A proposal compliance matrix is a table or checklist that lists every requirement and every question in the RFP. As you develop the proposal, you mark off each one to confirm you've addressed it.
It's simple, and it protects you from the two kinds of compliance problems that lose work.
Type 1: the box checker
This is the kind that can get you kicked out of a government procurement. Clients sometimes assign someone to review your proposal specifically for these issues: forms filled out correctly, required statements included, specific requirements met.
It's said that the Texas Department of Transportation used to keep a transparency overlay, the kind schools used before video projectors. They'd lay it on your page to see if your fonts matched. If not, you were out.
That actually makes a lot of sense for clients. Kicking you out for the smallest noncompliance protects them from bid protests and shrinks the number of proposals they have to read.
Type 2: "Seriously?"
This type is just as dangerous and more common. You won't get kicked out. You'll get ignored. It happens when a client asks for something and your proposal doesn't provide it.
Clients often ask about workload capacity to confirm your staff is available. I saw one proposal with a chart showing capacity shrinking until, by January and February, the firm had none. The proposer probably just mixed up the chart labels. But would you hire a firm to design your next bridge after it told you it has no capacity?
Seriously?
Then there are the questions people skip because they'd have to think. Here's a real one:
"Describe what you will do to foster teamwork and cooperation from the contractor and the design team and what you will do to minimize adversarial relationships."
An owner asks that because a lack of cooperation between contractor and designer is a common problem on construction projects. Many firms ignore it, or say they have great relationships with lots of contractors. Your client will notice you avoided the question.
What goes in a compliance matrix
Keep it simple. Here's the basic structure, using the examples above.
| Requirement or question | Type | Where we address it | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use the required font and size | Box checker | All pages | Yes |
| Required forms completed and signed | Box checker | Forms section | Yes |
| Show workload capacity | Client question | Staffing section | Check chart labels |
| How will you minimize adversarial relationships? | Client question | Management approach | Not yet |
Example only. Build yours from the actual RFP, line by line. Start it when you first read the RFP, then check it again before the proposal goes out.
In Proposal Management Mastery, I show you how to put together an effective compliance matrix and give you a template, along with my kick-off and close-out checklists.
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I've submitted over 1,000 proposals and created Proposal Management Mastery. The American Institute of Architects included my relevancy formula for proposals in The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice.