Has your firm ever submitted a Statement of Qualifications (SoQ) to a government entity? Have you wondered how SoQ's are reviewed and ranked? For us, the answer is yes for both questions.

 

I would like to share some valuable tips we recently learned to help you prepare a better SoQ and hopefully win some work for your company. Four government officials representing four different local Southern Nevada jurisdictions recently discussed their views and experiences in the SoQ evaluation process and offered the following advice. The event was organized by the SMPS Las Vegas chapter.

 

1. Follow Directions: Content, length, format, and organization are often dictated in the RFP/RFQ. Do it their way, not yours.

 

2. Presentation: The SoQ should be easy to read and the language should be easily understood (font, vocabulary, and technicality). The information should be easy to find (table of contents, tabs, headings, titles, subtitles, spacing and bolding). The presentation should be attractive (graphics, pictures, and color).

 

3. Be Specific: Your experience should be expressed in a way that is specific to the RFP/RFQ, including example projects.

 

4. Private Experience Matters: Private sector experience is still experience. Do not hesitate to submit if you lack experience with government contracts.

 

5. Quality Control: Provide a clear and concise description of your firm's quality control and assurance program.

 

6. Request a Debrief: You can always improve. The best way to learn is to find out what you did right, and more importantly, what you did wrong.

 

Although these tips are intuitive and common sense, they are not always practiced. Don't be at a disadvantage by letting your SoQ lack these basic principles. Good luck on your future submittals!