Have you won an IDIQ? Congratulations, but get prepared for another race. Otherwise, task order requests for proposal may catch you flat-footed. You have to put numerous measures in place in order to succeed in winning as many tasks as possible. One of these measures is creating an easy-to-follow task order manual.

The task order manual is a living document that covers many topics important to the contract vehicle. It contains historical knowledge about the IDIQ or GWAC, how you assign task order work, how task orders get evaluated, what presentation approaches will win for this particular customer, where to find all the important data for this IDIQ or GWAC, and other vital information. The task order manual encapsulates all the operational rules, enables the whole team to be on the same page, and sets the foundation for the IDIQ winning “machine.” It has to answer some important questions, like:

• How will your teammates interact with the government customer?
• Can they talk with the customer directly or do they have to do it through you?
• What if they send a message about your team that is contrary to your strategy?  
• Can they bring work to the vehicle by working directly with the customer?
• Can they market this vehicle and then “eat what they kill?”
• What if they use this power to move work away to another vehicle they are priming?

Now, throw in another complication: what about non-exclusive subs or those who are exclusive to you but are your “frenemies” on other contracts?

There are best practices for each type of teaming and marketing situation you encounter. Your teaming agreements, as well as the task order manual, should reflect answers to these important questions.

Do you have a task order manual for your IDIQs? What do you include in your task order manual as a best practice?

If you would like to find out more about creating a great task order manual, as well as other important measures to maximize your success rate, sign up for our class on Preparing Winning Multiple Award and Task Order Proposals on September 22-23, 2011 (Rockville, MD). We have only nine seats left. Olessia Smotrova-Taylor teaches this master class herself, and she has built an organization that won every single task order on an IDIQ vehicle. Learn more or register at www.ostglobalsolutions.com/multiple-award-proposals.

… PROPOSAL support: If you are short-staffed, your proposal load is heavy, or you don’t have the right skills in-house, we can get you the right help. Please contact Ben Goessling for your proposal development needs at 301-384-3350 ext. 104, or send us an inquiry at service@ostglobalsolutions.com.

… BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT support: Outsource your business development to our experts and find government contracting opportunities in your core competency areas. Contact Alex Brown at 301-384-3350 ext. 102, or send u s an inquiry at service@ostglobalsolutions.com.

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