FEDERAL SECTOR REPORT

Group Interviews as Source for Writing Proposals

As used here, a "Group Interview" is a procedure that skilled writers use to collect information. It is different from a brainstorming or proposal review session. The interview is conducted after developing a marketing strategy and storyboard but before actually writing a complete draft. Usually, the group interview will focus on just a few related, well-defined topics. A group interview requires preparation, the means for documenting the interview, and a clear plan for follow up.

• Preparation

The first task is to define what information you want to collect during the group interview. This will generally be information that (1) is not readily available from reference documents, files, accessible support staff, previous proposals, or available proposal authors and/or (2) needs multiple technical expertise and viewpoints.

Your next task is to identify the people who can supply the information you need. In some cases, this may need to include subcontractors, vendors or consultants. You may also find it productive to include people from different phases of the proposed project's lifecycle. For example, an equipment installation task might benefit from the knowledge of maintenance, repair, and operations experts--as well as the engineering and installation specialists.

After identifying participants in the group interview, you must schedule a meeting when all will attend. You may want an authority figure to tell them to be there. Or you may attempt to bribe them--free gourmet lunch or whatever. Then remind them by email or voice mail.

Selecting the interviewer/writer(s) will be another important step. The interviewer/writer should be thoroughly familiar with the Request for Proposal, the marketing strategy for the proposal, and the outline or storyboard. Ideally this person will be the proposal writer--who needs to pump the group for the specific information required in the proposal. The writer will be thoroughly experienced--so that the interview is used to fill in the facts, proposed methods, and details. The writer is not a stenographer who merely records the words flowing at the meeting--but must be a person who can exercise judgment, fill in the context, and understand the interrelationships between the information gleaned from the group interview.

In selecting the interviewer, you should remember that this individual will need to be experienced in managing group process, as well as serving as writer. This includes keeping the group discussion focused, insisting on information that is workable for a winning proposal, encouraging the quiet people to talk, keeping the excessively talkative or dominant people in check, and gaining commitments for follow up.

The interviewer needs to plan the session. Suggestions for approaches are in the next section, Conducting the Group Interview.

You will need to brief participants in advance of the meeting. Send them a brief note stating the topics, names of participants, any information they should organize and bring with them, and types of reference materials or documentation that you will need as a follow-up to the meeting.

If the group involves three or fewer participants, one interviewer/writer will be able to conduct the session. Larger groups, particularly those dealing with complex topics, should split the functions of interviewing and recording--so that one can keep the interview focused while the other documents all of the details.

• Conducting the Group Interview

The interviewer needs to set a relaxed but businesslike tone for the session. All participants need to feel welcome, valued, and invited to contribute information. The interviewer will reiterate the topics and explain any interviewing methods that will be introduced.

The interviewer normally serves as moderator for the meeting--making certain that quality information is extracted on all essential proposal topics. This may be as simple as addressing the topics, one by one. In many cases, however, additional techniques may be appropriate:

ORAL WALK THROUGH. One approach is to ask the group to explain how they would perform the work specified by the technical task or management procedure. "Tell me what to do, why, and how to do it." In essence, the group is outlining what words the writer should be entering into the keyboard--including procedures, sequences, and rationale.

REACTING TO A DOCUMENT. In some cases, it may be possible to focus the interview on a section of a previous proposal or a technical paper. The questions then become, how is the proposed project different? The advantage of this approach is that many participants are better at reacting to existing information than thinking "blue sky." The disadvantage is that it may lock the interview into a paradigm that is less innovative than the group would create on its own.

REACTING TO A DIAGRAM. For some discussions, the interviewer might prepare a "straw man" flow chart or diagram of the topic--identifying processes or components. The questions for the interview then become: How would you define this? How would you solve that? What would you do here? What are the alternatives?

CREATING A DIAGRAM. A variation of the previous technique would be to ask the group to create an original diagram of the technical and management solution ... and discuss it.

PLAYING CUSTOMER. The interviewer could also role play as a customer (such as one of the proposal reviewers). Would you explain your approach to this? Why is that a better solution than what your competitor would provide? Can you tell me in plain English?

The specific technique will depend on the topics and the participants. A crucial issue will be to have the means to collect the information gained. Flip charts may help, particularly for diagrams. One or more additional writer/recorders may be needed, because the interviewer will be too busy with the group participation process to maintain detailed notes. For a few types of information, using a tape recorder and having a clerk transcribe the session may be valuable.

There will not be enough time during the group interview to capture all of the details. Therefore, it is critically important that the interviewer document where to go for additional information. One approach is to maintain a flip chart with four columns: topic, where to find additional information, what types of information will be available, and who to ask if further clarifications are needed.

• Following Up the Interview

Immediately after the meeting, the interviewer/writer(s) should write up their notes to make certain that all essential information is recorded before it is forgotten. Then, before collecting and using follow-up information, the interviewer/writer should quickly prepare a rough draft of the proposal section--even though there will be holes and missing data. The act of writing a quick trial draft will validate the usefulness of the interview and identify the most important areas for follow up.

The interviewer/writer will then gather the reference documents and other data identified during the group interview. With the context provided by the group interview, a seasoned writer will be able to search for supporting information and for details that fill in the "holes" of the quick trial draft. The information from the interview will be like pieces of a puzzle--fitting together within the proposal's structure, not necessarily in the sequence of the interview process.

After the interviewer/writer has refined the draft into a readable, quality document, he or she will share it with the group participants. "Does this reflect your ideas accurately? Would you please double-check the technical interpretations? Would you mark up the draft with corrections and additions?"

The writer will develop a final draft of the proposal segment, incorporating feedback from interview participants.

All of the above is a highly demanding process for the interviewer/writer, but it is an effective means for obtaining essential proposal information for people who can't, won't, or don't have time to write a proposal section.

CONSULTING SERVICES

We provide enterprise-level management consulting services for federal agencies and the contractors who support them. Our areas of specialization are Capital Planning and Investment Control, Enterprise Architecture, strategic planning, performance evaluation, and acquisition support including work statements. Our consulting specialty includes experience in many related areas such as CIO program support, earned value management, risk management, the C&A process for security, and customer satisfaction surveys.

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE