The craft · practical guide Grows out of manual 06, Scope your own project Published craft page

Practical guide

The RFP Sharpener.

Give prospective contributors the same question, constraints and completion checks. Use this page to prepare a request they can respond to clearly. Better information helps comparison; it does not guarantee a lower price or a better supplier.

UseWork the tool now
FormatOn-page outline
Use itWhen you decide to hire a firm
Use the outline Read the manual it comes from
Two people working through a project question, evidence, work and next check.

Start with the assignment

Give each firm the same starting point.

Describe what you know and what still needs investigation. If the cause is uncertain, ask for an investigation and its outputs. Do not require a bidder to pretend the answer is already known.

A useful RFP makes differences in assumptions, scope and exclusions visible. Compare those differences before comparing prices.

What it does

Turn the project plan into an RFP.

01 · Brief to context

Give the firm the problem, not your guess at the solution.

Your brief becomes the RFP's context section, stating the problem and outcome without prescribing the how. That lets good firms show you an approach you had not considered, instead of just bidding your assumptions back at you.

02 · Spec and test-of-done to requirements

Make every proposal answer the same questions.

Your deliverable spec and completion checks become requirements for each proposal. Ask bidders to state exceptions, missing information and assumptions so you can see where their offers differ.

03 · Workplan to evaluation

Score proposals on your terms, not their pitch.

Your workplan helps identify dependencies, required access and review points. Ask each bidder who will do the work, what they need from you and how changes affect the proposal.

Who can use it

For the person commissioning the work.

You can use the outline with an internal team, an independent contributor or a firm. If the brief is still unclear, use the filled planning example, or make clarification part of the assignment.

Use it now

An RFP outline to fill in.

  1. Context: the business situation, relevant facts and why the work matters now.
  2. Assignment: what to investigate or deliver, and what is excluded.
  3. Evidence: available records, access, people and unresolved questions.
  4. Outputs: what the user of each deliverable needs to receive.
  5. Acceptance: who reviews the work and what shows it meets the agreed requirement.
  6. Proposal: named team, approach, assumptions, timing, price, exclusions and change process.
  7. Selection: how and when you will compare responses and clarify differences.

Copy these headings into your working document. There is no download or purchase required.

Before you select

Check the people and the proposal.

The outline does not choose the supplier.

Check relevant experience, who will perform the work, availability and the proposed terms. A low price may leave out work another bidder included. Use qualified legal or procurement advice where the assignment requires it.

Back to the manual →
Resolve before accepting
  • Conflicting assumptions about the problem.
  • Unclear responsibility for access or delivery.
  • Different definitions of completion.
  • Work that needs investigation before it can be priced.

When the work is live

Need help with the brief?

Stan reviews each request for fit. All corporate work starts with an inquiry and is quoted separately. Stan confirms the people, stakes, scope, and fee in writing before work starts. The page provides the RFP structure; an engagement reviews the live scope and handoff.

Discuss the project

Work with me · $1,500/month 1:1 business work · Request scope