Response to a Government Solicitation Research Paper

Response to a Government Solicitation - Research Paper Example The oil spills in the Deepwater Horizon occurs in a short period that requires quick response mechanism. However, there are no appropriate detective mechanisms available to provide a timely reaction to the situation before a disaster is encountered. The opportunity is entitled â€Å"Detection of Oil within the Water Column.† The solicitation number for this business opportunity is HSCG32-12-R-R00005 and the concerned federal agency is the Department of Homeland Security. The opportunity arises following the technological deficiency that has been witnessed in managing the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred in the Mexican Gulf. Thus, the office associated with this opportunity is the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The project is to be carried out at the base of the contracting office, which is the USCG research and development center. More information about the contract is available at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DHS/USCG/USCGRDC/HSCG32-12-R-R00005/listing.html 3. The deci sion-making process on whether to bid or not Before making a decision to bid for this contract, it is necessary to perform a number of opportunity and risk assessments, evaluations and analyses. Companies that do not apply blind-bid approach often have high bid-win rates and high capture rates (Garrette, 2007, p.20). Obviously, the first step involves an examination of the job description. The tasks and responsibilities defined in the contract should be evaluated against the competencies of the contracting firm and the proposal team. There is need to consider the penalties imposed by the contracting office for nonperformance by the contractor (Garrette, 2007, p.24). The firm must ascertain that it has the relevant expertise as well as other resources necessary to accomplish the assignment. The other consideration is the cost constraint imposed on the contract. The contract notices are often issued with the financial budget that the bidders should not exceed in the budget plan. The f irm has to evaluate the given budget in relation to the requirements and description of the task. This can also be compared to other projects or programs previously contracted by the firm. It is also appropriate to consider the time limit given for the project. Again, the firm has to evaluate the duration in relation to its capability and nature of the assignment (Garrette, 2007, p.24). We have to examine if the allocated time is practical and there is the potential to complete the task as required. Having considered all the above, we have to perform an overall comparison between this opportunity and the other opportunity (opportunities) that may be available at this particular time. There may be better opportunities that the firm can utilize than this one. This comparative analysis should encompass the above-stated considerations. 4. Areas of expertise to be represented in the proposal team The hiring officers often consider the expertise and professional qualifications of the lead ing members of the proposal team, and this can provide a basis for disqualification. The qualifications that are particularly relevant to the assignment attract the attention of the clients. According to