RFP evaluators have a difficult task. Many RFP respondents have not experienced the difficult task facing evaluators when a RFP closes and they start the scoring process. I offer you a few thoughts based on my experience on the challenges facing evaluators.
Evaluating submissions is not an easy task for different reasons;
Most evaluators are selected for this task because of their expertise in a specific field or knowledge that is relevant to an area of the RFP project requirements. Being an evaluator is not a full-time job for a Subject Matter Expert (SME), therefore this task can be stressful depending on the number of RFPs they evaluate during the year…experience as an evaluator helps.
Evaluators have a day job in addition to evaluating submissions, and the closing of a RFP may come during a period of heavy workload. This means the evaluator is responsible for not only their primary task (or more) and evaluating submissions.
Evaluators have a deadline to finish the scoring task, which is taxing as the number of submissions increase. Deadlines may get pushed out because of the number of submissions, however, companies and governments have schedules and budgets to meet, so awarding RFPs on time means evaluators must try to meet deadlines to complete the RFP lifecycle.
Evaluators must score responses to questions that are answered similarly by all respondents. Evaluators thoroughly review the responses to make sure they have not missed elements that answer the questions, or understand if a certain type of experience or qualification meets the need. Not always easy if the response is obscure.
Evaluators have the responsibility of scoring submissions that may result in a company or government body spending millions or tens of millions (or more) dollars. While there are typically multiple evaluators scoring submissions, there can be a lot of stress associated with scoring big projects.
The above are a few of the challenges facing many evaluators…and there are more. They are the gate keepers of projects that you are after. So when you are completing a submission, have sympathy for the evaluators by supplying clear, concise and relevant responses to requirements.
Kommentarer