Excel Templates, Procedure Writing, Proposal Writing, Proposal Writing Tips

Create a Clear Proposal Development Schedule to Keep Your Team on Track

Posted on by Alan Thompson
14
Apr

That Last-Minute Scramble: Sound Familiar?

Is the final week before a proposal deadline a frantic blur of chasing down content, conflicting feedback, and late-night writing sessions? Do key contributors disappear when you need their input most? Do you find yourself constantly asking, “Who owns this section?” or “When is the first draft of the technical approach due?”

If my experience consulting with proposal teams is any guide, this kind of chaos is incredibly common when there’s no clear plan for actually developing the proposal content after the ‘Go’ decision is made.

The High Cost of Disorganized Development

Developing a proposal without a detailed schedule is like trying to build a house without blueprints. It leads directly to:

  • Missed Internal Deadlines: Sections arrive late, forcing rushed reviews and integration, often compromising quality.
  • Uneven Workload: Some team members are overloaded while others wait, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
  • Lack of Visibility: No one has a clear picture of overall progress, making it hard to identify bottlenecks or risks early on.
  • Increased Stress and Burnout: Constant firefighting and uncertainty take a heavy toll on the proposal team.
  • Lower Quality Submissions: Rushed work, inadequate reviews, and poor integration inevitably result in weaker, less persuasive proposals, directly impacting your Success Ratio.

Simply knowing the final submission date from your RFP Schedule isn’t enough; you need a micro-plan for the development phase itself.

Building Your Proposal Roadmap: Crafting the Development Schedule

A Proposal Development Schedule is your detailed project plan for creating the proposal document. It breaks down the overall effort into manageable tasks, assigns ownership, and sets realistic internal deadlines. What I find absolutely essential is moving beyond just listing sections; you need to plan the process. Here’s how to build an effective schedule:

  1. Start with the Final Deadline and Work Backwards: Plug in the submission date, then block out time for final production, formatting, and buffer days.

  2. Identify Key Milestones: Determine critical dates for major review cycles (e.g., Pink Team for strategy/content, Red Team for final polish/compliance), draft completions, and graphic finalization.

  3. Break Down the Proposal into Tasks: List every major section and subsection required by the RFP. Then, add tasks for key supporting elements like graphics, resumes, pricing, and reviews.

  4. Assign Owners: Clearly designate who is responsible (Accountable Owner) for drafting and finalizing each task/section. Note supporting contributors if needed.

  5. Set Internal Due Dates: Assign specific deadlines for first drafts, revised drafts (incorporating feedback), and final versions of each task/section. These dates must precede the relevant review milestones.

  6. Include Review Cycles: Schedule dedicated time blocks for formal reviews (Pink, Red, etc.) and allow time after the review for authors to incorporate feedback.

  7. Track Progress: Use your schedule (often a spreadsheet or project management tool) to monitor completion status (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, Draft Complete, Final). Regularly update it during team check-ins. Something I always advise is making this visible to the entire team – transparency builds accountability.

  8. Be Realistic: Account for weekends, holidays, and other commitments. Don’t schedule tasks back-to-back without buffer time.

Using a pre-built Proposal Development Schedule template, like those available from proposal specialists at Klariti within their Proposal Templates suite, can save significant time and ensure you cover all the essential planning elements derived from effective procurement best practices.

Next Steps: Planning Beyond Submission Day

You’ve now got a plan to manage the creation of a winning proposal document on time. Your development schedule ensures all the internal pieces come together coherently before the submission deadline.

But the proposal often outlines a project or service that starts after you win. How do you clearly communicate the planned timeline for that work within the proposal itself?

In our next article, we’ll look at the Deliverables Timetable, a crucial document for outlining project milestones, key deliverables, and Go Live events to the client within your proposal narrative.

Alan Thompson