Bid Writing for Project Managers

At what stage in the process do commercial projects go wrong? Some of the worst problems (unrealistic objectives, faulty assumptions, and poorly understood constraints) are 'programmed in' at conception when the bid is written, long before the project manager is brought on board. If the bid is misconceived, no amount of clever project management is going to recover the situation. Involving the designated project manager at the bidding stage is becoming the norm in many commercial organizations. Some make the project manager the bid manager so they can direct all aspects of the project's conception. Getting the bid right is the essence of planning for project success, and is the main theme of this book. However, many project managers are unfamiliar with the pitfalls of competitive bidding and don't know how to balance a compelling sales message against a realistic delivery plan. Bid Writing for Project Managers will guide prospective project managers through the bid-writing lifecycle, providing comprehensive guidelines and numerous tips on how to craft a winning bid and how to set the project up with the best possible chance of success.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Zen and the Art of Bid Writing; Chapter 2 The Anatomy of a Bid; Chapter 3 Planning to Win; Chapter 4 Analysing the Requirements in Depth; Chapter 5 Developing the Bid; Chapter 6 Establishing the Project Framework; Chapter 7 Estimation Methods; Chapter 8 Realistic Costing and Pricing; Chapter 9 A Structured Approach to Writing the Bid; Chapter 10 Getting the Message Across; Chapter 11 The Management Solution; Chapter 12 Quality Control; Chapter 13 The Transition to a Project;

About the Author :
David Cleden is a senior project manager, bid writer and consultant with more than 25 years' experience in the public services IT sector. In addition to writing bids and successfully delivering complex projects for a wide range of commercial clients, he writes widely on a variety of business-related issues. David's previous book, Managing Project Uncertainty, was the first title in the Gower series on Advances in Project Management.

Review :
'Bid Writing for Project Managers is an excellent introduction to the process of writing a competitive bid or proposal for new business...full of good sense delivered in an easy, persuasive and authoritative style. You feel that the author (David Cleden) is a master of the craft about which he writes, rather than a self-professed business guru writing in his ivory tower about how he thinks things ought to be. I would recommend Bid Writing for Project Managers to anyone who has the unenviable responsibility of managing preparation of a bid, and to all project managers who are required to contribute to a proposal, especially if they're likely to be tasked with delivering the project when the bid is won!' - Mark Pillatt, Senior Project Manager, WTG Technologies Limited 'An insightful study into how a disciplined approach to bid writing will not only prevent project failure, but will dramatically increase the likelihood of project success.' - Lee Hendricks, Sales and Marketing Director, SunGard Public Sector