Do your requests for proposals (RFPs) become all about the requirements? Yes, requirements are an important element and help shape the RFP responses, but it is important to keep a broader perspective in mind. The better job you do at presenting the key aspects of the procurement, including the business and technical environment goals and direction, the better proposals and more competitive bids you will receive.

Following are some approaches to procurement that can help you link RFPs to a successful and productive implementation of the system:

  • Let your strategic plan inform the purpose and vision for the procurement. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) require state self-assessments as a prerequisite for procurement requests because they guide states to think about their needs, objectives, and goals. Leverage this important work before you start your RFP.
  • Establish a vision for the procurement before getting into the details of the RFP. Teams sometimes start their effort by pulling out an old RFP and rewriting it to get started on their requirements development. Instead, develop a vision that has broad organizational buy-in, and keep that in mind as you develop your RFP.
  • Decide how prescriptive the RFP will be. The more detailed requirements become, the more constrained vendors will be in their bids, which impacts the types of solutions you will receive as well as the cost. Understand the nature of your procurement, and use that to determine whether you will require more detailed requirements or open-ended requirements.
  • Stay focused on the outcome you would like from the procurement. There are many ways to get from point A to point B. Let the vendor focus on "how" to get to the desired outcome. This concept is more than just not "repaving the cow path." Why use a walking path at all? Maybe a vendor sees a way you can fly there? Develop your RFP to encourage creative solutions (i.e., the how).
  • Develop an RFP scoring approach that will award the best solution. Sometimes great RFPs (and great requirements) are developed, but the scoring approach sometimes rewards a vendor who may not have the best, most effective and creative solution. Write your requirements in a manner that allows them to be scored appropriately.

Following best procurement practices helps set a foundation for successful programs and systems. Starting out right can save you a lot of time and resources down the road. Let us help you gain control of your procurement. Be in the driver's seat when it comes to developing your RFP.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.