As an IT consultant, you will need to be very familiar with requests for proposals (RFPs) and understand what organizations expect from your bid proposals.

Overview

As an IT consultant, you will need to be very familiar with requests for proposals (RFPs) and understand what organizations expect from your bid proposals. To gain perspective for the requesting organization, you will develop an RFP. 

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies:

• Examine the practice of fundamentals necessary for an information technology consulting role.
• Evaluate the activities that are key to consulting.

Preparation

• Locate a project on the Internet, from your workplace, or through a professional resource, to develop a RFP. For clarity, you are identifying a project that a company needs to complete (the requesting organization), and you will develop an RFP for the project.

Assignment Description

Your RFP should include the following elements:

1. Introduction: Similar to an executive summary, the introduction states the basic need and other important information necessary to summarize the project. Be sure to articulate an introduction to the RFP and provide information to support the need for a bid.
2. General information: This includes the company or government data, general qualifications, and so forth. Be sure to articulate information about the requesting organization of the RFP and provide ample information about the organization.
3. Description of the goods or services open for bid: Descriptions, guidelines, and other information that provide the basis of information for bidders to have in preparing their responses to the need. Be sure to articulate the goods and services open for bid within the RFP.
4. Minimum qualifications to bid. Be sure to articulate the contract terms, conditions, and other required elements regarding the minimum qualifications to bid.
5. Contract terms and conditions. List the key terms and conditions.
6. Required elements in the bid proposal: A description of each required element that must be present in the bid, which may include an executive summary, deliverables, financials, a summary of proposed project participants, et cetera.
7. Submittal requirements: The details related to successfully submitting a proposal and a timeframe for submission.
8. Evaluation criteria: The elements that will be used to evaluate each bid submitted and the award details. Be sure to articulate the exact evaluation procedures and provide a summary of the procedures.

Not all these elements will be found in every RFP, but the first, second, third, fourth, and eighth are considered a minimum set of elements that should be present. You will not need to include all of the elements outlined above in your RFP, but you should provide the minimum. Make sure to complete the following steps:

1. Submit the RFP to your instructor in the assignment submission area.
2. Revise your own RFP based on the feedback you receive from your instructor as you can use some of the information developed in Week 6 in your Week 10 Assignment: Consulting Business Plan.