APMP Foundation Level 1

Question 1

What 4 areas does the Foundation Exam Cover?

Answer 1

• • Information Research and Management
• • Planning the Proposal
• • Development of the Proposal
• • Management and Oversight

Question 2

Exam Topics

Answer 2

• • Information gathering
• • Knowledge management
• • Schedule development
• • Opportunity qualification
• • Winning price development
• • Teaming identification
• • Proposal strategy development
• • Executive summary development
• • Content plan development
• • Requirements identification
• • Compliance checklist development
• • Proposal review management
• • Kickoff meeting management
• • Proposal development risk management
• • Production management
• • Lessons learned analysis and management
• • Proposal process management
• • Capture plan development
• • Winning strategy development

Question 3

Considering the typical proposal development timeline, how long should you spend on “Planning & Organization?”

Answer 3

25%

Question 4

Considering the typical proposal development timeline, how long should you spend on “Writing?”

Answer 4

50%

Question 5

Considering the typical proposal development timeline, how long should you spend on “Examining & Reading?”

Answer 5

25%

Question 6

What are the 7 guidelines to win, also known as “pwin” (probability to win)

Answer 6

In order of importance:

1. Compliance
2. Competitive focus
3. Strategy
4. Responsiveness
5. Quality of Writing
6. Visuals
7. Page & document design

Question 7

What are the 3 parts of Infomation Gathering?

Answer 7

1. Customer analysis + customer hot buttons + competitor analysis
2. Capture strategy development
3. Action planning & execution: What information is important to include in the proposal?

Question 8

When do you look for gaps in information?

Answer 8

• • Gather information early

- - Continue to gather information during and after the proposal

Question 9

What are some questions to ask when information gathering on customers?

Answer 9

• • Who is the customer; who makes the decisions?
• • What do we know about the customer?
• • What does the customer need to achieve success?
• • What is affecting the customer and their environment?
• • What are the customer’s key concerns (hot buttons)?
• • Do you know the customer’s important decision dates?

Question 10

What online sources can you use to research competitors?

Answer 10

• • Search engines (Google, etc.)
• • Competitor’s website
• • Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
• • Dunn & Broadstreet or other subscription services
• • Published information (annual reports, conference/industry events, media/press)

Question 11

Key term: What is a contingency plan?

Answer 11

A documented approach to address unplanned future events or circumstances. Negative events are often a focus, but the plan can also include unexpected positive developments. The impacts of unexpected developments are identified to the extent possible. Mitigation plans and alternative courses of action are documented.

Question 12

Key term: What is a hot button?

Answer 12

Singularly important issues or sets of issues that are likely to drive decisions, usually associated with customer buying decisions.

Question 13

Key term: What are issues?

Answer 13

Customer concerns that the offer will resolve. They may be the business outcomes the customer is trying to achieve.

Question 14

Key term: What is knowledge management?

Answer 14

The discipline of enabling individuals, teams, and entire organizations to collectively and systematically create, share, and apply business development-related knowledge to better achieve their objective.

Some organizations use collaboration tools such as MS SharePoint to score and share information.

Question 15

Key term: What are motivators?

Answer 15

A subset of issues that relate to the fundamental reasons behind the customer’s needs to make a purchase.

Question 16

What are the Proposal scheduling guidelines?

Answer 16

Schedule backwards —-> schedule the proposal submission first. Next, schedule key milestones. Place timing of individual tasks as they are added.

Reserve contingency time —-> Allow for unexpected problems.

Maximize parallel tasks —-> Avoid bottlenecks by scheduling too many tasks simultaneously.

Estimate realistically —-> Use estimated time standards to determine schedule and milestones.

Resource optimally —-> Conserve budget by assigning start and end dates for each task.

Use standard work periods —-> When possible, leave weekends and holidays free. These days may be needed for later.

Plan for production —-> Do not force the production staff to absorb others’ delays.

Plan for reviews —-> Allow adequate time to complete reviews and revisions.

Manage the schedule —-> Develop recovery plans whenever task completions slip. Be flexible but firm.

Question 17

What are the estimated times to allocate resource effort for simple graphics, complex graphics, develop new material, and adapt/tailor boilerplate; review new material?

Answer 17

Create simple graphics ………. 1 - 2 hours each
Create complex graphics ………. 2-4 hours each
Develop new material ………. 4-8 pages
Adapt/tailor boilerplate; review new material ………. 25 pages per day

Question 18

Key term: What is competitor review (black hat)?

Answer 18

An assessment and analysis of competitors’ likely strategies and solutions. People who are independent of the opportunity planning team and are experts on the customer and competitors conduct this review.

Question 19

Key term: What is boilerplate?

Answer 19

Stored text and graphics that are available for potential reuse in future proposals. Boilerplate is information that is harvested from existing documentation to be repurposed in other proposals.

Question 20

Key term: What is the Business Case Review/Senior Management Review (Gold team)

Answer 20

All the internal milestones and approvals [internal governance] require to sign off on the solution, pricing, and legal requirements.

Question 21

Key term: What is the Proposal Strategy Review (Pink Team)

Answer 21

The proposal strategy review validates the execution of the bid strategy for writers and verifies compliance with customer requirements. This task can be done by reviewing content development tools such as storyboards, a writing plan, mock-ups, and annotated outlines, or an early draft of the proposal.

Question 22

What components build a sound internal business case?

Answer 22

• • Objectives
• • Customer needs (sales role)
• • Benefits
• • Return on investment (ROI)
• • Options
• • Cash flows
• • Risk analysis
• • Assumptions

Question 23

What are the steps to decide on teaming agreements?

Answer 23

• • Be able to use analysis tools to recognize the need for internal and/or external teaming partners
• • Be able to help identify suitable internal and/or external partners
• • Be able to manage the process to recruit internal and/or external patterns

Question 24

What do you look for in selecting internal or external teaming partners?

Answer 24

• • Use a Bidders Comparison Matrix or SWOT Analysis to identify capability gaps that are perceived by the customer
• • Select teaming partners that complement you own strengths and weaknesses
• • Choose partners with unique capabilities and/or discriminators that help you win
• • Remove a competitor that the customer might favor

Question 25

Key term: What is a "feature" in regard to your proposal?

Answer 25

The aspect of your offer to the buyer (terms and conditions, price, simplicity, size, weight, color, etc.)

Question 26

Key term: What is a "benefit" in regard to your proposal?

Answer 26

The result achieved by the buyer through the use/application of the feature.

Question 27

Key term: What is an "advantage" in regard to your proposal?

Answer 27

Feature of your offer that, in your opinion, may provide a benefit to the buyer.

Question 28

Key term: What is a "diiferniator" in regard to your proposal?

Answer 28

Feature of your offer that differs from a competitor's offering (aka USP, "unique selling point")

Question 29

Key term: What is a "discriminator" in regard to your proposal?

Answer 29

The differentiator in your solution that, in the buyer's opinion, will provide a benefit (aka, USP)

Question 30

What does SWOT stand for?

Answer 30

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

Question 31

What does "ghosting the competition" mean?

Answer 31

Ghosting means raising the specter of doubt about a competitor's approach without naming the competitor.

Question 32

What are the 3 components of the development of an Executive Summary?

Answer 32

1. Understand the key elements required to develop a customer-focused 2. Use the executive summary as a proposed briefing tool for others 3. Draft Executive summaries early as a part of Win Strategy Development

Question 33

What are the components of the development of a Content Plan?

Answer 33

- - Understand the variety of different tools and methods available to plan written content for proposals - - Understand the benefits and appropriate use of developing content plans - - Be able to use a variety of content planning tools and methods for different sizes and types of proposals - - Be able to lead the development of and completion of early content planning

Question 34

What is the difference between a telegraphic heading and an informative heading??

Answer 34

Telegraphic heading---1-3 words that relate to section (i.e, "Overview") Informative heading--Subheading (try to tie heading to a value or benefit

Question 35

Where should a theme statement go and what should it consist of?

Answer 35

- -Place at the beginning of each proposal section - -Begin with the customer's name - -Highlight your discriminators (link customer needs to quantified benefits; link those benefits to features) - -Can be a concise sentence/paragraph or a visual

Question 36

Key term: What is "bid decision tree"?

Answer 36

A tool used to help you make an informed bid decision based on positive and negative indicators. It results in a "yes" or "no" response leading to a qualified pursuit decision.

Question 37

Key term: What is "bidder comparison matrix"

Answer 37

A bidder's comparison matrix is a tool used to analyze the customer's current perception of your solution compared to competitors. It usually is a weighted score that indicates the customer's confidence that you can meet their requirements.

Question 38

Key term: What is a "compliance matrix?"

Answer 38

A roadmap that evaluators can use as a reference pointing to specific proposal responses for each compliance item. It identifies where in the proposal you have addressed the solicitation requirements.

Question 39

Key term: What is a "content plan"?

Answer 39

A content plan provides guidance and a framework for addressing requirements, detailing win strategy and themes, and meeting page allocation requirements. It is comprised of a variety of conceptual tools used to help writers plan each section/response before drafting text.

Question 40

Key term: What is an "executive summary"?

Answer 40

A short abstract of the main points of that the offer aimed at the senior-level decision-makers in the customer's organization. An executive summary is the section of a proposal that provides an overview of the offer and highlights the key selling points for the customer's decision-makers. It articulates the customer's vision and presents win themes and win strategies that substantiate "why us."

Question 41

Key term: What is "ghosting the competition"?

Answer 41

A sophisticated tradeoff analysis used to highlight a competitor's weakness or downplay a competitor's strength. When using these techniques, competitors are not named. The goal is to provide the customer with information that supports the view that your solution is superior and to cast doubt on the viability of competitors' approaches.

Question 42

Key term: What is a "opportunity qualification/opportunity assessment"?

Answer 42

The process of researching specific opportunities to determine if they match your organization's interest, capabilities, and recourses available to bid on and implement.

Question 43

What is SWOT?

Answer 43

The analysis performed by organizations to address competitive positioning and identify the outcomes needed to develop a compelling proposal response that wins the business. SWOT emphasizes the internal environment.

Question 44

Key term: what is a "theme statement"?

Answer 44

A short articulation to the customer of the main point in a proposal section, typically linking a discriminating feature to a benefit.