Orals for Federal Proposals: Plan Ahead

Orals are a feature of many federal contract competitions. Under the crunch of a looming deadline for the written proposal, however, proposal managers sometimes put off planning for orals until after the written proposal is submitted.

Deferring planning for orals can lead to many problems. Here’s a common example:

• A firm’s written proposal specifies John Doe as the project manager.
• John is a terrible public speaker, but the proposal manager is not concerned. The firm’s principal, Mary Smith, is a great speaker, and she will lead the oral presentation.
• After submitting the written proposal, the proposal manager discovers a problem. The rules state that the project manager named in the written proposal has to lead the oral presentation. Worse yet, the rules state that anybody not explicitly named as a project team member in the technical proposal cannot take part in the presentation. The firm’s chances for doing well in orals will largely ride on John’s (non-existent) skills as a public speaker. And the excellent speaker, Mary Smith, cannot participate at all.

The proposal manager should have read this rule earlier in the game.  While still featuring John in a key technical role, the proposal could have named someone who is skilled in public speaking as the project manager, while naming Mary Smith (or someone else who is a good public speaker) as the project manager. But it’s too late now.

This article provides advice on how proposal managers can “aovid the crunch after the crunch,” by developing an orals strategy at the same time that the written proposal is being planned and written. Some of the topics focus on learning the unwritten rules; avoiding “pitches” and aiming for value-added content instead; scouting out the venue; and practicing early and often.