Here's the binders for the EADS proposal for the KC-X tanker. The award is worth $35B over its period of performance. Photo source, The DEW Line
This is probably the largest award in recent years - no matter who wins (Boeing or EADS). Somewhere in those 17 volumes and 8,000 pages is the IMP/IMS and the Basis of Estimate content.
This concept is almost always missing in enterprise IT. Outside of the technical solution, the proposal needs to answer - How is the program going to be executed? What is the confidence that the plans, schedules, costs, and technical performance will turn out in the way the customer wants?
We're back to the core questions that must be answered for ANY project, no matter the method, the domain, context, or even the size:
- How much will this cost?
- When will we be done?
- How can we tell we're making the progress as we planned to make?
- What's going to be the impediments along the way and how are we going to handle them?
From experience on Crew Exploration Vehicle, the writing of the proposal was a $10M project in itself.
Can you say - Program Planning and Controls?
