Each time that CONSTANT is awarded new work, the Business Development (BD) team holds a Project Handoff Meeting. The Project Handoff Meeting is meant to provide a seamless transition from the proposal and contract phases to project initiation. During the meeting, the BD team and the project team discuss key files (request for proposal (RFP), proposal, contract), review project and client details, and address questions. In this article, we’ll discuss how BD and Operations can work together to optimize the Project Handoff Meeting and its outcomes:

• Review key files prior to the meeting: When the BD Team invites the project team to the Project Handoff Meeting, we include a link to an Excel document that provides an overview of the project. This is accompanied by marked up versions of the proposal as well as the RFP and contract, if applicable. Reviewing these documents collectively provide critical context for why a project is scoped and staffed the way it has been, which is usually a direct reflection of the RFP’s structure. Questions can be answered by the BD Team to fill any gaps identified by the project team during the Project Handoff Meeting, and a pre-Project Kickoff Meeting/Contract Review Meeting with the client can be requested as needed to discuss any remaining questions. Reviewing these key files can also ensure that all can participate in key conversations about project risks and assumptions that were considered as part of the proposal process.
• Understand unique details to ensure smooth transition: Each project that CONSTANT undertakes brings unique nuances. Some projects are for existing clients, building from current work, and others are for new clients, where CONSTANT’s knowledge of the client is limited. Some projects represent routine work, like an update to an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), or activities aligned with key grant requirements, like the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response’s (ASPR) Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP). Other projects are seeking to build wholly new programs or have poorly defined parameters to allow us to pivot based on what the client wants. Understanding these unique details can help set the stage for successful project conduct, ensuring that CONSTANT is leveraging existing internal and external resources tied to the client and/or type of work being performed and is aligning to industry requirements. Whenever possible, the BD Team will provide links to and/or cite key resources that were used to inform the proposal, including intelligence from CONSTANT staff, best practice or doctrine documents, information from a client’s website or the local press, etc. These should be studied as foundational information by the project team and will provide context around the client’s potential challenges, needs, and objectives driving the project.
• Sync with the BD Team on a formal communications handoff: Prior to the Project Handoff Meeting, the BD team is traditionally communicating directly with a client point of contact and/or their administrative point of contact about the project and contract. When the contract has been fully executed and the project handed over, the BD team will do a formal email handoff to transition communication to the project team. As part of the Project Handoff Meeting, BD and the project team will sync on this handoff process to ensure the project team is ready to respond quickly, introduce team members, and discuss next steps, like scheduling a Project Kickoff Meeting. The BD team can also provide email history and notes from any pre-contract discussions for additional context.
• Remain in contact with BD: Once a project is formally handed off, the BD team remains a resource for the project team. Should there be any questions about what falls within the project scope, budget/resource allocation, resources, etc., the BD team is available for assistance. Furthermore, the BD team will seek out information from the project team from time-to-time as the project progresses, such as whether the project can be used as a proposal reference, if the project can be added to one’s master resume, whether we should pursue new RFPs with the client, etc. Likewise, should a client express interest in further services, the BD team is available to craft custom capability statements or briefings and/or informal quotes.

CONSTANT continues to refine and strengthen our BD handoff process as our projects grow in complexity. For federal projects, expect the Operations team to be engaged with the BD team from identification through capture and the proposal. More engagement will improve our proposals and should allow for a smooth transition during the handoff. Please reach out to the BD Team should you have any questions or suggestions. We look forward to more Project Handoff Meetings soon as we await results from the many proposals submitted this year!