management
• Procurement (Acquisition) Management

PMBOK is useful for proposal development, because many of these issues must be addressed in the proposal's management plan. What's more, it serves as a beginning point--a framework--for applying sound management principles to your project plan. And it may provide some fresh ideas about how to present time management information and staffing issues ... and to address required topics like quality management and risk management.

Proposals and Projects

Almost every proposal is a bid to perform a project or a program. (A program is a collection of projects.) As such, a proposal needs to reflect an understanding of the project management process that--for the PMBOK--encompasses initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. Your project management approach needs to be reflected clearly in your ...

• Technical Approach: clear specifications, structured solutions, and logical phases;
• Management Plan: A strong manager, budget and operational controls, and a detailed schedule using project management software, a workable critical path, identifiable deliverables, and measurable results;
• Quality Control: An ongoing quality assurance plan that monitors compliance with contract specifications and takes corrective action on a timely basis.

Many government solicitations require a Risk Management Plan, and the PMBOK provides useful ideas for addressing risk factors, both in the proposal and in the operational project.

Bottom Line

Winning proposals need to reflect a sound understanding of project management. Contracts need knowledgeable project managers who have the experience and skills necessary to execute the projects successfully.

Personal Happenings

Since late August, I have been consulting full-time at the Office of the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Labor. My first task was to develop a briefing book for the incoming administration--summarizing the overall IT enterprise architecture, budget, policies, procedures, infrastructure, and organization. More recently I have been helping to prepare budget justification documents for OMB and updating departmental IT policies.

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