Blue Team review
Also called: Blue Team, Strategy review
Updated
What is Blue Team review?
A Blue Team review is an early strategy review of a pursuit, held before or just as the RFP is released. Reviewers test whether the team understands the customer, the competition and the requirement, whether the win strategy and themes are right, and whether the bid can be won. It comes before proposal writing.
What a Blue Team looks at
The Blue Team reviews the capture plan: the customer's needs and hot buttons, the incumbent and likely competitors, the solution concept, teaming, price strategy, and the win themes and discriminators. The question is whether the strategy is strong enough to win, not whether the prose is good, because there is little prose yet.
Where it fits
It is the first of the color team reviews, often tied to the bid/no-bid decision. A weak Blue Team result is a reason to fix the strategy, add a partner or walk away before the cost of writing a proposal is spent.
Common mistakes
Holding it too late, after writing has started, and treating it as a status meeting instead of a challenge. Bring reviewers who will question the assumptions.
A useful Blue Team ends with decisions, not just comments: which themes to keep, which gaps to close with a teammate or a hire, what questions to ask during the questions period, and whether the price target is realistic. Record those decisions in the capture plan so the proposal team starts from them.
Blue Team review in ProposalWorkspace
ProposalWorkspace keeps the strategy a Blue Team reviews in one place: the Capture & Win Strategy canvas with customer, competition, team, win themes tied to Section M and capture actions, plus a weighted bid/no-bid scorecard with a recorded decision.
Blue Team review: questions and answers
When should a Blue Team review happen?
Before proposal writing starts, ideally before the final RFP or right as it is released, so the strategy can still change.
What is the difference between a Blue Team and a Red Team?
A Blue Team tests the strategy before writing. A Red Team scores a complete draft against Section M the way evaluators will.
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