3SD handbook

Proposal prep for existing clients

This section outlines the details of the initial stages of the proposal process.

Kick off

The proposal process should always begin with a kick-off meeting with the client, where we explain our approach and outline the stages of the process and what is expected of them and when. Ideally we want to include the CEO / top management in this meeting, as it enables us to get them onboard and make a case for having a reasonable budget for the project, and also for us to really understand the organisations’ long term goals and visions so we can put together a proposal that aligns with that.

This is important to do even if the client has already been through the process before as it is a good opportunity to remind them how we work, they might have new staff who need introducing to the process, and if we have tweaked the process it gives us the opportunity to communicate this to them. We also want to brief them on the proposed timeline for the proposal process so they can plan in this work and prevent any holdups from their end.

This step should take place roughly 3 months before we want the work to begin. Some research may be required to put together the presentation, and the templates should be adjusted based on what the client knows about us already.

We also want to set up the proposal process in GitLab so we can track time spent against each stage. To do this, you need to set up each stage of the process as a separate issue ticket in the project ‘Proposals’. The name format to follow for the ticket is: [client name] [Proposal name] - [stage name] e.g. '‘Client 2022 Proposal - Kick off’. For any project management tasks that should be billed to the client, however, we want to track this time directly against their project (in the ‘Clients’ group) in GitLab, under the epic labelled ‘Project Management’.

Allow up to a day for this (including preparation and delivery of presentation).

Checklist

  • Create a presentation to explain our approach and the proposal process, based on the presentation template
  • Fill in the Roadmap for the process
  • Arrange an initial meeting with the client and clarify who will be involved in the project from their end
  • Get management buy-in / develop relationship with CEO
  • In GitLab, set up each stage of the process in the ‘Proposals’ project

Information gathering

In order to write a successful proposal, we need to gather information from the client that will help us understand what they want to achieve at the end of the proposal, what their budget is and what their time constraints are. Depending on the client and type of project, the way we gather this information may differ. A workshop, a questionnaire they fill in in their own time, or an informal chat are different ways in which this information gathering can take place.

We also want to incorporate lessons learnt from previous projects and undergo a review of the working relationship from their perspective as well as our own. We should make it clear to them what has been achieved as part of the review and the impact we’ve had (i.e. look at positive not just negative - what hasn’t been completed).

Allow up to a day for this.

Checklist

  • Review previous project
    • Prepare a Review questionnaire [IS THERE A TEMPLATE TO USE?]
    • 3SD to fill out review questionnaire
    • Report on the KPIs (key performance indicators) of the previous proposals, showing the measurable successes of the last project
    • Possibly include a financial review (how much have they spent with us since commencement of the relationship) if this could be useful in making a case for the suggested budget spend of the new proposal
  • Find out what their future plans are - this might be through sending them our Planning questionnaire, by chatting to them in person or on the phone, by conducting a workshop, or they might already have a requirements document etc. If we are sending them anything to fill out, it is important we talk to them beforehand to explain what we want them to do and who should be involved.

Following these stages, we move onto writing the proposal.