Technical writing and illustrating strategies for winning government contracts

Procurement of government systems, equipment, and services is a complex process. It normally begins with the government advertising its intention to solicit bids for the supplies or services sought. The government issues a Request for Proposal, or RFP, which is a detailed statement of the requirements, the specifications, the elements required in the contractor's bid, and the relative criteria against which bids will be evaluated. The technical writer's task is to organize, structure, and package the proposal into a coherent, readable, and salable whole. Here are ten writing and illustrating strategies that can help create winning proposals.