A company’s history is important because it gives evaluators insight about your company’s performance on previous engagements. This is why most RFP’s weigh this area consistently high. Now, if we know that government is risk adverse and proof of past performance is prologue for future work, then what can we do as proposers to ensure we mitigate the uncertainty?
1. Know the difference between Past Performance and Past Experience.
- Past performance is the execution of projects your firm has done in the past which are of similar scope, size, and budget and may tie back to the bid requirements.
- Past experience refers to a much broader definition of your firm’s previous achievements to include expertise and the individual experiences of the staff.
2. Select projects that are of similar size, scope, and complexity to demonstrate understanding of the requirements.
- When tallying your past performance score, the government is going to weigh two major factors – (1) the relevancy and (2) how well you performed.
- When you cite similar projects you are showing the government you can handle projects that are similar to their requirements. It implies your firm is credible and seasoned.
3. Write your past performance descriptions that they stand out from the crowd.
- Provide all the relevant details – the technical scope and general scope, size, and complexity of your previous contracts.
- You should also highlight any and all achievements by creating a “So What” box. This area is where you can emphasize significant savings or improved process; just make sure it is quantifiable.[bctt tweet=”One of the best ways to get agencies to put you in the “keep” pile is to be compliant. #GovCon #ProposalWriting” username=”intuitivegrpco”]
4. Select projects that are worthy of praise.
- Typically government will validate everything you reference. Make sure you have accurate and up to date customer contact information.
- Retrieve and keep records of any past performance repository information to include (1) the Past Performance Retrieval System (PPIRS), and (2) the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).
5. Provide credible copywriting.
- Delegate the task of preparing your past performance response to a staff member who knows how to write a compelling and credible citation.
- Invest in a good writer and do not make the mistake of thinking this section of your proposal is a “throw-away” section.[bctt tweet=”Your company’s past performance is an indicator of previous performance and capability. #ProposalWriting #GovCon” username=”intuitivegrpco”]
6. Create a system to keep your past performance descriptions up to date annually
- My suggestion is you create both a long and short version of your past performance citations. This way you can keep up with pertinent information on a regular basis and not cram for details when you receive an RFP or IFB.
- Create an annual system of validating project history. Document projects that have been completed by having a Project Manager provide you with a briefing of the project and contract activities. If you create a systematic approach to your past performance, it will always be the most relevant reflections of an engagement. Obviously, the best time for an update of your content library is right after every successful project.Having an organized content library will impact on your chances of winning your next proposal as it will increase your efficiency and I am sure you want exactly that. If you don’t know how to create one, I encourage you to participate in our next webcast. It will be on October 12, 2017, and I won’t only be discussing content libraries, but also online tools to manage your proposal team and streamlined tactics that will cut down your writing and editing time by more than 60%. You can reserve your spot here: http://bit.ly/ProposalWritingWebcast. I recommend you to act fast as we have only a few seats left.
Past performance in a proposal document is often overlooked, but it’s the one area where you can maximize evaluation points in your bid submission.