From the book, Understanding Solicitations and Preparing Proposals, Third Edition Forward It is with great honor and pride that I provide this forward for the third edition of Understanding Solicitations and Preparing Proposals. I have had the great fortune of knowing and working with Jim for several years I have witnessed him perform as a leader while mentoring new professionals an academically as a subject matter expert in contract management. In this book, Jim masterfully blends his mentoring expertise with this technical ability. He is driven by his never-ending quest to achieve the elusive "win-win" contract, which can be difficult in the complex world of contract management. Through his practical and academic approach, Jim shows buyers how to present their customers' requirements in a common-sense manner through the an understandable solicitation. Then, he provides insight into how seller should respond while preparing a competitive offer but it doesn't stop there. Jim's message goes on to emphasize the importance of trust and how all relationships are built and sustained on trust. The ideal relationship between buyers and sellers is through a strong business partnerships the best ways to do this is when both sides willingly roll up their sleeves and live up to the expectations of the other this edition provides best practices, exercises, and examples to help buyers and sellers transform the knowledge they gain to meaningful results.
Due to Jim's previous employment, is prior editions include a disclaimer stating, "The views in this book that of the author and not of the US Federal Government of the Department of Veterans Affairs." But I disagree with the statement Jim's view should be enthusiastically adopted and implemented by all government buyers and sellers. Thank you Jim for updating this extremely important publication. Your timing could not be better. Dr. John W Wilkinson,, CPCM, NCMA Fellow President, tHInk LLC
Jim Phillips has a wealth of knowledge regarding government acquisition. And has presented many classes regarding solicitations and proposals for client companies who are learning the government contracting process. He has received consistently high valuations and praise from those companies. I strongly recommend this book as a valuable tool those who want inside knowledge regarding the process of selling to the government. Jann Deane Program Manager Schoolcraft College Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
As one of the 20 national veteran business outreach centers, we are tasked by the US small business administration office of veterans business development to assist veterans with business development and growth. I am thankful to have such tremendous assets like Dr. Phillips within my Rolodex of resources. Dr. Phillips has consistently demonstrated his tremendous support of the men and women who have proudly served our country. The book that Dr. Phillips is written Understanding Solicitations and Preparing Proposals, Third Edition, provides valuable insight into the process by which to secure federal contracts. The information within his book provides the reader with critical insider knowledge and an in-depth strategy on how to be successful within the federal market industry. Matt Sherwood Army veteran Executive Director, VetBizCentral Veteran Business Outreach Center
It is with a strong sense of pride that I provide this endorsement to Dr. James Phillips in his recent publication, Understanding Solicitations and Preparing Proposals, Third Edition. His previous editions have proved to be an invaluable knowledge's resource for understanding the world of government contract is work reflects 30 years of expertise and effective practices in government contracting proposal development. The information Dr. Phillips provides readers is well grounded in research thoughtfully laid out, therefore making information easy to put into practice. As one who is greatly benefited from his past publications, let this statement serve as my unequivocal support of his work. William T. Berry Chief Innovative Solutions Architect W.T. Berry Innovative Solutions and Executive Advisory Service
I wholeheartedly endorse Dr. James N Phillips Junior's book Understanding Solicitations and Preparing Proposals, Third Edition. I'm familiar with his writing and find his work enjoyable to read because it's meaningful content. This particular work is the completion of his postdoctoral fellowship at the American Meridian University. As the founding president of the University, I'm pleased to have Dr. Phillips is one of our faculty and our esteemed expert and federal acquisitions in healthcare contracting. In today's educational world, there is rightly a great deal of emphasis placed on skills and competencies, as well as knowledge. I am confident that those who read this book and follows its prescriptions will be more prepared to engage in the federal acquisition system because of the practical skills and unique competencies imparted by the book. At the American Meridian University, we value and honor the student practitioner, so it is my pleasure to endorse the third edition of Understanding Solicitations and Preparing Proposals, Third Edition is Dr. Phillips's contribution to the acquisition body of knowledge. Robert Gee, PhD Founder American Meridian University
From September 2017 edition of Contract Management magazine.
In the third edition of Understanding Solicitations and Preparing Proposals, Dr. Phillips reveals in a common sense manner how to best prepare and submit a winning proposal building on decades of experience Dr. Phillips is a trusted government expert serving as a practitioner and mentor to new professionals.
The book is written from the government’s perspective to help businesses understand how to engage with the government buying community to interpret proposal requirements, write quality proposal responses, and make better bid/no-bid decisions. Readers will learn how to assess solicitation requirements in comparison to evaluation factors, flow, and possible inconsistencies to make a qualified bid decision. Dr. Phillips helps readers answer the questions about assessing a winning proposal as well as the ability to use critical thinking skills in assessing a company’s judgment on whether a project is worth bidding on. I call this the “Price of Yes,” and the tools provided help readers understand the value in a bid/no-bid decision.
I’ve had the privilege of working with Dr. Phillips on various training topics related to federal government procurement for several years. This book is helpful to those new in the field, yet a great refresher for those who are more experienced. Dr. Phillips has used his knowledge to create helpful tools, techniques, and exercises readers can use to qualify or disqualify potential solutions. These tools can be applied to help identify what information isn’t clearly known, as well as how to better define the solution being proposed based on the requirements provided. Readers will benefit as the tools create awareness on how to ask the right questions to yield better results; as well as how to identify a competitive advantage for your team. These are essential elements in making strategic, profitable decisions.
Dr. Phillips uses a variety of sources to document government contract formats, instructions, and case law findings to enhance the readers’ understanding of selling to the federal government. The concepts are well defined in clear and convincing language to help readers interpret the solicitation requirements as well as the consequences for not following the rules. Specific proposal format examples are included to help build proposal response documents, templates, and compliance matrixes that ensure all requirements are properly addressed in the proposal response. The book gives readers the tools to document project management, risks, compliance, and tasks to ensure adequate pricing.
The best pricing strategy includes an assessment of tasks, compliance, and risks. While there are no detailed instructions on how to conduct price analyses, the book establishes the information needed to derive a complete price based on assessing solicitation requirements and project management. My favorite part of the book is the section with techniques and exercise questions that can be used in real-life scenarios to prepare winning proposals. The book does an excellent job of presenting critical information in a format that is easily accessible to various roles and skill levels. I definitely recommend this book to businesses and those involved in government procurement to gain a better understanding of the solicitation process and how to create winning proposals.