Compliance Matrix

Question 1

What does ‘shredding’ mean?

Answer 1

Breaking the ITT spec down so that each requirement is in a different line in a spreadsheet, so they can be easily seen and adjusted

Question 2

When should you create a compliance matrix?

Answer 2

Before writing

Question 3

Why would you submit a version of your compliance matrix with your proposal?

Answer 3

To make marking easier for the buyer - they can immediately see whether you’ve fulfilled the essential criteria. This is otherwise known as a response matrix.

Question 4

True or False: you don’t have to create a compliance matrix for every bid, just the large ones

Answer 4

False - you should create a compliance matrix for every bid, regardless of scale, scope, or timeline

Question 5

What considerations should be made regarding Submittal Instructions?

Answer 5

Have you adhered to buyer instructions for:

1. Format?
2. Hard copies?
3. Answering all questions?
4. Forms and attachments?
5. Submission time and place?

Question 6

What considerations should be made regarding Requirements?

Answer 6

1. Are you capable of delivering the service required?
2. Is the team you propose actually available to do the work?
3. Have you translated and provided solutions for underlying customer needs?
4. Are there any customer requirements you can’t meet?

Question 7

What considerations should be made regarding Internal Compliance?

Answer 7

1. Have you met all legal (internal) requirements?
2. Did you follow the correct procedure (e.g., by entering the opportunity into your in-house CRM tool)?
3. Have the right people/organization units/management levels been involved?
4. Is the proposal authorized for submission?

Question 8

List some of the purposes for which a compliance matrix can be used

Answer 8

1. Content planning
2. Process management
3. Executive oversight
4. Proposal evaluation (a summary doc proving compliance)
5. Submission checklist

Question 9

What words should you look out for when identifying needs to be ‘shredded’?

Answer 9

‘Must’, ‘will’, ‘should’

Question 10

How should you shred an ITT spec?

a. sentence by sentence
b. paragraph by paragraph
c. section by section

Answer 10

a. sentence by sentence

Question 11

What do the letters ‘F’, ‘P’, and ‘N’ signify when marked against bid criteria?

Answer 11

F = fully compliant
P = partially compliant
N = not compliant

Question 12

How should you sort requirements in a shredding spreadsheet?

Answer 12

By section of the proposal - grouping lines together this way makes it easier to plan your content, and a spreadsheet application can be used to do this

Question 13

Should you paraphrase and/or translate the RFP into the terms used by your own organisation?

Answer 13

No, you should mirror the language of the RFP

Question 14

Can you alter the compliance matrix once its written?

Answer 14

Yes - you should continually update the compliance matrix in response to new information coming to light or clarification questions being answered. There should be a dedicated member of the team assigned to this task.

Question 15

What is the difference between compliance and responsiveness?

Answer 15

Compliance = meeting the needs identified in the RFP
Responsiveness = meeting the underlying, unspoken needs of the buyer as well as the stated needs

Question 16

What are “Nice to haves”?

Answer 16

“Nice to haves” are additional requirements that are usually important for only part of the customer’s organization.

Question 17

What qualities should the content of a compliance matrix have?

Answer 17

The content should be brief, concise, and easy to read. It must also demonstrate the bidder’s thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and focus.

Question 18

What is a common consequence of non-compliance in a government bid?

Answer 18

Disqualification - the bid will not even be marked

Question 19

How should you build a compliance matrix for an informal or verbal RFP?

Answer 19

From meetings, phone calls, executive interaction, field visits, and fact finding

Question 20

How can you demonstrate responsiveness?

Answer 20

By reading the narrative of the RFP and inferring unspoken needs - your compliance matrix will typically then have more listed needs than the spec