Technical Writing and Illustrating Strategies for Winning Government Contracts

This chapter presents guidance to technical writers, engineers, proposals specialists, and managers who compete for government contracts. The technical writer's task is to organize, structure, and package the proposal into a coherent, readable, and salable whole. The chapter presents ten strategies for putting together such a proposal, from preliminary organization to final packaging. It suggests preparing proposal drafts even before we receive an Request for Proposal (RFP). Since large proposals are usually not read in their entirety by all evaluators, section summaries assume great importance, as do carefully presented data and graphics. The chapter also introduces us to the mechanics of setting up a proposal room and using techniques such as storyboarding (presenting sketches of material on panels) to generate and review our proposals. It highlights that government proposals are often won by one who presents himself most persuasively, in person and in his written proposal.