Dear Friends,

 

Jessie might have been referring to me (i.e. the "lone wolf"), as I am
someone who does assist with developing project plans and serving as a
second set of eyes and ears in the RFP exercise (the "conscience of the
process").  I am not necessary staffed for or interested in full
implementation of a RIM, but do believe someone with battle tested
experience should be involved in the early stages of program development or
remediation.  At my former company, implemented a global RIM with minimal
resources (two full time staff members and limited outside help for a
company with 80,000 employees worldwide), because we planned and budgeted
wisely, and effectively co-opted the involvement of others in the
organization for execution.

 

In my view, there is no one-size-fits-all template for a professional
services RFP.  If you decide to use a template certain attributes should be
included in your RFP when undertaking a project of this importance.  These
are the basic steps I would take in phase one.  I am happy to confer with
others on the wisdom or even shortcomings of any of my approach, on or
offline.

 

1.  Identify an advisor or consultant to assist with conducting a high-level
gaps analysis on a fix-rate basis. The fixed rate is important because you
need predictability of cost at the outset before getting approval to
undertake a more broad, global project.  There is, admittedly, somewhat of a
"what comes first, the chicken or the egg" dilemma, but you need to define
your scope and needs up front. A good gaps analysis should include a review
of documents, processes, policies and procedures, and governance relative to
records management compliance on the paper and electronic side of the
equation.

2.  A gaps analysis would produce a project definition document ("PDD") that
includes, among other things, (i) RFP template based on gaps/findings, (ii)
proposed budget and financial model, (iii) analysis of reasonable
alternatives (e.g., buy versus build), (iv) resource allocation, and (v)
presentation with executive summary for management consideration and
ultimate approval. With budget approval and a PDD in hand, you will be in a
position to tailor your RFP to your specific need and efficiently entertain
bids for work in this area.

3.  The gaps analysis and PDD phase of a moderate to complex sized project
should take no more than 2 to 4 weeks to complete, based on availability of
company personnel (for limited interviews and kick off meetings) and
documentation for due diligence.

4.  When going through the RFP exercise, vendors should be subject to an
agreed statement of work, and compensated based on achievement of milestones
defined at the outset of the project.  The statement of work also should be
subject to a detailed project plan, with change management protocols
incorporated to avoid "project creep" and performance outside budget.

5.  Following this approach will not guarantee success, but will go a long
way toward producing measurable results that are on time and in budget.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Best regards,

 

 

Rick Wolf

 

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347 Mt. Pleasant Avenue

Suite 204

West Orange, NJ 07052

(973) 324-0050 (direct)

(973) 324-0052 (fax)

(201) 602-9486 (cell)

 <http://www.lexakos.com/> www.lexakos.com

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Jesse Wilkins
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 9:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: RFP for Consultants

 

Hi Sandra, 

 

Excellent point. I agree that there is an ethical issue when the same folks

write the RFP and respond to it. 

 

That said, I think there are a few consulting groups out there that would do

the RFP engagement even at the expense of the longer-term engagement,

perhaps because of the shorter vs. longer time commitment. You'll also see

smaller organizations that might not have the staff to adequately do the

longer engagement but could put together a credible RFP - some of the more

well-known people in the industry move on or sort of retire and become "lone

wolf" consultants, with minimal staff but tons of knowledge and experience

from having built programs and organizations. 

 

The thing I would caution everyone on is that as this thread shows writing a

good RFP is also a project in itself. That means you can't expect it done in

an afternoon - even if you already have good requirements defined (and most

organizations don't). 

 

I'd be happy to speak with anyone offline about this. And as I noted in my

previous note, there are quite a few government-focused RFPs out there; I'd

direct folks particularly to the work being done by NYSED in NY and NJDARM

in NJ as they have extensive grant programs for RIM program assessment and

development and the municipalities out there put out RFPs for consultants

every year. 

 

Regards, 

 

Jesse Wilkins

[log in to unmask] 

 

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