Submitted by John Hart
I. Background & Requirements
Scope and Objectives
Summarize the opportunity’s purpose, deliverables and mandatory requirements.
II. Strategic Assessment
Alignment with Corporate Strategy
How well does the work scope advance your company’s strategic goals?
Market Analysis
Evaluate market size, trends, and competitive pressures.
Win Probability
Objectively assess “Can we win?” based on past performance, relationships, and capabilities.
III. Financial Implications
Budget Impact
Determine required investment and available funding.
Life‑Cycle Cost (LCC)
Project total cost of ownership over the contract term.
IV. Customer Analysis
Customer Profile & Funding
Understand the customer’s mission, priorities, and budget constraints.
Acquisition Plan & Issues
Identify any procurement risks, schedule drivers, or regulatory hurdles.
Source‑Selection Strategy
Clarify whether the award will be best‑value or lowest‑price technically acceptable and the evaluation factors.
V. Competitive Landscape
Our Strengths & Weaknesses
Known and Potential Competitors
Strengths, weaknesses and likely “black‑hat” strategies
Past Performance Metrics
Ours (relevant wins, ratings)
Competitors’ (publicly available or projected)
VI. Opportunity Win Strategy
Proposal & Contract Planning
Develop win themes, key differentiators and teaming approaches.
VII. Technical Baseline
System Design Parameters
Outline hardware/software architecture, interface requirements and performance specs.
VIII. Management Baseline
Organizational Structure
Core team, major subcontractors and teaming agreements.
Schedules & Milestones
Key decision points, deliverable dates and program phasing.
Program Management Plans
Quality assurance, configuration management, and communication protocols.
Make‑or‑Buy Analysis
Determine which elements to perform in‑house versus subcontract.
IX. Cost Estimating & Pricing
Competition Type
Competitive vs. sole‑source implications
Pricing Methodology
Rate development, cost‐plus vs. fixed‐price considerations, requirement for cost or pricing data
Life‑Cycle Cost (LCC)
Incorporate sustainment, maintenance and disposal costs.
X. Risk Assessment & Mitigation
Risk Identification
Technical, schedule, financial and contractual risks
Mitigation Approach
Contingency plans, reserves and risk‐sharing strategies
XI. Proposal Preparation
Team Resources
Internal staffing availability and potential external support
Proposal Schedule & Budget
Timeline for writing, review and submission; estimated development costs
Proposal Plan of Action (PPA)
Detailed tasks, responsibilities and review milestones
Use this checklist to guide your go/no‑go decision process and ensure nothing critical is overlooked when evaluating a government‑contract opportunity.